A late Callum Hazard try handed Saints Academy an impressive 18-16 win over Catalan Dragons on Saturday.
Josh Simms bagged a brace and landed what proved to be the crucial conversation in a first 40 that saw Derek Traynor’s side lead 14-6.
The Dragons pulled one back early in the second half and then hit the front after Ben Sims was stretched off with a neck injury.
But Hazard’s late intervention sealed a deserved win.
Josh Simm crossed for the first of his brace in the eighth minute as he took a neat offload from Tom Nisbet.
Mathieu Cozza replied with a solid run down the middle that Saints were powerless to stop before Alex Eckley did the damage to set up the space for Nisbet to go over in the corner.
And on the half hour mark Simm bulldozed over again after he chased an innocuous looking Elliot Jenkins’ kick.
Saints should have made better use of two gilt edged chances early in the second half – but it was Catalans who scored first.
Tom Nisbet lacked a little support as he broke from 20 metres off his own line and then couple of minutes later Joe Sharratt made an excellent break, coupled with three sidesteps, only to throw the ball into the hands of Guillaume Gorka.
Ben Sims came off worse in a collision that saw the youngster put in a neck brace and sent to hospital, but thankfully he was later discharged and allowed to travel home with his teammates.
The disruption affected Saints too as it allowed Robin Brochon to take advantage to score in the corner – Arthur Mourgue kicking it off the touchline.
But anything other than a Saints win would have been a travesty and with the game entering its final stages Callum Hazard snatched it for the visitors with a piece of opportunism.
Catalan lost the ball in their own half and the prop was on hand to put down.
The coaching staff were pleased with Tom Nesbit and Josh Simm after the game and in particular pointed out the efforts and strong running of Alex Eckley and Jorge Lewtas too.
A great win and a great confidence booster!
Match Summary:
Dragons:
Tries: Cozza, Gorka, Brochon,
Goals: Mourage (2 from 3)
Saints:
Tries: Simm (2), Nisbet, Hazzard
Goals: Simm
HT: 6-14
FT: 16-18
Teams:
Dragons:
1. Atba; 2. Brochon, 3. Carre, 4. Laguerre, 5. Gorka; 6. Lacans, 7. Mourgue; 8. Rouge, 9. De Macedo, 10. Vailhen, 11. Le Cam, 12. Delor, 13. Cozza.
Subs: 14. Salabio, 15. Scimone, 16. Berdu, 17. Osuna.
Saints:
1. Welsby; 2. Nisbet, 3. Brown, 4. Simm, 5. Hutchings; 6. Wingfield, 7. Jenkins; 8. Eckley, 9. O’Neill, 10. Hazard, 11. Follin, 12. Sims, 13. Royle.
Subs: 14. Nash, 15. Sharratt, 16. Lewtas, 17. Horridge.