The tie of the Rivals round saw top side Warrington Wolves travel to the Catalans Dragons and enter the cauldron of the Stade Gilbert Brutus looking to maintain their perfect start to the season against a side who were looking to draw level on league points with their opponents.

The bookies and pundits fancied a Warrington win but with the Dragons only having been given a six-point start on the handicap coupon they were not convinced of their own odds setting.

A Dragons win would lift them level on points with the Wolves and a win by forty-one points or more would see them end the Easter weekend at the top of the pile, but a loss would see their opponents opening up a four-point gap at the top of the table at the quarter point of the season.

The Dragons forced two goal-line dropout within the opening two minutes, setting their stall out early but it was Warrington who opened the scoring, on their first real attack of the game on seven minutes, when Josh Thewlis took a long pass to go in from ten metres in the right-hand corner. Stefan Ratchford was wide right with his conversion attempt but after absorbing some intense early pressure it was the Wolves who had the early lead.

Alrix Da Costa lost the ball in the act of scoring on eighteen minutes under a ferocious defence from the Wolves. With twenty-five showing on the clock an Adam Keighran high kick to the corner was collected by Mike McMeeken after a Tom Davies knock back, the big second rower walking in for the try.  Keighran hit the upright with his conversion attempt, the two sides tied together at 4-4.

Three minutes later Keighran was given a penalty try after he was interfered with by Ben Currie as he chased down a kick inside from the wing. Keighran added the conversion for a 10-4 lead to the Dragons.

On thirty-one a superb solo effort from Matt Dufty saw the Warrington full-back cross in the left corner after a ninety-metre run without a Dragons hand on him. Ratchford hit the far upright with his conversion attempt, the Dragons still two points ahead.

Eight seconds from the half time hooter Tom Johnstone took a Keighran high kick from the grasp of Thewlis to ground but the decision was referred to the video referee who determined NO TRY, the Dragons into the interval leading by 10-8.

Warrington were back in front on forty-five after a neat one-two between George Williams and Sam Kasiano, the half-back taking the final pass to go over and score by the uprights. Ratchford hit the mark with his conversion for a 14-10 lead.

Johnstone was hauled down ten short of the Warrington line after an eighty metre interception dash. From the resulting play Tanguy Zenon went through a crowd of players and appeared to get the ball on the ground on the line but the video referee ruled out the try. It was becoming end to end play.

A minute before the hour, and after a Williams error with the ball in hand, the Dragons moved the ball to the left with Arthur Romano throwing the dummy and going in five metres from the left touchline. Keighran hit the far post with the conversion attempt, the ball bouncing into the field of play and the sides were all locked together with twenty minutes remaining.

Warrington should have scored on sixty-four when Ratchford broke the line and put in a pass, the ball intercepted by Johnstone who broke back to the halfway line before winning a penalty after a punch was throw by Gil Dudson. The Wolves prop saw red from referee Kendall, and now faces a long suspension.

On seventy-two, the twelve men regained the lead when they gave the ball air to the right with Matty Nicholson passing to Thewlis to take the final pass to round the Dragons defence and improve the angle for Ratchford to kick the goal and give the Wolves a 20-14 lead.

Three minutes from the final hooter and the Dragons looked like they were in again as Romano chased down a kick to score but the video referee ruled that one of the chasers was offside and chalked the four-pointer off.

This was billed as the game of the weekend, and it delivered everything that had been anticipated. Some great tries, big hits, a sending off and regular exchanges of the lead. Warrington were awesome and determined to take the win, the Dragons will count themselves unlucky that they didn’t get something from the game. Warrington are now four points clear at the top of the table, and eight from eight at the start of the season.

Catalans Dragons: Zenon, Johnstone, Romano (T), Whitley, Davies, Keighran, Mourgue, Navarrete, Da Costa, Bousquet, McMeeken (T), Seguier, Garcia. Subs: Goudemand, Taukeiaho, Dezaria, Tison. 18th Man: Chan.

Warrington Wolves: Dufty (T), Thewlis (2T), Mata´utia, Ratchford (G), Ashton, Williams (T), Drinkwater, Dudson (SO on 65), Walker, Vaughan, Currie, Nicholson, McGuire.  Subs: Kasiano, Philbin, Minikin, Green. 18th Man: Whitehead.

Half-Time: 10-8.

Full-Time: 14-20.

Score Progression: 0-4, 4-4, 8-4, 10-4, 10-8 : HT : 10-12, 10-14, 14-14, (SO), 14-18, 14-20: FT.

Lead Exchanges: Warrington - Square – Catalans – Warrington – Square - Warrington.

Referee: Chris Kendall.