Walters - We've gone up a gear

Bosc: Settling nerves

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Catalans coach Kevin Walters says his side are answering their critics by "stepping up a gear" in the Super League play-offs.

The Dragons beat Wakefield 25-16 in their elimination play-off on Saturday to secure a trip to Huddersfield next Friday.

Their victory owed much to a dominant first-half display as tries from Vincent Duport, Olivier Elima and Dimitri Pelo allowed them to establish a 16-2 lead.

Pelo scored his second seven minutes into the second half and with influential scrum-half Thomas Bosc kicking three goals, Walters' men were by that stage in full control.

But Wakefield issued a response and two tries from Luke George plus another from Ryan Atkins saw them cut the gap to six points with seven minutes remaining.

Any nerves the French side may have had were settled, however, when Bosc kicked a 77th-minute drop-goal and a last-minute penalty.

Walters said: "The players have gone up a gear with their performances after being pretty heavily criticised.

"We're now starting to show what we can do but I think there is more improvement yet to come.

"Tonight we were good enough to hang on for the win, which I'm very happy about.

"The last two weeks have been good, but in the second half it might have been all over for us if Wakefield had scored again.

"We managed to hang on but it was a difficult night.

"We'll fly back to France tonight and come back to England on Thursday for the Huddersfield game.

"It will be difficult but I think we will handle it okay."

Big picture

Meanwhile, Wakefield coach John Kear was left to lament a woeful first-half showing from his side.

But, in a season which has seen the club hit by a number of tragedies, not least the death of players Adam Watene and Leon Walker, he was also quick to look at the bigger picture.

"I thought their big Australian players like Clint Greenshields and Thomas Bosc were big for them," Kear said.

"The French workhorses around those players were very good.

"They were better than us. They came here, slowed the ruck down and never allowed us to get on the front foot."

Kear also admitted the Wildcats missed the presence of playmaker Danny Brough, who was absent because of a hip injury.

"We just couldn't get field position," he said.

"Our main kicker was out and that's not an excuse, but we obviously missed him.

"Credit to Catalans, Bosc kicked us to death and they wrestled us to death.

"But this has been our best season in Super League, no doubt about that.

"We will dedicate this season to Adam Watene and Leon Walker. They have been at the back of our minds throughout all the work we have done this season.

"The performances of the players have been a fitting remembrance of them."