Those within rugby league circles who had thought that that magnificent Salford victory, away at Warrington, just over a week ago, was a sheer freak or flash-in-the-pad, were given something of an eye-opener, last Thursday evening, when the Red Devils backed up that recent win, with a performance, almost its equal, against the visiting Catalans Dragons.
A solitary, single point, only, was the difference between the concocted side of loanees, reserves, and smattering of Salford first teamers, and the team of renowned, highly-paid players who formed the opposition, and, incredible as it may seem, everyone connected with the club, far from being delighted that they had come so close to victory, felt an element of disappointment, at the fact that they had not come out winners yet again.
Certainly, for the first half hour, they were undoubtedly the better team, as they passed the ball and then revelled in exploiting the gaps they created.
As early as the second minute they released the outstanding Nathan Connell down the right wing, and six minutes later he breached the French defence to cross for a disallowed try, after the video referee adjudged that he had lost control of the ball in the grounding.
There were no such problems on fourteen minutes, when, direct from a scrum, Jack Darbyshire crossed in the left corner, and Rowan Milnes slotted over an excellent goal from close to the touchline, and, although the Dragons responded with four points of their own, on 23 mins, the home side regained their six point lead, ten minutes later, when Neil Tchamambe crossed in the same corner.
It had been virtually all Salford until this point, as they outplayed the visitors in almost every aspect of the game, but although they were able to take this lead into the half-time interval, there had been an imperceptible change in the balance of the game.
The 33rd minute dismissal of Catalans substitute forward, Frank Maria, for a high tackle on Emmanuel Waine, currently on loan from Bradford, which saw the Salford forward hospitalised into the weekend, had a significant effect on the remainder of the game.
The complete losses of the two players affected both teams but in different ways, which were both detrimental to the Red Devils, for not only had they lost an interchange player, they had also lost a fearless, powerful forward – so necessary in dealing with the French side.
Eighteenth man, Kai Morgan, who came in to replace him, is a halfback and as such not an equal replacement and he was not brought into the fray, at all.
The thirteen minute stoppage, however, worked in the favour of the visitors in that they were able to use the time to good effect, assessing the situation and planning for how to manage the game thereafter, and there was undoubtedly a swing in the momentum, which became more evident still, in the second half.
From that point onwards, the Dragons’ forwards took control, playing to their strengths, which lay in the hands of the forwards.
They abandoned all attempts at playing entertaining attractive rugby, at which the Reds had so outplayed them thus far, and instead concentrated on hard drives upfield, which really paid dividends, as inspired by the shortage of a player, each of them significantly increased the effort and power in every carry.
The outcome was that they not only dominated possession, they also dominated field position, keeping Salford penned near their own line for considerable periods, and this enabled them to draw level on 52 mins, and take a six-point lead in the 63rd, which was extended to seven – from a drop-goal – shortly afterwards.
The Red Devils might have looked a little down at this point, but they certainly were not out, and raised their game again in the last fifteen minutes, gaining more possession, and making forays into Catalans’ thirty metre area, one of which brought the intervention of the video referee, who confirmed the on-field decision of the referee of No Try, for Dan Russell’s grounding, owing to an obstruction.
Not to be outdone, however, the never-say-die attitude of the Salford players came to the fore in the dying seconds of the encounter, when Tchamambe caught the ball on the Dragons’ line, from Darbyshire’s incredible scoop, to give Milnes the chance for his second successful conversion, to bring them as close to gaining a victory as they could have done without then having to take the game to Golden Point.
