Sport NEWS 25
CatalansDragonsaren’t
“overlyfamiliarwithbeing
thecentreofattention”,
saidMarkPalmerinThe
SundayTimes.This
Perpignanrugbyleague
sideistheonlyFrench
clubintheSuperLeague,
acompetitionthatfeatures
tenEnglishteamsandone
Canadianside.Butlast
month,theDragons
signed“perhapsthemost
controversialrugbyplayer
ontheplanet”:IsraelFolau,whowas
sackedbyAustralia’srugbyunionteam
lastyearoveranInstagrampostsaying
that“drunks,homosexuals[and]
adulterers”willgotohell.Andhisdebut
lastSaturday,intheDragons’36- 18 win
overCastlefordTigers,showedwhat
Folauhasinstore.Twoawaysupporters
broughtrainbowflagstotheDragons’
stadium,inprotestathishomophobic
comments;theywereallegedly toldby
staffto removethem.Folauishardlythefirst controversial
figureinrugbyleague, saidAaronBower
inTheGuardian.Indeed, the Dragons
havehad “no shortageofplayerswith
chequeredpasts”.ToddCarney,forexample,sawhiscareer
inAustraliaendwhena
photograph,takenona
drunkennightout,
appearedtoshowhim
urinatingintohisown
mouth.Butwhat
distinguishesthoseplayers
fromFolauisthatthey
haveshownremorse–
whereashehasn’t.Hewill
surelyhopetofollowinthe
footstepsofBenBarba,the
Australianplayerwhose
transfertoStHelensin 2017 ,following
alengthydrugsban,causedagreatstir–
onlyforhimtoplaysowellthathispast
misdemeanourswerequicklyforgotten.Folaugotofftoapromisingstarton
Sunday,saidIanHerbertinTheMailon
Sunday.Eventhoughhehadn’tplayeda
matchinfourmonths,hestilllookedthe
“mostpowerfulandathleticplayeronthe
field”.Butthe real test willcomeinaway
games.Next month,theDragons will
travel toWiganWarriors,for amatchthe
hometeam have decidedto rename“Pride
Day”–andtherecepti onwillbe rather
more hostilethantheone Folaureceived
inPerpignan. “Considerablytougher
territorylies ahead.”Can rugby league redeem Folau?
Folau:unrepentant
Commentary box
Morgan’sthrillingEngland
England’sTwenty20seriesagainst
SouthAfricawasmeanttobe
“preparation,refinement,revision”
fortheT20WorldCupinAustralia
laterthisyear,saidBarneyRonay
inTheGuardian.Andbytheendof
thisfrenetic“three-stagedragrace”
throughSouthAfrica,itwasclearthat
whileEngland“mayormaynotbethe
bestT20teamintheworld,theyare
surelythemostentertaining”.They
wereattheirmostthrillinginthe
thirdandfinalmatch,inwhichthey
successfullychased 222 –thefourth
highestchaseinaninternationalT20
–towintheseries2-1.Itwasavictory
sealedbythecaptain,EoinMorgan,
whoscored 57 offastaggering 22 balls.
LeadingEnglandtoWorldCupglory
lastyearhasgivenhima“power-
halo”:rightnow,heisthesinglemost
importantplayerinEnglishcricket.Officialfuel consum ption figuresfor th eGolfmodel rangeinmpg(litres/100km):combine d0(0.0)–141.2( 2 );combine dCO 2 emissi ons0–164g/km.