Wiltshire Warrior Dragon

You may well be right, BM. I find this one too close to call.

And rapidly becoming close to commonplace closer to home for you and me, Shadow. I have seen them a few times over the A36 near the Landford junction, over my house at Morgan's Vale, and drifting above the main road through Downton.

Catalans -v- Leeds now back on. It is scheduled for Friday, 16th July, in Perpignan, and will be live on BeIN Sports and Sky Sports

I know what you mean about the penalty try, but that would have been very harsh indeed. On the whole, I thought M Casty had a good game. I am just grateful that he returned to refereeing after that appalling attack he suffered from a young St Esteve thug four years ago, and am pleased that, as I understand it, he is one of the referees for the world cup later this year.

I don't know which match the ERL correspondent was watching, but my recollection is that there were no 2nd half tries. Lezignan, having failed to add a goal to any of their three first half tries, kicked two penalties after the break. Or do I imagine that...?

I enjoyed this afternoon's final. I thought it had a good tactical mix, with the Lezignan right hand side and the Carcassonne left opposing it both looking much better in attack than defence. I thought M Casty was in danger of losing control early on when there were a few skirmishes and he didn't prouduce a carton jaune, but, as usual, he was right in his more measured approach; the game settled down well. Arguably both sides were too conservative in the first twenty minutes of the second half and Carcassonne looked too laboured in the final ten to be likely to snatch it (well, until they came close to doing so!) And plenty of legally correct PTBs and scrums - what not to like! Via Occitanie's coverage was interesting and largely enjoyable. They were a bit miserly with graphics. However, their very restrained use of action replays, and limiting them almost exclusively to when there was a stoppage in play, was a real joy after the ridiculous yet habitual excesses of both the BBC and Sky Sports in that respect.

Is the final on Via Occitanie and, if it is, could some kind soul remind this forgetful old fogey whether 15H00 in France is currently 2pm or 4pm in this country, please? Thanks.

I don't know for sure, bleep, but presume it is because 2 SL games from England per round is now the norm, with the bonus of a third if Les Dracs are at home, which they were scheduled to be tomorrow.

I agree with you, Dave. The other thought I had was that it was very much a game for the existing fan, who would understand the nuances of defensive play and appreciate them. However, I would not have wanted someone I was introducing to rugby league to see that as their first game. Saint Toppy's excellent post a few up from this is sadly a very thorough analysis of Saints' current situation. The problem may stem from a belief that winning is all that matters. I don't think it is. Defensive skill is obviously important and, as I said in my first paragraph, is something to be appreciated, but it doesn't follow that is all one might want to watch. When I got a professional decorator to paint the external woodwork of my house a few years ago, he did a good job, demonstrating good skill in the process. But it didn't mean that i wanted to stand there and watch him all the time! There was a question early in this thread, posted while the match was in progress, in which the question was asked whether it was a very good or a very bad game. In a way, the answer was "Both!"

John, my post seems to be one of those you have deleted. Why? I asked yipyee to give an answer to the question Padge had posed; why, under the laws of the game, should the ref have given Saints a penalty try? You also seem to have removed Padge's contribution. Why? What was wrong with my comment (or Padge's come to that)? If you are suggesting I was personally abusing yipyee, then I resent that deeply. "Stick to discussing the game", you say. Well, how about, 'Why under the laws of the game do you think Saints should have been given a penalty try?'

If she works it out, could she let those of us in the south know? Thanks!

Speak up, man!

And I am pleased to confirm, barnyia, that it seemed pretty good from my position in front of a computer screen in sun-drenched Wiltshire!

Catalans Dragons use Els Segadors, the 'national' anthem of Catalonia as their club song. You cannot get much more stirring than that! Anthem of Catalonia (CA/EN lyrics) - Himne nacional de Catalunya - YouTube It's possibly worth remembering that Bernard Guasch's family were, I believe, refugees from Franco's Spain, so no doubt the affinity with all of Catalonia, on both sides of the French-Spanish border, runs strong and deep. Members of the London Catalan Choir sang it at Wembley before Les Dracs' success against the Wire.

Thanks for that synopsis, Harry. I managed to catch the closing stages on the BBC radio commentary, which was at first pleasing and then a bit nerve-racking for a fan of Les Dracs like me. It seems from what you say that a willingness to move the ball around gave both teams, when they did that, a period of dominance. That is great news for the neutral fan. That is how I feel the game should be played (and incidentally, is what I suspect attracted many disillusioned, French union fans to our code when they first saw league in the 1930s) It is a great improvement on the tactical conservatism, often effective but a tedious spectacle, that is one-pass-at-a-time play. I suppose you could argue that the result was the ideal one from a Catalans' point of view. Their youngsters almost learnt the hard way about mentally switching off, thinking the job was done, but didn't quite, so boarded the plane for home with both the two points under their belt and a salutary lesson about concentration to add to their mind-bank of experience.

I really don't think that you are right, RP. In the fraternity of RL fans, a significant proportion will know of Billy Boston. I think the proportion that will know of Trevor Lake will, by comparison, be very small. Ergo, I contend that Lake is 'often forgotten', to use the phraseology of the thread title.

Well, hang on, MjM. There is a west country school of theology that argues that the moral of Adam's being tempted by Eve to try an apple and getting a piece stuck in his throat is that the only good thing to do with apples is crush them, then press them, and leave the juice to ferment naturally. If God didn't want this to happen, he would not have created yeast, including that naturally present on apples; indeed, yeast so mystified people many centuries ago that one of its English names was 'Godisgoode', "because it cometh of the grete grace of God".

Thanks, WR, and my apologies for not catching up with this yeaterday.

This is a very good point, Padge. I actually thought that Cas's style of play in the first half was very reminiscent of Les Dracs' for the full eighty against Wigan. On the occasion of that defeat, you noted that, as a Wigan fan, the result disappointed you, but as a fan of RL, you were pleased with it. I thought that was spot on. I felt re-enthused for our sport by Les Dracs against both Saints and Wigan and today by Castleford; that is how the game is surely meant to be played, at least when the weather permits. When Catalans beat the Wire at Wembley, there were many Dragons' 'fans for a day'. I have no doubt there will be many Tigers' 'fans for a day' come 17th July, me amongst them. That will largely be an instinctive preference for the underdog, but also a recognition of how often we see a Saints' display that is, technically, outstandingly good (and hence brings victory), but is rather turgid as a spectacle.

Trevor Lake, on the opposite Wigan wing from Billy Boston - talk about stylistic chalk and cheese!

Done.

Mrs WWD and I heard a cuckoo today in the New Forest, when out walking the dog. This means that, this year, we can claim to have heard cuckoos in four consecutive months - from March to June. We heard one call on 31st March, unusually early and something I don't recall experiencing before; then nothing till the more normal mid-April; after that most days in late April and most of May, just getting less frequent in the last week or so.

In my experience, you often here the piping call of an oysercatcher before you see they are there; perhaps that was Mrs S's experience too. When I worked in the council planning department in Skipton, one of our admin staff - a very bonny lass - was one of five daughters (no sons!) of the then landlord and landlady of 'The White Lion'. When those five were all in their teens or early twenties, I bet there would have been a constant stream of young lads from down the dale making their way there for a drink or two! Good to know it is open still.

Sounds like a lovely walk, LTS; I am envious. Yes, oystercatchers are very much an upland Dales bird, as are redshanks and common sandpipers, as I recall from living variously at Long Preston and Embsay in the Yorkshire Dales and Ingleton in the lower reaches of Teesdale. By the way, I think JB Priestly once said that 'The George' at Hubberholme was his favourite pub!

As I recall, Alex Szostak had Polish grandparents on his dad's side, and Scottish ones on his mum's, hence his playing in the World Cup for Scotland. I think his dad came from Marsden and his mum from Barnoldswick (Barlick, if you prefer!)