Catalans tame raging Bulls

Catalans Dragons mounted an astonishing second-half fightback to send Bradford Bulls crashing out of the Challenge Cup in Perpignan on Sunday.

The French side had looked dead and buried early in the second half of their fourth round tie as Bradford dominated from the start, scoring five tries without reply.

But in a remarkable 26 minute spell after the break Catalans ran in seven of their own to end the game 40-38 and send the visitors packing with their tails firmly between their legs

The Bulls, the only side to maintain a 100 percent record in France, looked to be cruising into the last 16 after storming into a 26-0 lead by the 43rd minute.

Steve McNamara's men were in a different class during a one-sided first half that brought tries from Paul Sykes, Semi Tadulalam, Rikki Sheriffe and Matt Cook.

Catalans looked in total disarray as Bradford ran riot at the Stade Gilbert Brutus and when Menzies added a fifth try early in the second half it looked like a rout was on the cards.

Onslaught

But the Dragons suddenly woke and immediately began to breathe fire, scoring four tries in a devastating 14-minute spell to cut the gap to just four points.

The first came courtesy a superb offload from skipper Greg Bird to put Olivier Elima over.

The prop was followed by full-back Clint Greenshields, stand-off Thomas Bosc and a second from Elima as Bradford reeled in the face of the onslaught.

Tadulala grabbed a second for the visitors after latching onto a Ben Jeffries high kick.

But centre Jean Phillippe Baille and Bosc replied in rapid succession to put the hosts in front for the first time.

Bradford appeared to self-destruct when, on 71 minutes, full-back Michael Platt offloaded from a three-man tackle behind his own line, gifting a try to substitute Cyril Gossard.

Bosc put the French side eight points clear with his sixth goal of the match which proved enough of a buffer to stave off a desperate Bradford fightback in the closing stages.

A penalty try for a high tackle on substitute winger Dave Halley closed the gap but time eventually ran out for the Bulls.