Craig Lingard praying for no passport drama as Batley Bulldogs jet off to Toulouse

It was shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill in March 2020 that Lingard found himself all alone on foreign shores after his passport, incredibly, was left on the plane which flew his Bulldogs side into Toulouse.

And despite being let into France by border control, the head coach, after watching his side get beat 34-14, was refused entry on the return flight and had to travel to the British Embassy in Paris to make arrangements for an emergency passport before finally returning to West Yorkshire.

“It cost me nearly £1,000 to get home,” reminisced Lingard. “I am hoping to not replicate that this weekend!”

Explaining how the situation unfolded, he said: “My passport came out of my bag in the overhead compartment when we flew into Toulouse. I only realised that when I was walking up to the passport control. But because I didn’t speak French and they didn’t speak English I couldn’t communicate that.

“By the time I had managed to communicate that, and because it was a quick turnaround flight, the plane had turned and it was gone. So I was stuck without a passport in Toulouse.

“They managed to let me into the country based on the information on the passenger manifest, but then I had to go from Toulouse all the way up to Paris to the British Consulate to get an emergency passport, to then book a flight.

“It took me four days to get from Toulouse up to Paris and get a flight home. It was three days before the country locked down for COVID. Luckily I managed to get back home just in time.”

He added: “No more dramas this year! As soon as I get on that plane I am going to give my passport to a responsible person.”

Saturday’s top-of-the table clash will be Lingard’s third attempt at securing a victory in Toulouse with Batley. And although the Bulldogs sit in second place in the Championship, two points above their French opponents, Toulouse have yet to lose at home all season.

He said: “Nobody has beaten Toulouse yet at their place. I think people go there not expecting to lose but thinking more about the party afterwards. We’re certainly not going to do that. We’re going to challenge ourselves to be the first team to go over there and beat Toulouse on their patch. If we do that we’re four points clear of Toulouse which is huge for us.

“They’ve got a better points difference than us, so if they beat us they go above us on points difference. It is a really important game for us. We’re not going over there for a party.

“If we do beat Toulouse, they can have as long and as deep a party as they want!”

Batley go into the enticing contest following their exceptional 42-0 thrashing of Halifax Panthers last Sunday.

“It was an important game because winning has put us seven points clear of them in sixth,” Lingard said.

“As long as we get into the play-offs, that’s all that matters. It’s good to sit in second position and look down at the table rather than looking up.”