CATALANS DRAGONS and Toulouse Olympique will make history on Saturday night by playing the first ever Magic Weekend in France, at the Stade Pierre-Fabre, the home of Castres FC.
The game will kick off at 8.00pm UK time and it will be the fourth game to be televised by Sky Sports on Saturday. And a lot of attention will be on the size of the crowd that the two French clubs are able to attract to the home of an elite French rugby union club.
They will be meeting for the first time in a Magic Weekend fixture although they did meet in the Rivals Round 7, when the Dragons won an entertaining battle 33-26 at the Stade Gilbert Brutus.
The Dragons, who are four points outside the top six, still have ambitions of reaching the play-off positions, but to do so means that victory on Saturday night is essential.
They have a reasonably stable squad, with three changes from last week’s visit to Warrington, when they lost by only two points. Young French players Clément Martin, Léo Darrelatour and Giovanni Descalzi come into the squad for Franck Maria, Josh Simm and Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet and they will go into the game as strong favourites.
Toulouse bring back Mathieu Jussaume, Henry O’Kane and former London Broncos star Luke Polselli, who has recently signed a new contract and they will be seeking their first Super League win against the Dragons at the fourth attempt.
SQUADS
Dragons: 1 Charlie Staines, 3 Nick Cotric, 4 Solomona Faataape, 6 Toby Sexton, 7 Lewis Dodd, 8 Chris Satae, 10 Julian Bousquet, 12 Ben Condon, 13 Benjamin Garcia, 16 Josh Allen, 17 Romain Navarrete, 18 Harvey Wilson, 19 Kruise Leeming, 20 Zac Lipowicz, 21 Matthieu Laguerre, 25 Lenny Marc, 26 Ugo Tison, 27 Clément Martin, 28 Léo Darrelatour, 29 Giovanni Descalzi, 30 Alexis Lis
Outs: 11 Franck Maria, 22 Josh Simm, 24 Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet,
Ins: 27 Clément Martin, 28 Léo Darrelatour, 29 Giovanni Descalzi,
Olympique: 1 Olly Ashall-Bott, 2 Paul Ulberg, 5 Benjamin Laguerre, 6 Thomas Lacans, 7 Jake Shorrocks, 8 Lambert Belmas, 9 Brendan Hands, 10 James Roumanos, 11 Maxime Stefani, 12 Mathieu Jussaume, 13 Anthony Marion, 15 Joe Cator, 17 Rob Butler, 19 Romeo Tropis, 20 Ajahni Wallace, 22 Henry O’Kane, 25 Luke Polselli, 29 César Rougé, 30 Tiaki Chan, 39 Ethan Quai-Ward, 40 John Toleafoa
Outs: 3 Reuben Rennie, 21 Ellis Gillam, 28 Mathieu Pons,
Ins: 12 Mathieu Jussaume, 22 Henry O’Kane, 25 Luke Polselli,
Referee: Liam Rush
STATS
Magic Weekend summary
Catalans Dragons: Won 8, Lost 9, Drawn 1 (44.44%)
Toulouse: Won 1, Lost 0 (100.00%)
(Head-to-head: First meeting)
All previous meetings:
Catalans Dragons 33, Toulouse 26 (SLR7, 4/4/26)
Toulouse 14, Catalans Dragons 24 (SLR25, 25/8/22)
Catalans Dragons 18, Toulouse 10 (SLR8, 14/4/22)
Super League summary
Catalans Dragons won 3
Toulouse won 0
Catalans Dragons highest score: 33-26 (H, 2026) (Widest margin: 24-14, A, 2022)
Toulouse highest losing score: 26-33 (A, 2026)
BEN GARCIA needs one appearance to reach 250 (Super League).
– 249 for Catalans Dragons (2013-2026)
(including play-offs & Super League Super 8s)