Folau plays key role as Dragons fight back amid the jeers at Hull
Israel Folau was all smiles as he walked off the field after conjuring a match-winning contribution in his first appearance on English soil for Catalans.
The contrast to last May could not have been greater. Then, the cross-code star’s four-year deal with Rugby Australia had been ripped up and he was sacked for breach of contract.
Folau, a fundamentalist Christian, had claimed on social media that gay people will go to hell.
His Instagram post read: “Drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists, idolaters. Hell awaits you. Repent! Only Jesus saves.” A storm raged.
Redemption remains some way off for Folau, but two games into his Super League career, he can reflect on a promising start. After scoring with his first touch in a home win over Castleford a fortnight ago, the 30-year-old centre concerned himself more with the prosaic here. Nevertheless, when his side so desperately needed a touch of class, Folau provided it.
Marc Sneyd’s drop goal had put Hull 29-28 ahead in the 77th minute, but the imposing Folau expertly leapt to field James Maloney’s subsequent short kickoff with a one-handed catch. From there, Catalans advanced towards their hosts’ line and Maloney scored to seal a remarkable win in which Steve Mcnamara’s side overturned Hull’s 18-point lead with a stirring second-half display.
Mcnamara, Catalans’ Hull-born coach, said: “Izzy was solid without being spectacular. But to come up with a short kick-off and for Izzy to take it one-handed, and give us a last chance to win the game, we are obviously pleased how it has ended.
“It was a special play and a special catch, but we underused him. If we use him better, his influence will grow, because he has the talent.”
Much of the pre-match talk had been of Folau being targeted with protests against his views. A handful of rainbow flags were waved before kick-off and a smattering of boos greeted his first touch, but he was hardly entering a lion’s den.
Mcnamara said: “We wanted to make it a graveyard, because if Hull get on top, the crowd get up for it. But if you can turn the screw on them, you can make it quiet and we certainly did that by the end.”
Folau won 73 caps for the Wallabies and scored 37 tries, including a two against England at Twickenham in his final appearance in November 2018. After his rugby union career ended in disgrace last year following his Instagram post, he was barred from returning to Australian rugby league in the NRL. But Folau was handed a lifeline by Catalans and has remained in excellent physical condition.
His first touch was jeered and he conceded a penalty which led to an opening try for Hull’s Mahe Fonua. Benjamin Jullien and Fouad Yaha replied for Catalans, but Fonua’s second and Carlos Tuimavave’s try put Hull 16-10 up at the break.
Further scores from Jamie Shaul and Manu Ma’u appeared to have put them out of sight at 28-10.
Yet Sam Tomkins was instrumental in a fightback which harvested three quick-fire scores for Jullien, Josh Drinkwater and Samisoni Langi to level matters at 28-28.
After Sneyd’s one-pointer put Hull back in front, there was still time for that late intervention from Folau, who stands almost 6ft 4in, which produced the winning score.
Hull coach Lee Radford, whose supporters paid tribute to former player Adam Maher following his recent passing from motor neurone disease, said: “You can try to guard against that, but unfortunately we don’t have anyone in our team who can jump that high.”