The dragons launched their Magic Weekend perfectly in St James’ Park, before sinking into frustration. Leigh took the opportunity to win (26-24), leaving the Catalans in doubt as the Cup semi-final approaches.
The Magic Weekend has found colors in St James’ Park. But for the Catalan dragons, the party only lasted a time. After a perfectly mastered start to the match, Steve McNamara’s men sank into indiscipline, offering Leigh the opportunity to return a poorly committed situation.
From the first minutes, the Catalans display their ambitions. Occupation of the field, precision in transmissions and efficiency in brand areas: everything seemed together for a demonstration. Théo Fages, master of the game at the foot, found Matthieu Laguerre for a well -constructed first test. Then, in a flash of genius, Tariq Sims intercepts and launched a central attack of a hundred meters, concluded by a jewel of Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet, stunning the English defense.
But this initial fireworks did not resist the return of flame. Two errors in their 20 meters, between Yaha and Laguerre, put Leigh in the spot. The faults have multiplied and, with them, the opportunities for the English. “You cannot win by chaining so many mistakes and lacking tackles”let go of Alrix da Costa, visibly annoyed. The release of Benjamin Garcia on injury (adductors) in the 21st minute did not help anything. Deprived of their captain, the Dracs have lost benchmarks and impact. Leigh took the opportunity to return to two points at the break (12-14), thanks to two trials marked after Catalan defensive errors. The return of the locker room gave the dragons a little momentum. Reimis Smith gave the advantage to his own but the equalization was not long after a balloon torn by Ethan O’Neill in Nick Cotric. The transformation hit the post, a detail heavy with consequences.
Leigh, without shining, knew how to capitalize on the Catalan faults. A penalty in the 55th allowed them to pass in front, then a trut of trout, following a failed Whitehead tackle, made the match switched definitively. Despite a final start – a pass at the foot of Fages converted by Keary – the Dragons remained at two points (28-26). Two contested penalties then shot their last hopes.
Dragons will stay in England
At the end of the meeting, Benjamin Garcia, frustrated, underlined the shortcomings of his team: “I think we are doing a very good start by taking the occupation, applying things and marking two tests. But our indiscipline is still expensive. As soon as we score, we make mistakes and they come back. We catch the balls badly, we make a little stupid mistakes. It’s annoying. We really wanted to win to build before the semi-final. We can be very frustrated. The captain, uncertain for Saturday because of his injury, remains still turned to the CUP: “We stay together in England to the semi-final. We will have more time and more energy. It will do us good. We must now re-mobilize.”
Leigh wins for the second time this season against dragons still too irregular. One week before their crucial meeting in the Cup semi-final against Hull Kr, players and coaches have things to treat and a mentality to find to go to Wembley for the third time in their history.
