With the Top 14 season not resuming until the 19th of February, a lot of the Top 14 squads will be enjoying a well earned rest and a chance to think about an assault up the table when the season resumes.
With a lot of first team players away with Les Bleus, it was a chance for some of the mid to lower table teams to pull together and take advantage of some depleted form teams at the top of the Top 14. Teams at the top of the table will be looking to use their strong and in form squads to continue the momentum, so let’s review the Top 14 action from the 30th and the 31st of January.
Top 14 Review January 30th and 31st
Friday 30th January
Toulon – 24 VS Bayonne – 17
Stade Felix Mayol
Toulon were missing a whole host of players on a wet and windy night in the south of France and Bayonne made life very tough for them. The defending champions left out Armitage who has been under a recent black cloud concering his off the field conduct with a court appearance scheduled for February 10th proving an unwelcome distraction and he was named on the bench.
Toulon started well with Habana scoring after Mermoz grubbered through; Bayonne hit straight back through Bustos-Moyano who crossed after a chip by Fernandez to set up a try under the sticks. Hernandez then kicked a Toulon penalty and followed that up with a second after Bayonne were judged offside after Marvin O’Connor held up Rudi Wulf with a try saving effort.
Gert Muller (Great name) was then pinged and binned for a ruck penalty and Hernandez kicking the 3 to take Toulon to a 14-7 lead at the break. The big Georgian prop Chilaschaya blasted over for Toulon for their second try with that man Fernandez again slotting the extras. He would’ve wanted to prove a point with Giteau still out for groin problems.
Bayonne hit back with a good team try as Fernandez chipped behind to allow Ugalde to cross with Bustos-Moyano converting, he then grabbed the bonus point after slotting another penalty.
Habana thought he’d bagged a brace to finish but Juan Smith’s pass was adjudged to be forward.
Saturday 31st January
La Rochelle -16 V Clermont – 12
Stade Marcel Deflandre, La Rochelle
There was little action to speak of in the first half as Fly-halves Peter Grant and Brock James traded two penalties with Clermont taking the lead after James, made it 9-6 following staunch defense from La Rochelle. It was a tense and cagey affair in the first 40 with Clermont just edging in front following the two Fly Halfs exchanging penalties.
The second half was more exciting of the two with Julien Bonnaire and Jason Eaton shown yellow’s each for fighting with Noa Nakataci following them shortly after, He was shown yellow following an awful high tackle on Jean-Pascal Barraque. Rochelle failed to take advantage of 14 to 13 advantage with James kicking his fourth penalty making it 12-6 with 20 minutes to go.
Grant slotted again to continue his kicking duel with James, La Rochelle continued to play solid rugby and it was capped off with Mali Hingano diving in the corner with Grant converting which earned Rochelle a huge win over the league leaders.
Brive – 23 VS Grenoble – 0
Stade Amedee Domenech, Brive
Brive welcomed Grenoble to the Stade Amedee Domench and simply put them to the sword.
Brive dominated the scrum and with Grenoble going backwards, Brive Fly-Halve Gaetan Germain slotted again and with a drop goal from Nicolas Bezy, Brive continued to dominate. Tries from Tuatara-Morrison and captain Mela earned Brive a 23-0 dominant home win.
Not a lot to write about with this one as Grenoble were awful.
Stade Francais – 13 VS Oyonnax – 15
Stade Jean Bouin, Paris
A first away win in 43 days for Oyannax in Paris and boy was it hard work! Benjamin Urdapilleta slotted all 15 of Oyannax’s points.
Stade hit back with the only try of the game from Fullback Dijibril Camara, young French Fly Half Plisson beat the last two defenders to put Camara in.
Plisson and Urdapilleta exchanged penalties and after tempers flared Plisson pulled Stade closer, with a Waisea Nayacalevu breakaway try, Stade thought they’d scored but they’sinfringed in the breakdown earlier in the move and with hands in the ruck they had illegally stolen the ball.
Urdapilleta had his fifth penalty of the game as a result and with Plisson missing his and the game’s final chance, Oyannax had the vital win.
Montpellier – 34 VS Bordeaux-Begles – 24
Altrad Stadium, Montpelier
Jake White’s men welcomed a Bordeaux team to the Altrad with both teams in similar veins of form with 3 wins each from their last 6, respectively.
Bordeaux started well putting lots of early pressure on Montpellier especially in the scrum but failed to capitalize, Montpellier on the other hand couldn’t have had a worse start with Lock Tom Donnelly going off with a shoulder injury and with Beniot Pailaugue sent off after 20 minutes. Bordeaux capitalized on their dominance with a kicked penalty from another penalty from a scrum.
Montpellier came back into it following a long range effort from Ben Lucas, after Bordeaux landed another 3 pointer, that penalty coming after the aforementioned Montpeillier red card – Paillaugue’s tip tackle left the referee with no choice but to send him off.
Montpellier showed some inner steel which has at times been missing before Jake White took the reigns, they struck back through Lucas and then a Akapusi Qera try making it 11-6.
Shots were traded at goal by replacement Scrum Half Pelissie and Bernard, Bordeaux finished the half strongly as a cute grubber through meant Guitoune went over, thus making White’s half time team talk harder as they were 3 points down before the break.
Montpellier resumed the second half well with another penalty but Bordeaux hit back through Scrum Half Lesgourgues which Beuxis, the replacement 10 slotted making it 20-21 to Bordeaux.
Montpellier went onto win the game 34-24 and they closed out the visitors with two more tries in the final 10 and Qera bagging a brace from a well worked maul which capped off a great win.
Lyon – 11 VS Racing Metro – 13
Matmut Stadium, Lyon
Just like their colleagues down in the Rhone-Alps (Oyannax), this was the Parisians first away win in 43 days. This was a low scoring gritty encounter in tough conditions between two sides in decent form with 4 wins in the last 6.
Points were exchanged between the boots of Johan Goosen and Porical, Porical striking first on 20 minutes. Racing lost Lavanini to the bin just after due to a clash with Julien Puricelli. Racing kept up the pressure as the rain began to pour as Goosen missed the penalty which must’ve frustrated the visitors after the pressure but Dulin clinically finished just before half time to go in leading 7-3.
Goosen extended Racing’s lead after the break with another penalty, as the half rolled on it seemed the Parisians would close out the game but Lyon had other ideas and with a TMO assisted score they were back in the game.
Alas, though it was not to be as Goosen once again kicked another penalty with Racing just clinching the game in rain.
Castres – 9 VS Toulouse – 13
Stade Pierre-Antoine
Continuing the theme of most of the Top 14 action from last weekend this was a battle of the kickers with Toby Flood and Julien Dumora kicking all the points as well as Flood scoring a try as well for good measure.
Dumora drew the battle lines with penalty on 7 minutes before Flood replied on 17 minutes. England’s former Fly Half then crossed over and converted his own try on 20 minutes as Toulouse started to dominate. Castres have been woeful this season although Toulouse’s recent form hasn’t been the best, both sides coming into this with 2 wins from the last 6.
Toulouse would’ve expected to press on the second half but with Dumora slotting 2 penalties to Flood’s 1 it set up a semi exciting end to the weekend’s action.
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