AFTER the champagne rugby of the past two weeks, Saints’ victory over Catalans was an altogether a more turgid affair – but nevertheless it was two more points banked.

Although Saints ran in five tries – including a couple of well executed ones – the game was on the whole a dull, scrappy, error-strewn affair that should have been put to bed much sooner.

Saints were on a bit of a hiding to nothing in some respects, being expected to dispatch a Dragons side that have started the campaign in a disappointing manner.

But having taken an early 10-0 lead courtesy of Jonny Lomax and Tommy Makinson tries, the Dragons got a toe-hold with a Brayden Williame touchdown and made it clear they were not here to have their bellies tickled.

Catalans were like a small stone in the shoe, constantly making life uncomfortable but being unable to shake out until it was home time.

It made for an ugly game, which Saints contributed to with a series of penalties, errors and wrong choices.

In some cases it was down to overplaying or looking for a short-cut – often in the wrong part of the field – but some of it was just sloppiness and poor execution.

Although Saints were always in control they did find themselves having to defend for a good chunk of the second half to stop the visitors throwing the game back into the melting pot.

But with a big game next week, hopefully the players who had an off day have got that out of their system, without suffering a loss.

It was as you were at first when Lomax, operating at full back in Ben Barba’s absence, was swift to react to a chip ahead from the quick-thinking Tommy Makinson to touch down on 10 minutes.

Four minutes later Makinson magnificently stretched out his arms to gather Danny Richardson’s perfectly struck crossfield kick.

Any one hoping that this would be a case of sitting back and watch the scoreboard numbers spin upwards was in for a shock when Williame was adjudged to have beaten Ryan Morgan to Josh Drinkwater’s kick. It was tight though.

When Wales World Cup packman Morgan Knowles showed pace, power and evasion to storm over to send Saints 16-4 up at the break there was a thinking that an early score would see the Frenchmen buckle.

And Saints got exactly that four minutes after the restart when quick hands from Richardson, Lomax and Mark Percival sent Regan Grace in at the corner to make it 20-4.

Just as the otherwise quiet crowd were about to get into their stride Dom Peyroux forced a pass inside their own 20 that Richardson got nowhere holding, and seconds later Jodie Broughton was sliding in at the corner.

Catalans had chances and Remi Casty was forced back on the line on 60 minutes and Louis Anderson fumbled another over the line – and up the other end Jon Wilkin had a four-pointer chalked off for a double movement.

Saints had to put a shift in to make sure of the spoils, and it took until the 70 minute mark to pull away to safety.

Again it was Grace polishing it off in the corner after nice hands from Wilkin, Fages, Taia, Lomax and Percival with the latter drawing the man to allow the Welshman a walk-in.

Richardson struck the conversion but Dragons had the consolation of a Lewis Tierney try in the corner.

Not a game that will live long in the memory, but two league points, no injuries and a 60 minute run out from a fit-again James Roby will be positives enough going into next week’s Challenge Cup tie.

Saints: Lomax; Makinson, Morgan, Percival, Grace; Fages, Richardson; Amor, Roby, Thompson, Taia, Peyroux, Wilkin.

Subs: Smith, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Douglas, Knowles.

Catalans: Gigot; Broughton, Duport, Wiliame, Tierney; Langi, Drinkwater; Casty, McIlorum, Bousquet, Anderson, Jullien, Bird. Subs: Moa, Baitieri, Maria, Da Costa.