Dragons stun Saints

Bottom club Catalans produced one of the shocks of the season with a stunning victory at St Helens.

It was the Dragons' second successive win at Knowsley Road and could prove a major blow to Saints' bid to reach a fourth straight Grand Final.

The French side may be concentrating on their Challenge Cup semi-final but this display confirmed they should not be underestimated in either competition.

Australian full-back Clint Greenshields touched down twice shortly before half-time, either side of a score from Casey McGuire to help the Dragons into a 24-10 interval lead.

It was an advantage they never looked like surrendering as Saints, who crossed through Paul Wellens, Francis Meli (2) and 19-year-old debutant Lee Gaskell, were ruthlessly punished for their defensive frailties.

Brent Sherwin added a fifth try for the visitors in the 54th minute to seal a deserved victory.

Saints were booed off at the final whistle and a worrying footnote for coach Mick Potter was that it was the fourth game this season that his side have conceded 30 points or more on home soil.

Potter's first-choice half-backs Leon Pryce and Kyle Eastmond joined the club's lengthy injury list during last week's defeat to champions Leeds.

Makeshift pairing

Their absence forced Potter to name a makeshift pairing of Gaskell at stand-off with Jon Wilkin, back in the side after a 12-match injury absence, alongside him at scrum-half.

But Saints led inside the sixth minute when James Roby found Jon Wilkin and his flat pass sent Wellens crashing over from close range.

Jonny Lomax added the conversion but the Dragons replied three minutes later when Carlaw caught Saints cold and raced through a gap on the right to breach the home line.

Thomas Bosc landed the first of his five conversions, but in the 27th minute the hosts went back in front when Wilkin collected a pass from Scott Moore and flighted a high kick into the left corner.

Meli leapt highest to gather possession for a try which Lomax narrowly failed to convert from close to the touchline.

Yet Catalans hit back with three tries in seven minutes to lead 24-10 at the break.

Bosc's clever hanging kick allowed Greenshields to touch down and then a teasing grubber from Bosc saw McGuire dive full length to ground the ball.

Best try

The pick of the Dragons' tries arrived shortly before the break as some fine passing down the right culminated in Greenshields going over for his second try.

Not surprisingly, Saints upped the tempo immediately after the restart and in the 50th minute Moore's pass sent Gaskell over the line from close range.

Lomax added the extras to cut Catalans' lead to eight points but the visitors hit back again four minutes later when another fine passing move ended in Carlaw putting Sherwin over.

Bosc maintained his 100 per cent record with the boot, but Saints responded again soon after when Meli burrowed his way over in the left corner for his second try, although Lomax failed to convert and Catalans held on without further alarm.