JonM

First try off a dummy from him too.

Players often want to hit the ground that close to the line I guess, and there's no reason to expect the ball to be pinched when you're playing it.

Tackle was clearly complete though. You can't take the ball when the tackled player is getting up to play the ball. Possibly M. Casty caused some confusion by shouting play on.

Thirty minutes of play since England got a point.

Shame, I thought he was England's best player in the first half.

I assume he's saying that England Knights v France wouldn't get us on BBC1 on a Saturday.

You might say it was because it's a big step up from championship to the pace of a test match, but it was just dropping kicks.

Indeed. But perhaps a more enjoyable watch for the connoisseurs of the empty seat on here? I doubt the average cricket fan is worrying about the fact that there's no-one there.

Certainly looks like more people in the ground in Perpignan than in the ground watching the Australian cricket team in the T20 world cup.

I've got it on iPlayer on the laptop and iPlayer on the telly.

In fairness, Lachlan Walmsley was playing in the Newcastle district comp wasn't he?

Its "Be Rugbe" - a French brand

Lack of competitiveness works both ways I guess. Turning up to watch France get thrashed by England in a friendly vs playing a game that might be close vs Scotland or Wales in a competition with something at stake.

I'm not sure L'Independant did us any favours with the crowd by printing the results of the last 10 France/ England matches though. Crowds of 16 866 and 14 276 for the most recent France/England games, in 2011 and 2016, both at Avignon.

The most recent non-WC games at Perpignan: France v Jamaica 2017 Att: 4850 France v Scotland 2011 Att: 10313 Both the championship final and super-league semi-final were arranged with less notice than this game.

There seems to be a reasonably large set of Scottish cricket fans who happily support England too. Difference is, there's approaching 150 years of history there, not constant chopping and changing on an annual basis like RL does.

Yes, I did wonder if there'd been a reason why he hadn't gone back to Leigh.

Looked to me (from the Youtube highlights) that both Limoux and Lezignan had quite a number more people than usual watching - perhaps some optimism off the back of Catalans/Toulouse finals? Maybe approaching 2000 at FCL?

Widnes signed Brad Holroyd from Workington, presumably as replacement for Deon Cross. Good signing I think, weakening one of our relegation rivals . He's a pretty elusive runner, looked good at Saints academy, probably lacking a bit of size to make it in SL.

I think he'll go very well at Keighley next season.

No, neither of them made it to the RLWC. This was Ireland's first game I think.

In a league that this season included Danny Brough, Paul Sykes, Liam Finn, Rob Worrincy, Anthony Thackeray etc etc. that means he's got several seasons left in him I doubt there's any team in the Championship that would turn him down.

Close game this. Ireland leading 16-12 ten minutes into the second half. Ireland look very well organised in defence - some good defensive reads by the three-quarters in particular. Can't help feeling that the high kick would be an effective weapon for both teams in the wind.

Such things often seem to be on a need to know basis in France - kick-off times and ground liable to change at short notice. Might be best to keep an eye on https://www.facebook.com/belvezerazes.mjcXIII.3 Vaulx-en-velin will be travelling down from Lyon, which is a fair old journey, so I'd probably keep an eye on their social media too https://www.facebook.com/VVRLXIII/

Dutch scrum half does a showy dive over the line having run 30 metres without a defender anywhere close, only to be called back by the ref