Warriors torched by Dragons
Scott Dureau produced another sensational performance as Catalan Dragons stunned champions Wigan with a 47-28 victory.
Last Updated: 08/04/11 10:52pm
Scott Dureau produced another sensational performance as Catalan Dragons stunned champions Wigan with a 47-28 victory on Friday.
Just five days after his heroics undid early pacesetters Warrington, the former Newcastle Knights half-back scored 23 points as the champions were overwhelmed at the DW Stadium.
Dureau scored two tries, seven goals and a drop goal, while veteran Steve Menzies and Frederic Vaccari each touched down twice and Remi Casty and Damien Blanch also went over.
Wigan, who have now gone three games without a win, contributed to their own downfall with an error-strewn display.
But, after falling 46-10 behind, the Warriors added some respectability to the scoreline with late tries from George Carmont, Sean O'Loughlin and Stefan Marsh.
There was little hint of what was to follow when Sam Tomkins broke from 40 metres and beat Cyril Stacul on the outside to open the scoring for Wigan in the second minute.
Shell-shocked
But things soon started to go wrong for the hosts and when Darrell Goulding dropped a high ball Vaccari was quick to pounce.
The evergreen Menzies followed him over soon after, taking a short pass from Ben Farrar and cutting inside Goulding to claim his first.
The Dragons' third came when captain Gregory Mounis found a gaping hole in the Wigan line and raced clear to set up Casty.
Shell-shocked Wigan tried to respond but Ryan Hoffman knocked-on to squander a good position and the Dragons roared back.
Blanch beat Sam Tomkins with a superb run down the right before passing inside and Dureau came charging in on the loose ball to touch down.
Menzies got his second three minutes before the break from a Sa pass after Goulding had conceded another set of six.
McIlorum went over from 10 metres and reigning Man of Steel Pat Richards, on his first appearance since last year's Grand Final, kicked his first of four goals to reduce the arrears to 30-10 at half-time.
Pressure
Catalan stepped up the pressure after the break and scored again after Joel Tomkins lost possession and Darryl Millard broke away to create Vaccari's second.
Dureau missed a conversion for the first time but landed a penalty soon after and then added to Wigan's woes by intercepting a Brett Finch pass on his own 20-metre line and sprinting clear for a try.
Blanch then scored out wide after more good work from Menzies and the Dragons began to ease off.
Wigan grabbed their first consolation as Sam Tomkins found Richards out wide and the winger offloaded for Carmont to get on the scoresheet.
O'Loughlin then pounced on a bouncing ball to score and Marsh crept over in the corner in the last minute.
Amid that late flurry, however, Dureau added a drop goal to underline the visitors' superiority and secure a second shock away win in a week for his side.