Catalan Dragons 8 Bradford Bulls 8: Storm ruins spectacle as Bradford stretch their French run

The error count will have had both coaches tearing their hair out as a downpour just as the game kicked off put paid to any chances of seeing an expansive encounter.

Both sides tried to play dry weather rugby in poor conditions that resulted in a less than 60 per cent completion rate.

There were chances for both teams to snatch victory in the final moments of the game, but Patrick Ah Van pushed an easy penalty from 30 metres to the side of the posts and Paul Sykes failed with a drop goal attempt for the visitors. Scott Dureau missed with a 40-metre effort and several drop goal attempts.

It was the hosts who opened the scoring in the 13th minute when a typical Catalan-style play saw Thomas Bosc find Dureau and the half-back sneak a pass out to full-back Ben Farrar who was looping around the play. Farrar then dummied to the winger and bounced off a tackle from Ah Van to crash over to score. Dureau added the conversion to give the hosts a six-point lead.

The game turned scrappy in the poor conditions and first Sykes was sin-binned for repeatedly holding down after the tackle and then Sebastien Martins followed him for a high tackle.

From the Martins sin-binning, Bradford gained field position and Heath L’Estrange managed to power his way over the line from acting half, the try given after referee Steve Ganson consulted with the video referee. Ah Van added the extra two points to level the scores.

Shortly before the break Catalans should have taken the lead after Ian Henderson and Jean-Philippe Baile combined to send in Cyril Stacul, but the Bulls cover defence got back to slide the winger into touch.

After the break the quality did not get any better and constant knock-ons meant that neither side could get into a rhythm.

With 48 minutes gone Dureau put the hosts into the lead with a penalty but the Bulls levelled when Ah Van converted a penalty for the visitors.

Bradford managed to hold firm as they maintained their unbeaten Super League record in the south of France.

Catalan Dragons: Farrar, Blanch, Baile, Pala, Stacul, Bosc, Dureau, Simon, Henderson, Casty, Sa, Raguin, Mounis. Substitutes: Martins, Fakir, Baitieri, Pelissier.

Bradford Bulls: Royston, Ah Van, Platt, Walker, Raynor, Sykes, Herbert, Lynch, Diskin, Kopczak, Elima, Sibbit, Bateman. Substitutes: L’Estrange, Whitehead, Hargreaves, Crossley.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).