Both teams headed for St James’ Park on the back of four consecutive wins which have taken both into top six contention and to next week’s Challenge Cup semi-finals.
Catalans seemed to be the side carrying that form into this fixture as they opened a 12-point lead inside 16 minutes, with Laguerre leaping ahead of Josh Charnley to gather Theo Fages’ chip and go over the line.
Exciting teenager Aispuro-Bichet, now starring at full-back for the French side, lit up the Newcastle venue by weaving through a questionable Leigh defence for another score, and he added both conversions to put his side in control.
Leigh finally woke up as Ipape span out of an attempted fifth tackle, just as another attack seemed to be fizzling out, and powered over between the posts.
Aispuro-Bichet’s penalty again put space between the teams, but Leigh were back within two points by half-time as McNamara benefited from another Ipape charge and quick play-the-ball to dash over the line.
The momentum was clearly with Leigh as the teams emerged for the second half especially as Catalans’ inspirational captain Ben Garcia failed to re-emerge after suffering an injury.
The Dragons extended their lead, however as Smith got up from his knees from an uncompleted tackle to score, but Aispuro-Bichet’s conversion attempt hit the post, a miss that would prove costly.
Leigh took charge from that point on as Lachlan Lam’s high kick was caught by O’Neill to score, with McNamara adding the extras and then a penalty to edge them ahead for the first time in the game.
With Trout adding another try and McNamara again accurate, Catalans suddenly needed two scores.
They could only manage one, as Keary gathered another Fages chip and swerved past the cover to score.
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