Dragons roar in Wales
A hat-trick of tries from Clint Greenshields helped Catalan Dragons defeat Crusaders 32-22 at the Racecourse Ground.
Last Updated: 19/03/11 1:15am
Catalan Dragons won in Wrexham for the second straight year as they toppled Crusaders 32-22 at the Racecourse Ground.
Clint Greenshields grabbed a hat-trick of tries to help the French club record just their second triumph of the season, both of them coming on the road.
In contrast, Crusaders are still yet to taste success on home soil in 2011, they had already lost to Bradford in front of their own fans, as they remain stuck on minus 2 points at the foot of the table.
They quickly found themselves 12-0 down against the Dragons, who were playing away for the second time in the space of six days.
Stormed over
Greenshields grabbed the opening try on nine minutes when centre Daryl Millard tapped Scott Dureau's kick into his path to set up an easy finish.
A second score soon followed as Ben Farrar spotted a sizeable gap in the home defence to storm over for the first of his brace, Dureau adding his second conversion.
Vince Mellars then had a try chalked off for Crusaders when referee James Child judged the centre had made a double movement in grounding the ball.
However, the hosts did eventually get on the scoreboard after 35 minutes - and in spectacular fashion, too.
A loose pass saw Dureau and Farrar fumble, allowing Crusaders scrum-half Jarrod Sammut to pick up the pieces and run a full 80 yards to score.
Clinton Schifcofske added the extras but the Dragons landed a telling blow in reponse a minute before the break, Greenshields touching down just before the half-time hooter sounded.
In control
The full-back completed his hat-trick 10 minutes after the re-start, cancelling out a Tony Martin try for the hosts, as the visitors remained in control.
But in order to secure the two points they were forced to hold off a Crusaders comeback, a quick-fire brace from Mellars setting up a rousing last quarter.
Crucially, though, Farrar bagged a fifth try, his second of the night, for the French club with 14 minutes to play.
Dureau slotted over the conversion and then made sure of the victory with a couple of penalties, the scrum-half finishing with a personal haul of 12 points.
