Ablett expecting fiery Dragons at Headingley

Carl Ablett is looking forward to tangling with the Catalan Dragons this weekend, and is expecting a tough test from the French outfit.

Leeds Rhinos welcome the Catalans to Headingley on Sunday afternoon, with both teams set to sport special edition jerseys which pay tribute to the Tour de France.

The iconic cycling race will stage its Grand Depart in Yorkshire this year, and the Rhinos are running plenty of additional entertainment for supporters on Sunday to make the race’s presence in England‘s largest county.

“I think they’re playing quite well and coming into a bit of form,” said the England backrower.

“They’ve got some big blokes, and they’ve got some halves who can play, as well as a decent full-back.

“They seem to be a good, well-rounded team at the moment, who are playing well.

“Obviously we’re focused on us, and we’re looking for improvements on what we did against Widnes, and to continue that progression and build some momentum.”

The Dragons have only won one away game all season, but their home form has shown how formidable they can be as opponents.

“It’s quite suprising when you talk about their away form. Everyone knows how difficult it is to go down there and get a win, and we managed to do that earlier in the year,” Ablett added.

“They’re coming off a decent win against Hull, so I’m sure they’ll be confident and it’ll be great day for it on Sunday with all the stuff going on around the stadium.

“There’ll be a great atmosphere around the place. It’s very much a game we’re looking forward to.”