Catalans (0) 12 Tries: Carlaw, Raguin Goals: Bosc 2
Harlequins (10) 16 Tries: Dorn, Clubb, Ellis Goals: Purdham 2
 Andy Ellis had only previously scored one Super League try this season |
Harlequins hooker Andy Ellis's late try was enough to seize victory over Catalans and lift his side off the bottom of the Super League table. Quins had earlier looked on course to win with ease when tries by Tony Clubb and Luke Dorn put them 10-0 up inside the first 10 minutes. Two converted early second-half tries from Dane Carlaw and Sebastien Raguin put the Dragons in front. But Ellis had the last word six minutes from time, Rob Purdham improving. That was the second successful kick of the evening for Purdham, who had also converted Dorn's try. Thomas Bosc was twice successful for the French side in an error-strewn contest at Stade Gilbert Brutus. But Catalans, who had won their previous two Super League games, now return to the foot of the table. And, with games to follow at champions Leeds next weekend, followed by a home date with Huddersfield on the final day of the league campaign on 4 September, Catalans now look set to finish bottom for the first time since their debut season in Super League in 2006.
Catalans coach Kevin Walters said: "It wasn't pretty out there for both teams, particularly in the first half. We just didn't hold the ball and that's been the story of our season. "It's disappointing to see the reaction of the players tonight. I thought they would want to prove a point out there after last week, but they didn't show too much of that in the first half. The second half was better but still not anywhere near the standards we set ourselves. "We lost three key players last week and that was always going to make it difficult, but we should still have performed a whole lot better out there. "We didn't get the points when we needed them and we had a try disallowed because Chris Walker dropped the ball over the line. Those sorts of things you can't afford to do when you are last." Harlequins coach Brian McDermott said: "We ground out the win. I didn't think we were great in the first half, but we seemed to just do enough. "In the second half everything we spoke about just went belly up and didn't go to plan at all. "We tried to play off the cuff too much at times and we were erratic. "This season we have been trying to play rugby more and pass the ball more, but sometimes you need someone to say wind your neck in a little bit."
Catalans Dragons: Greenshields, Bell, Raguin, Carlaw, Walker, Bosc, Barthau, Casty, Bentley, Ferriol, Elima, Mounis, Johnson. Replacements: Sa, Gossard, Gigot, Simon. Harlequins: Melling, O'Callaghan, Clubb, Howell, Sharp, Dorn, Gale, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Ellis, Ward, Purdham, Williamson, Krasniqi. Replacements: Wilkes, Bryan, Bolger, Mills. Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham). Attendance: 6,152.
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