Lowe gave Phil his take on getting through the credit crunch and selling his flat.

Every player Phil spoke to offered him their memories of the final, some crystal clear, some a touch hazy. Phil was also invited to the next meeting of the Leeds Former Players' Association with the promise the bar would open at 11 in the morning and close at 9.30am the next day. I'm not sure Phil is up to the job, to be honest.

Chatting to the likes of John Holmes, Terry Clawson and John Atkinson - genuine legends of 1970s British rugby league - it reminded Phil of everything he loves about the sport. Affable and happy to help, they spoke warmly about their love of the game, of the team spirit it generatesand how they wouldn't swap their era for all the riches of the modern game.

After Phil found out about David Jeanes from a newspaper article he had tracked down, that only left the puzzle of the 14th man - Bob Irving. On every team sheet I could find there were 13 Australian players listed but 14 from Great Britain. Why? Eventually RFL historian Tony Collins delved into the record books and was able to confirm that Irving came on as a replacement for Jeanes. Unfortunately, Irving died in 2002, but there was plenty of information on the internet to provide a potted history.

Tracking the 1972 team down was a hugely satisfying task. The heroes of Lyon were humble to a man. And all had one thing in common