This Saturday at 3.30 p.m., Catalan dragons face Hull Kr for a place in the CUP challenge final. A titanic fight for a ticket to Wembley.
Throwing everything in the battle … or almost. It will probably be the watchword of this match on Saturday against Hull Kr. A huge challenge for a ticket to Wembley and the CUP challenge final. Faced with an opponent who is no longer present, formidable from all his seams, the dragons will have to fight a fierce battle, they who have not found the last square of Challenge Cup since the title in 2018.
Robins at home
Even if in principle, the semi-finals of Challenge Cup are played on neutral terrain, there is no doubt that the spans of the York Lner Community will be acquired by the cause of the Robins. The 9,000 places of the Knights stadium will be invaded by red this Saturday, 3.30 p.m., while the ticket office faced a wave of shopping, swapping 6,000 tickets less than two hours after the announcement of the host land.
However, dragons will be able to count on a few hundred English supporters from other clubs (Hull FC, Wigan or Wakefield), enemies of Hull Kr who will push behind the Sang et Or As was the case in 2018 against St Helens. Without forgetting of course the few Catalan faithful who will make the trip to the north of England to support the dragons in this semi-final.
L’ogre holes kr
And to dream of Wembley, you must first dismiss a team from Hull Kr more than in form from its route lately. Worn by a freshly haloed Mikey Lewis of the title of Man of Steel 2024, the Robins have known only one championship defeat this season (12-28 vs Wigan) and logically sit on the throne of leader of the Super League. Willie Peters found the winning recipe. A homogeneous team, a clever mixture of youth and fiery combined with experience and serenity and voila.
For the Catalans, it will therefore take a heroic match, a lot of courage and a huge feat to give ourselves the right to find Wembley for the 3rd time in their history.
One goal: Wembley
After the Magic Weekend lost on the wire by the men of Steve McNamara (24-22 vs Leigh), the blood and gold quickly passed in Mode Challenge Cup. An appointment that everyone is looking forward to, including players. And failing to have turned to Canigou, the eyes turned to Wembley. The London cauldron which has been hosting the CUP challenge final since 2007 and the first participation of the Catalan dragons (defeat 30-8 vs St Helens) will again be the scene of the match for the title.
But as in 2018, bookmakers do not bet much on dragons. Outsiders and Petit Poucet of the 2018 edition, the Dragons had eliminated St Helens (35-16) after a completely crazy match and hope to put the cover this season against Hull Kr:
We have already faced the leader where no one expected us. (Benjamin Garcia, the independent)
The time of the reunion
Once again, the Catalan dragons find Hull KR in the final phase and with the Robins certain well -known faces of the Catalan franchise. Already in 2021, the dragons had received Hull Kr at home in the Super League semi-finals, validating their ticket for Old Trafford after 80 minutes of fire (28-10).
But this Hull Kr has changed well and it is very solidly strengthened. The former Catalans, Tom Davies (109 games and 63 tests) and Tyrone May (45 games and 7 trials) will be there this weekend against their former teammates. Former hooker Micky Mcilorum (7 seasons and 112 games played) decided to end his career with the Robins but injured in a biceps, he will not be able to play the semi-final against the dragons. Same thing for Arthur Mourgue (7 seasons, 103 games and 429 pts) which left the south of France prematurely to join the East Yorkshire. On the match sheet in the 16th finals against Halifax with the Dragons, the Vauclusian rear is not selectable with its new club in CUP challenge.
Gentlemen, now make way for combat. Faced with Hull Kr, the dragons will have to release a very big rugby match. The task promises to be complicated. Impossible ? No. Remember, impossible is not Catalan.
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