Friday 13 June 2014 21:33, UK
Catalan Dragons will be hoping to maintain their impressive form in Perpignan when St Helens travel to the south of France in Saturday’s Super League meeting.
The Dragons have won five straight on home soil in league action since a 40-12 loss to Leeds Rhinos in February. When the teams met earlier this season Saints bagged a 44-22 triumph.
Saints’ 32-12 success over Salford prior to the Challenge Cup weekend moved Nathan Brown’s men back to the top of the Super League table while the Dragons drew 26-all at Widnes last time out.
Dragons coach Laurent Frayssinous has made three changes to his 19-man squad.
Co-captain Greg Mounis and Ian Henderson, who missed the last three months with a broken arm, have recovered from injury.
Benjamin Garcia has also been recalled, while Julian Bousquet, Mickael Simon and Jean-Philippe Baile all drop out of the squad.
New signing Sam Williams is also omitted but Eloi Pelissier will make his first appearance since signing a new two-year contract.
Jonny Lomax, Alex Walmsley, Willie Manu, Josh Jones and Mark Percival all return for St Helens, while Lance Hohaia misses out as his wife is due to give birth.
Andre Savelio is also called up and Brown knows the trip to Perpignan will be tough - especially with former Saint Leon Pryce in excellent form.
“Being an Aussie I love the trip to the south of France - I’d be there every second week if I could,” Brown told the St Helens Reporter.
“We had a great result over there last year and, if it’s hot, we’ll just have to adapt to the conditions and play well.
“Catalans had a lot of good players out at the start of the year but they’ve started to get a few of them back now - and Leon Pryce is probably in his best form since he was at Saints. They generally play better at home so it will be a good test for us.”
Dragons squad: Escare, Pryce, Pomeroy, Oldfield, Bosc, Elima, Henderson, Lima, Taia, Anderson, Mounis, Pelissier, Whitehead, Millard, Paea, Baitieri, Duport, Cardace, Garcia
Saints squad: Lomax, Makinson Turner, Jones, Walsh, Masoe, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Soliola, Manu, Flanagan, Wellens, Walmsley, Percival, Wheeler, Dawson, Thompson, Hand, Savelio
