With the Top 14 season resuming last weekend expectations were high from refreshed squads eager to build some momentum in the run up to the season finish.
This Top 14 season has been awesome so far. Over the past two weeks I have had the chance to reflect on some of the action we’ve seen so far this season, as is so often the case with this league there are always upsets and tight finishes in games that on paper should’ve been a walk over, this weekend’s action was so no different.
As I said in my last review with the 6 Nations upon us it will be a chance for teams to really step up to the mark and gain ground up the table as we move towards the end of a season that has been exceptional and with 6 points between 4th and 3rd and the top 3 all on 51 points, we can expect an exciting next few weeks for sure.
So let’s get into it.
Top 14 Review – 19/02 and 21/02/2015
La Rochelle – 19 Vs Brive – 12
Stade Marcel-Deflandre
La Rochelle hosted Brive last Thursday night with both teams in a similar vein of form, both have managed two wins from their last six with La Rochelle in particular needing this hard fought win.
This game was a very cagey affair from the get go, cagey is a word I use a lot when writing about French rugby.
With very little opportunity for either team to stamp their authority on the game, Peter Grant and Gaetan Germain exchanged penalties early in the game.
With Brive leading 3-6 La Rochelle were awarded a penalty try after Dominiko Waqaniburotukula infringed, with Grant adding the extras, La Rochelle took the lead.
In the second half Scrum Half Julien Audy took over kicking duties for La Rochelle and slotted on 57 minutes, Germain then pulled one back for Brive but La Rochelle closed out the narrow gap after replacement Fly Half Barraque kicked 3 more for La Rochelle, closing the game out 19-12. A vital 3 point home win for La Rochelle in a lack lustre game.
Bordeaux-Begles 28 Vs 23 Toulon
Stade Chaban Delmas
The joint league leaders started well with a Sanchez penalty and conversion following a Josua Tuisova try just after the 12 minute mark. Pierre Bernard kept Bordeaux in the game with 3 penalties before a try came from centre Maxime Mermoz, with Sanchez again converting, this brought the score to 9-20 to Toulon.
As the score suggests Toulon dominated the first half but a mix up between Delon Armitage and Tilous-Borde allowed Hugh Chalmers to score before half time.
The Second Half was truly astonishing, Toulon dominated the First Half but Bordeaux fought back through a Talebula Maijaina double with Bernard adding the extras.
Sanchez added a lone penalty late in the game for Toulon but their away form has again cost them and they now find themselves joint top on 51 points with Stade and Clermont, while Bordeaux enter the play off places in 6th.
Bayonne 23 Vs Stade Francais 6
Stade Jean Dauger
I’m not quite sure where to start with this result. To say this was a huge win for Bayonne would be an understatement. Stade’s last result was a narrow home loss to Oyannax, which would’ve been annoying but not nearly as annoying as this would’ve been for Quesada’s men.
Bayonne put in a really impressive performance that saw them move out of the bottom 2 in the league.
They started really well and Stade’s usual attacking edge couldn’t find a way through staunch defence. Bayonne scored after just 5 minutes of play through Marvin O’Connor, Joe Rokocoko added another after 24 minutes, Christophe Loustalot added the extras as Bayonne led 12-3 at Half Time with only a Julien Dupuy penalty for Stade.
Loustalot added another 3 after the break as Bayonne started the 2nd half well, although another Stade penalty was added in reply and they should’ve had their first try of the game on the hour mark, Jeremy Sinzelle ran through a few Bayonne defender finding Plisson with the pass and with a huge overlap Djibrill Camara frustratingly knocked on, which pretty much summed up Stade’s afternoon.
Stade’s afternoon got worse after Rabah Slimani was pinged on his own line following desperate defence, the penalty was slotted and Bayonne picked up all 5 points after Monribot crossed over from a maul, The blindside controlling well from the back.
Grenoble 20 Vs Montpellier 18
Stade Des Alpes, Grenoble
The snow was falling at the Stade Des Alpes in Grenoble which surprisingly didn’t affect this game at all, Grenoble have been in horrible form recently with just 1 win coming from their last 6 games back at the start of January against Oyannax.
Montpellier on the other hand, have been resurgent. 2 wins on the bounce coming into this game and they’ve been playing some nice rugby under Jake White. They will be disappointed with this loss as they now find themselves just outside of the playoffs with Grenoble moving just 1 point behind them.
Hendrik Roodt scored for Grenoble after just 2 minutes, Ben Lucas replied with penalty for Montpellier. Jonathan Wisniewski kicked 2 penalties in quick succession with a drop goal on the stroke of half time making the score 14-9 at the break.
Two yellows for the same offence, a tackle off the ball resulted in Akapusi Qera being yellow carded after the break, Grenoble Scrum Half being adjudged guilty of the same offence in the first half allowed Wisniewski to make it 17-12.
Replacement for Montpellier Iribaren kicked 2 penalties to give the visitors a late lead before a penalty on 77 minutes allowed the ever-reliable Wisniewski to get the win with a penalty making it 20-18 to the home side. Great win if you’re a Grenoble fan
Toulouse 23 Vs 20 lyon
Stade Ernest Wallon
Toulouse are firmly in the play off places as they welcomed an in form Lyon side to the Ernest Wallon.
These two teams have been my favourite teams to watch so far in the league and they didn’t let me down this time, I would say the right team came out on top in this encounter.
Lyon will take heart from this defeat as the Ernest Wallon is not an easy place to go and considering their form right now and if I was a betting man (which I am) I would say they should make the playoffs come the end of the season.
Horrible conditions at the start of the game apparently didn’t put off either side, Toby Flood looked very impressive in this game and he started well kicking 2 penalties in the first 20 minutes. Joe Tekori crossed for Toulouse on 29 minutes with Flood converting, the openside scored after Galan the Toulouse number 8 was stopped just short.
Lyon’s set piece was struggling in the wet conditions, their line out wasn’t great and the scrum was suffering under pressure from Toulouse’s monster front row, Lyon were on the scoreboard despite this though through a Jerome Porical penalty replacing Jean-Phillippe Bonrepaux after 30 minutes.
Lyon continued to buckle as Flood finished off a wonderful team try with fullback Clement Poitrenaud involved in the build up, quite why he is not involved for France these days is beyond me – Flood converted his own try to make it 20-3 and Toulouse were now cruising.
Lyon started well after the break, they improved in the tight and their line out was the polar opposite from the 1st half. Their maul was a formidable weapon which they used to great effect, the ball went wide and Porical crashed over and converted his own try to bring the score to 20-10.
Lyon were obviously coping better with the heavy rain and after another penalty from Porical the score was now 20-13.
Flood coverted another penalty to make it 23-13 courtesy of a scrum infringement by the Lyon pack.
It was an exciting finish to the game and the next 20 minutes saw Lyon camped in Toulouse’s 22 but their defence held up. A yellow card was given to Kendrick Lynn which I expected would take the wind out of the visitor’s sails after a high tackle. Yours truly was wrong though (first time for everything) and after another superb rolling maul Lyon scored a converted try to end on a high note on 78 minutes with Toulouse just hanging on. Personally this my favourite game of the weekend.
Oyonnax 23 Vs Castres 13
Stade Charles Mathon
Oyonnax’s 4 wins from 6 is stark comparison to the dismal form Castres find themselves in.
Castres had the better start to the first half scoring 2 penalties to go 0-6 up. Oyonnax’s scrum dominated though and they went over through Regis Lespinas which was converted to make it 7-6 at half time.
Oyonnax scored again after the break after the forwards again dominated set piece with Oliver Missoup scoring after a rolling maul crashed over Castres’s line. Lespinas slotted the extras.
Two more penalties followed quickly and this made it 20-6 to the home side. Castres hit back through a converted try from Combezou, which was their only bright spark of the game, another penalty followed from Lespinas to close out a clinical home performance.
Racing Metro 13 – 13 Clermont Auvergne
Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
Stade Francais and Toulon’s losses gave Clermont an opportunity to go top if they could beat an inform Racing side. Racing currently in 4th were looking to push Clermont’s dodgy away record all the way to gain momentum on the top 3 but both took even honours in the day’s late kick off
Morgan Parra broke the deadlock after a typical cagey start to the first half after 20 minutes with a penalty; Sexton matched his penalty on 28 minutes.
It was 3-3 at the break with both sides fairly evenly matched and their respective defence’s holding up well.
Racing illegally brought down a rolling maul from Clermont, which looked like it was gaining some steam, Parra made no mistake with the 3 points that followed.
Sexton again followed his counterpart with another 3 after hands in the ruck which made the score 6-6. It seemed neither side could take the game by the scruff of the neck.
That seemed to change though after Machenaud’s kick was charged down trying to clear his lines, Napolioni Nalaga knocked on though and the chance went begging.
The deadlock was finally broken and Racing crossed the line on 55 minutes albeit with some luck, Sexton over shot his kick into Clermont’s 22 and the dodgy bounce landed in to Marc Andreu’s hands which Sexton converted making it 13-6.
Clermont scored with 6 minutes remaining with Nakaitaci scoring after a rampaging break by Jonathan Davies, due to Parra’s knee injury it was up to replacement Brock James to equalise the scoring which he duly did, it was a tough kick that was hugging the touchline.
James had the chance to be the hero at the end of the game after Racing failed to release in the tackle and he missed a long-range effort and the game ended 13-13.
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