Catalan Dragons 20-12 Wigan

Catalan Dragons (14) 20
Tries: Baile, Millard 2
Goals: Dureau 4
Wigan (12) 12
Tries: Tomkins 2
Goals: Richards 2

Millard spent last season at Wakefield Wildcats

Two Daryl Millard tries helped Catalan Dragons complete the double over Wigan as Michael Maguire's men suffered their first away league defeat in 15 months.

The French side, who won 47-28 at the DW Stadium in April, led throughout against a lacklustre Warriors side.

Full-back Sam Tomkins twice cancelled out scores from Jean Philippe Baile and Millard, whose penalty earned the hosts a 14-12 advantage at the break.

But Wigan failed to break through again as Millard's second try sealed victory.

Wigan had won eight games on the trot in the two months since that shock defeat at home to the Dragons on 8 April.

But the Frenchmen have enjoyed a decent record against Wigan since being admitted to Super League in 2006, having beaten the Cherry and Whites five times previously.

And, following their one-off switch to the Yves du Manoir Stadium, Montpellier, 100 miles up the coast from Perpignan, the confident Catalans began brightly.

Only a last-gasp tackle from Paul Prescott prevented Ian Henderson opening the score with only seconds on the clock.

They continued to push and went close again when Henderson fed Baile down the right, but Pat Richards and George Carmont were on hand to prevent a score.

But, from the restart, Dragons transferred the ball wide to the left and Scott Dureau supplied Baile, who found the space to score.

Dureau converted to make it 6-0. But, following three penalties in a row for a mixture of offences, the Catalans' defence finally broke and Tomkins crossed under the posts, Richards adding a simple conversion to level.

Catalans restored their lead on the half-hour mark when a high tackle by Sean O'Loughlin gave the Dragons a penalty and Jamal Fakir took the ball to the line, off-loaded to Dureau who put Millard clear.

But Wigan came back again when some sloppy play by Clint Greenshields gifted Tomkins, who went over for his 13th try of the season, Richards kicking the extras.

Dragons were awarded a penalty in front of the posts on the stroke of half time which Dureau kicked to give the hosts their slender lead.

Wigan clung on to that two-point deficit in a tight second-half. But it was Catalans who had the final say when Greenshields made up for his earlier error by playing a pinpoint pass to Millard who went over for his second try of the night, again converted by Dureau.

That completed Wigan's first league defeat away from the DW Stadium since letting a 20-0 half-time lead when they lost 22-20 at Odsal against Bradford last March.

And, intriguingly, veteran Aussie Steve Menzies, who made his return from injury for the Dragons on Saturday evening, was on the winning side in both matches.

Catalan Dragons: Greenshields; Blanch, Baile, Millard, Vaccari; Sa, Dureau; Ferriol, Henderson, Baitieri, Paea, Raguin, Mounis.

Replacements: Menzies, Simon, Fakir, Pelissier.

Wigan: S Tomkins; Charnley, J Tomkins, Carmont, Richards; Finch, Deacon; Prescott, Leuluai, Mossop, Hansen, Hoffman, O'Loughlin.

Replacements: McIlorum, Lima, Farrell, Tuson.

Att: 9,372

Referee: Richard Silverwood (Dewsbury)