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Top 14 & Rugby Pro D2
2013-14 Season Kick off
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<blockquote data-quote="Tony Manx" data-source="post: 585515" data-attributes="member: 50236"><p>Just over one week to go and the greatest rugby union league competition in the world kicks off for a new season!!</p><p> </p><p>This week sees the final pre season games and then on 16<sup>th</sup> August, the season kicks off for real with Montpellier at home to Toulon…..two of the most interesting teams in what should be a most exciting season and one that will, in my opinion, again show the ever increasing division between the top teams and the rest!</p><p> </p><p>The top teams will be ASM, Toulouse, Toulon, Racing, Montpellier and Stade.</p><p> </p><p>Of the rest, the obvious relegation candidates are….Oyonnax, Brive, Biarritz and Perpignan (the latter having have lost more class than they have signed!!).</p><p> </p><p>The ones I am having difficulty placing are Castres, Bayonne, Grenoble and Bordeaux</p><p> </p><p>I do not need to say much about the likely top teams as they have all completed good/decent signings and have proved their worth over the last few seasons plus they have the money and some really competent to excellent coaching teams. </p><p></p><p>The likely relegation battlers all suffer from lack of money and/or proven/decent management and cannot see any of them pushing for any honours in the near future.</p><p> </p><p>Castres as reigning champions should be top six contenders but they have lost their management, although it will be interesting to see how Milhas does after his short, unfortunately, stay with Biarritz. Castres in addtion to the loss of their main pharmaceutical billionaire sponsor (and this must have an impact on them at some stage but will it be shown this season?) have lost Andreu and big Joe Takori whilst seemingly to seek to corner the 9's in siging Tomas and Garcia to support Krockett!</p><p> </p><p>Bayonne have, again, turned over their squad and certainly money is not the main problem with them. With the money that has been expended, they really should be contenders and I do think with some consistency in the training staff they will mprove their postion this season but just cannot see them in the top six come May 2014.</p><p> </p><p>Grenoble and Bordeaux come into the same class as each other where money is tight but they do seem to have good management and I just cannot see them competing against the likes of Oyonnax and Brive for the relegation spots.</p><p> </p><p>So in my predictions, I will go for the usual culprits for the top 6 as above with Oyonnax and Brive to go down!</p><p> </p><p>A word on Biarritz…..well, why not!</p><p> </p><p>The two friendlies played (Grenoble and Oynonax) so far have been won, if not emphatically, but these can never be a demonstration of form - last season Buruto was fabulous in them but proved to be not quite up to it in the actual competitive games!</p><p> </p><p>I know that Waenga is thought of very highly by many people around here (and not just BO guys) and he seems to have fitted in very well so he may just resolve the 10 position once and for all but we shall see.</p><p> </p><p>It was good to see Traille substituted (Perylongue to 10 and Waenga to centre) and can only hope that this is an indication that no ones place is sacrosanct!! Certainly selection on form and benefit to the team and not on hierarchial basis will be wonderful.......... </p><p> </p><p>Jo Pieterson's arrival is eagerly awaited but some very good young players have been blooded/played in the two friendlies to date….these include Haget (centre), Thomas (winger), Couet Lannes (full back), Lourdley (2<sup>nd</sup> row), and Luix Roussarie (tight head).</p><p> </p><p>I would say that BO are looking at a middle table scrap with Castres, Bayonne, USAP, Grenoble, and UBB in that order and will fit in somewhere between 9th and 12th......!!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Tony Manx, post: 585515, member: 50236"] Just over one week to go and the greatest rugby union league competition in the world kicks off for a new season!! This week sees the final pre season games and then on 16[SUP]th[/SUP] August, the season kicks off for real with Montpellier at home to Toulon…..two of the most interesting teams in what should be a most exciting season and one that will, in my opinion, again show the ever increasing division between the top teams and the rest! The top teams will be ASM, Toulouse, Toulon, Racing, Montpellier and Stade. Of the rest, the obvious relegation candidates are….Oyonnax, Brive, Biarritz and Perpignan (the latter having have lost more class than they have signed!!). The ones I am having difficulty placing are Castres, Bayonne, Grenoble and Bordeaux I do not need to say much about the likely top teams as they have all completed good/decent signings and have proved their worth over the last few seasons plus they have the money and some really competent to excellent coaching teams. The likely relegation battlers all suffer from lack of money and/or proven/decent management and cannot see any of them pushing for any honours in the near future. Castres as reigning champions should be top six contenders but they have lost their management, although it will be interesting to see how Milhas does after his short, unfortunately, stay with Biarritz. Castres in addtion to the loss of their main pharmaceutical billionaire sponsor (and this must have an impact on them at some stage but will it be shown this season?) have lost Andreu and big Joe Takori whilst seemingly to seek to corner the 9's in siging Tomas and Garcia to support Krockett! Bayonne have, again, turned over their squad and certainly money is not the main problem with them. With the money that has been expended, they really should be contenders and I do think with some consistency in the training staff they will mprove their postion this season but just cannot see them in the top six come May 2014. Grenoble and Bordeaux come into the same class as each other where money is tight but they do seem to have good management and I just cannot see them competing against the likes of Oyonnax and Brive for the relegation spots. So in my predictions, I will go for the usual culprits for the top 6 as above with Oyonnax and Brive to go down! A word on Biarritz…..well, why not! The two friendlies played (Grenoble and Oynonax) so far have been won, if not emphatically, but these can never be a demonstration of form - last season Buruto was fabulous in them but proved to be not quite up to it in the actual competitive games! I know that Waenga is thought of very highly by many people around here (and not just BO guys) and he seems to have fitted in very well so he may just resolve the 10 position once and for all but we shall see. It was good to see Traille substituted (Perylongue to 10 and Waenga to centre) and can only hope that this is an indication that no ones place is sacrosanct!! Certainly selection on form and benefit to the team and not on hierarchial basis will be wonderful.......... Jo Pieterson’s arrival is eagerly awaited but some very good young players have been blooded/played in the two friendlies to date….these include Haget (centre), Thomas (winger), Couet Lannes (full back), Lourdley (2[SUP]nd[/SUP] row), and Luix Roussarie (tight head). I would say that BO are looking at a middle table scrap with Castres, Bayonne, USAP, Grenoble, and UBB in that order and will fit in somewhere between 9th and 12th......!! [/QUOTE]
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