Sheriffe arrests Catalans progress
Paul brace aids Harlequins victory
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Saturday, 07, Jul 2007 09:50
A brace of second-half tries from Ricky Sheriffe enabled Harlequins to overcome a plucky Catalans side 30-22 in tonight's Super League fixture at Griffin Park.
Working their way back to within two points of the home side having trailed by 18-12 at half-time, the French side could not translate possession into points as Sheriffe scored his second try in the final minute of play.
Earlier, the Dragons took an early lead through a try from left wing Casey McGuire.
But a series of deft runs from Harlequins flyer Scott Hill enabled the New Zealand-born former Wigan star Henry Paul to restore parity by scoring under the posts.
The teams traded scores to make it 6-6, but a lack of concentration in defence enabled Paul to score his second try of the match shortly before half-time after neat interplay with Hill.
Sheriffe scored his second try of the night early in the second-half to extend the Brian McDermott-managed team, after profiting from a Mark McLinden surge down the right flank.
However, tries from replacement Sebastien Raguin and Thomas Bosc offered the Catalans hope in the final quarter in what has traditionally been a high-scoring fixture.
Harlequins manager McDermott, heralding club supporters after the match, said: "This was another strong performance in front of a fantastic home crowd."
He added: "We may not get the [attendance] numbers that the northern clubs get, but they have a huge influence on how the players perform. They sang their hearts out, and the players really responded."