audois

Think Ader is in the French WC squad - Marguerite done well recently could yet offer something to France in the troublesome centre roles. Can they handle international football though?

Pleased about that because I think he's got something about him. Only 20 years old and a touch of class.

He's linked to Hull FC arriving there after a very successful season here at Carcassonne. He is from Perpignan and played at Junior level there with the Dragons.He does hop out a bit having also played at Beziers in Pro2 rugby union. He's got the talent but his question mark is the application I think.

In a recent interview with BBCs Dave Woods RFLs Roger Draper said their present focus was in Europe with, "Work to do in France....Catalans and Toulouse have been great.." I wonder what he was referring to there. I would like to see the Aude Cathare project re-visited along with Avignon. Challenge Cup entry a way of introducing these set-ups/clubs after all that was the way it started for both Catalans and Toulouse?

How did Miloudi play?

Hows Goudemand going - first try yesterday for Rams. TO wing Macron racked-up two try hat-tricks at Dewsbury in 2017 and still not on winning side there!

Yes Cheltenham to start with then Gloucester Warriors in year three crossing over the M5 to play at Chosen Hill RUFC - celebrating their 20th successive campaign hopefully next year - a record?

You paint a nice picture there. Balmy, mid-week evening fixture. Something for others to emulate?

Good also to see Gloucester Warriors win the Plate. First West Country club out of the blocks - what near 20 years back?

Disagree completely on Anderson. He's had fitness problems for a while now. But when he's out there always pulls his weight - defence and attack. Thought he was excellent against Castleford, put Wiliame over Saturday and scored their vital 3rd try. The whole back-line lacks pace and a cutting edge. Recurring injuries to Yaha and Broughton hasn't helped. They need some finishers like Murphy and Oldfield from the past. The only French flyer who promised was Cardace. Valiant Duport struggling for pace these days - both he and Wiliame legs heavily strapped presently .You'd think Albert would get the No7 jumper in 2018 and maybe start thinking building around him.The challenge is with the French lads.Guasch was quoted a while back that the U23s are not being being extended enough in Elite 1after promotion from the Academy set-up. Still its still early days - the U19s look like qualifying for the semi-finals in only their second year. So the formation structure is coming together slowly but they need to examine the next stage. The likes of Leeds and Hull FC use Championship placements to take their youngsters to the next level.

The BBC commentator at Cravan Park was quite complementary on the French full-backs performance. Lets hope he keeps at it!

Hakim Miloudi making his debut today at Barrow for Doncaster - listening into BBC Radio Cumbria for that one.

TO talking of more silver ware after last years League 1 leaders shield which followed back-to-back Elite 1 Championships? An opportunity to develop the group for next year. Good to see Marguerite back in the mix.Still no Ford? Plenty of motivation for them there having lost to Bradford, Sheffield, Dewsbury, Swinton and Oldham in 2017.

Yes because it raises playing standards. In 2013 Catalans played a Super League game in Toulouse in front of 14,858. Toulouse are adamant that playing across the Channel is their only option. They had their first stab at it 2009-11 which didn't work out but are back and looking a different proposition.In 2015 and 2014 an Aude Cathare selection based on the three semi-pro clubs Carcassonne, Lezignan and Limoux played pre-season warm up games against the Dragons in front of crowds of near 6,000 in the middle of winter. These attendances bigger than anything the local competition can manage. The presentation and organisation was super and the Aude department (area council) enthused identifying a budget to develop the concept. They wanted to use the project as a Sports-tourism initiative targetting English fans.Nothing happened this year. The new French Federation President Marc Palanques wanted to see this new team entering the Challenge Cup but so far nothing. There has been talk also coming out of Villeneuve sur Lot and Avignon of following Toulouse into the League1 structure.

Louis Bonnery’s book gave few crowd figures for Championship/CupFinals. Noted just one posted here for Cup Final in 1979 at Albi between Villeneuve/ASC as 6,442. Some here moan about present crowds but weren’t that great 40 years back. Note that the Championship Final 2002 crowd given as 8000 in Paris but I attended that game UTC-Villeneuve held in Beziers before less than 4000. The largest Championship Final attendances post war given here at Carcassonne in 1949 when the local ASC played Marseille in front of a reported 23,500. After that the majority of the Finals played at I think the Municipal Stadium in Toulouse between 1951-1988 – the lowest crowd was just 5,015 Toulouse-St Esteve in 1975 and the largest 22,000 between Carcassonne-Lyon in 1953. The last 20,000 crowd here seems to be in 1970 for St Gaudens-XIII Catalan. Since the Dragons and Toulouse switched competitions across the Channel the highest Championshp Final crowd was at Carcassonne in 2009 with 11,263 for Lezignan-Limoux. The seismic changes here in recent times has obviously changed things. What with the best 20-30 French players now not playing in the local comp and the sharp drop in overseas players has obviously had an impact. The Dragons playing fortunes of late not the best they’ve been but 2016-17 has seen crowds consolidating around the 9,000 mark. Without any silver ware the club has in 12 years pulled in what 1,4 million spectators – figures unknown over here. This past Easter Monday 15,000 alone watched league games in Perpignan and Toulouse.