Thanks for all of the suggestions, yes that's the idea but I think the one I saw must have been 'special,' it looked so smart and well designed and did not have that 'nylon' look and it wasn't brightly coloured. I also remember it had a suede collar and suede cuffs. At the time it was advertised as 125 euros, which in the end is the reason I didn't buy it.
The only reason I'm remembering back is that I have proved to myself that my Champion coat idea is the 'way to go' for me, but it is what it is, a coat originally designed to stand around or to walk short distances in when it's raining. I am now very content that I treat rain differently than all other weathers, I now find it so much easier to decide on my gear and it helps me to keep my carry weight down as well. My decision allows me to consign my Paramo and the other 'wonder jackets' that are pushed at us all from the people in marketing, 'to the dustbin.' I have used my Champion coat as a testbed, I've adapted it, I've made it a bit longer, had weights sewn into the bottom hem and each change has made it just that little bit better. In the meantime I have continuously looked around for a better coat, maybe Goretex or similar, which rolls up smaller and weighs less. The Champion coat weighs nearly 20oz, to improve on it I would need something like a long Marmot Precip or similar and to my knowledge, they don't exist?
I suppose that I'm looking for an 'ideal' wet weather coat, that keeps me dry, that I can put on and off quickly, that opens up down the front, (easiest way to ventilate and dry out perspiration in my experience) to cover my rucksack, it's not essential, at the moment I just use an ordinary elasticated rucksack cover.
I have a Vaude poncho, well made but difficult to put on and off and the rucksack cover area is awkward to manage as well. For a poncho to work well its the design of how it covers the rucksack I think is the key to want to use one. As it stands even with a front opening poncho would that be any easier to put on and cover my rucksack at the same time? I'm thinking that I might buy one of your suggested ponchos just to find out?