Catalan Dragons 8-8 Bradford Bulls

Catalan Dragons (6) 8
Tries: Farrar
Goals: Dureau 2
Bradford (6) 8
Tries: L'Estrange
Drop-goals: Dureau
Goals: Ah Van 2

Bradford Bulls earned a draw in sodden conditions in the south of France to bring to an end in-form Catalan Dragons' four-match winning run.

Ben Farrar's try put the Dragons ahead, Scott Dureau kicking the conversion.

Heath L'Estrange's score was converted by Patrick Ah Van to draw the Bulls level at half-time, before Dureau and Ah Van exchanged penalties.

Both sides had chances to win it, but Ah Van missed a penalty and Dureau failed with a drop-goal attempt.

In truth, the spectacle was ruined by the downpour that arrived shortly after kick-off.

Both sides tried to play dry-weather rugby in the poor conditions, which resulted in a high number of errors.

Catalans managed to open the scoring when Thomas Bosc found Dureau, who in turn fed Farrar.

After Dureau added the extras, the scrappy nature of the game saw Bulls' Paul Sykes sin-binned for repeatedly holding down the tackle, with Dragons' Sebastian Martins following him to the cooler for a high tackle.

Shortly after, L'Estrange powered over and Ah Van added the conversion to leave the scores level at the break.

The quality did not improve when the players returned, and constant knock-ons from both sides meant that neither could get into a rhythm.

Dureau put Catalans level from a place kick only for Ah Van to level, before both men wasted chances to win it late on.

Catalan coach Trent Robinson:
"I think a draw was a fair result. It was a pretty dumb game from both sides.

"We both constructed our game poorly and both cost ourselves a win.

"I think the effort was there from both teams, that was apparent, but 13 players going in the same direction, that wasn't for us when we needed to control our sets a little bit better and hopefully come up with a win, but we couldn't do that tonight."

Bradford boss Mick Potter:
"A draw was a result that probably was deserved for two teams who were hell-bent on winning that game tonight.

"Defence from both teams was very good and the attack wasn't so good from both teams given the position that both sides found themselves in.

"The weather just before kick-off probably didn't make for a good spectacle but that is what you get sometimes, I don't think we adapted as well as what we should have done to the conditions."

Catalan Dragons: Farrar, Blanch, Baile, Pala, Stacul, Bosc, Dureau, Simon, Henderson, Casty, Sa, Raguin, Mounis.

Replacements: Martins, Fakir, Baitieri, Pelissier.

Bradford: Royston, Ah Van, Platt, Walker, Raynor, Sykes, Herbert, Lynch, Diskin, Kopczak, Elima, Sibbit, Bateman.

Replacements: L'Estrange, Whitehead, Hargreaves, Crossley.

Attendance: 9,496.

Referee: Steve Ganson (St Helens).