Top 14 Day 13

[Big Ewis]

First weekend back from the Euro adventure. Operation, success for the French clubs. Toulon, Racing, Toulouse and of course Clermont with positive results if not more. Montypellier and Castres to focus all their attention on this now that those past two weekends and ordeal are over.

As farcical as it sounds today, Clermont will be looking to avenge their mythical defeat in their volcano against Castres from last year's playoffs, the end of the legendary 76 straight wins. Don't think Castres will be much of a challenge this time around, how quickly things change..


Here's a recap of the season on the table so far:

 

[gaston le gaff]

I'm back from Bath comments later!!!!! Press training today so it just does not stop!!!!

 

[Tony Manx]

Titanic clash in Basque Country which could be season defining for Bayonne!!

The best team in Aquitaine are the visitors and should provide stern opposition as, being 90 minutes down the new motorway, they should manage good traveling support!

I expect Ibanez to put out a strong team in his homeland and to put the lid on, ready for the nails, the Rowers' Top 24 coffin!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sapinou]

Titanic clash in Basque Country which could be season defining for Bayonne!!

The best team in Aquitaine are the visitors and should provide stern opposition as, being 90 minutes down the new motorway, they should manage good traveling support!

I expect Ibanez to put out a strong team in his homeland and to put the lid on, ready for the nails, the Rowers' Top 24 coffin!!!!!!!!!

In Bayonne we take this match like a "do or die" situation, we lost 5 of the 6 games against UBB since their promotion to Top 14 this is a huge shame to us. With a terrible weather all week long, the forwards (and the kicker) will be the key of the game, I guess Pato's 23 will be something strong like that:

Iguinitz-Etrillard-Muller
Chisholm-Senekal
Haare-Ollivon-Monribot
Loustalot-Fernandez
O'Connor-Lovobalavu-Whitelock-Rokocoko
Spedding

Van Rensburg-Roumieu-Jgenti-Macome-Fa'aoso-Otazo
Rouet-Bustos Moyano

I don't think there is so much nails on our coffin, I'd look ASR, LOU and CO ones...

And how are doing the brawls on the field and the stands in Aguilera?

 

[Big Ewis]

I'm back from Bath comments later!!!!!

well a man needs to clean up every once in a while....(never, ever gets old..) good to have you back gaston, was starting to get worried !!...

Sapinou: there's some real talent in Bayonne, enough to stay in the Top 14 in fact. Just look at that back three trident and then the back row and a prop like Iguiniz. Could be a nice one in ze basque country, if the AB wins they could find themselves moving up to 9th, maybe 8th !

 

[Sapinou]

Big E, I agree with you if it weren't the avoidable loss of at least 8 points (MHR home, at LOU and at La Rochelle) people'd stop treat us with contempt (ex-Afflelou toy...) and thinking cto come to Jean Dauger with an easy win at the end. Our youth is full of talent too, look for Lapeyrade, Loustalot, Chouzenoux and Sayerse plus Ugalde who is maturing and Otazo slowly but surely comming back from 2 season out beacause knee injuries. I'm not pessimistic, the Top 14 is more and more unfair: the gap between the 6th and the 13th keep filling at great speed.

 

[Tony Manx]

And how are doing the brawls on the field and the stands in Aguilera?

Tell me more!!! I am in hibernation in the North for the winter so had heard nothing about this!!! Good to hear they have some fight on the field and knew about Soqeta's red but the stands?

 

[gaston le gaff]

Apparently the Big One (Serge) or is it the Fat One, had to ask the speaker to announce calm as they started knocking 7 bells of sh** out of each other in the stand, unbelievable did not realise that the Pro D2 had as many hoooooligans as footie, shame on you Biarritz!!!!! LOOKS LIKE THAT WILL COST SERGE A COUPLE OF SPONDOOOOOLIES WHEN THE FINES COME IN. Loads of cards as well yellow and red not Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sapinou]

gaston said it all, very funny when you know that Biarrots call us "hooligan winebags" After the "Lulu incident" when Biarritz could choose what game Aguilera was suspended and played in Dax(I would be normally against Stade Toulousain, but finally UBB and a ridiculous fine), that make a sum...

 

[Tony Manx]

Apparently the Big One (Serge) or is it the Fat One, had to ask the speaker to announce calm as they started knocking 7 bells of sh** out of each other in the stand, unbelievable did not realise that the Pro D2 had as many hoooooligans as footie, shame on you Biarritz!!!!! LOOKS LIKE THAT WILL COST SERGE A COUPLE OF SPONDOOOOOLIES WHEN THE FINES COME IN. Loads of cards as well yellow and red not Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He can afford it and Budda, I hope, will pay it out of his own pocket!!!

Pro 2 does tend to be a school of hard knocks but such behaviour from, as you say, football fans (who probably cannot find a decent game to go to) is inexcusable!!

gaston said it all, very funny when you know that Biarrots call us "hooligan winebags" After the "Lulu incident" when Biarritz could choose what game Aguilera was suspended and played in Dax(I would be normally against Stade Toulousain, but finally UBB and a ridiculous fine), that make a sum...

I think it is fair to say that there are a few hooligans in the Tribune Serge Kampf, as, indeed, there are at Bayonne at the Jean Dauger, but they are in the tiny minority in both places I am glad to say!!

It is these few idiots who seem to maintain a pathological hatred of the other club and it is the one very sad part of rugby there but I have always enjoyed my visits to the Jean Dauger, and not always just to watch Biarritz. I have always found the local derbies to be turgid and dull affairs!!

Incidentally, my joke about Bayonne and the coffin were in jest as are most of my comments so do not take me too seriously....no one else does!!

 

[gaston le gaff]

excuse me gentlemen but Biarritz!!!! is this not the TOP 14 thread get back where you belong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i know i did comment but i had jet lag from Bath!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Toulon and Clermont to continue leading the log but I can see Racing move into third. So call me Grenoble's 59th biggest supporter on the weekend to see them set things right by avenging us; we were robbed aginst SF earlier!!

Also, they have no business being in 3rd with a -29 points difference. That's just wrong.

That said Montpelly vs Toulouse is the pick of the matches on the weekend IMO; coming off Europe Toulouse are flying as high way up above the line as Montypeculiar are low in the doldrums yet in the Top 14 context that counts for nothing and they are as close on the log with 1 log point and 3 points differential being the only seperation and Monty being at home making up for Toulouse's assumed high spirits maybe?.. Anyway, this will be the other game I catch if I can manage both.

 

[Big Ewis]

That said Montpelly vs Toulouse is the pick of the matches on the weekend IMO; coming off Europe Toulouse are flying as high way up above the line as Montypeculiar are low in the doldrums yet in the Top 14 context that counts for nothing and they are as close on the log with 1 log point and 3 points differential being the only seperation and Monty being at home making up for Toulouse's assumed high spirits maybe?.. Anyway, this will be the other game I catch if I can manage both.

Montpelly XD

I don't know what to think of the MP Toulouse one...MP have played some awful, awful bottom-of-the-table like Rugby since TD left and all hell broke loose internally. Which is normal...but in those situations, how can one predict Toulouse will just go there and take a win, why wouldn't this be the match MP react a little and simply take care of business at home, after all they've still got lots of good players, I mean...plus Toulouse are quite up and down again this season. I bet they'll send a nice cast over there though, will relish their chances of attacking an already under siege sanctuary, and take an oh so rare away win. They've still got lots of work to do and are outside the top 6 as we speak.

There isn't a huge matchup for the weekend though, the balance of power is spread throughout the seven games. Clermont might, but Toulon most likely will be very unforgiving scores for their respective visitors..

 

[Tony Manx]

excuse me gentlemen but Biarritz!!!! is this not the TOP 14 thread get back where you belong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i know i did comment but i had jet lag from Bath!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Point made and will remind you of it next season!!!!

Toulon and Clermont to continue leading the log but I can see Racing move into third. So call me Grenoble's 59th biggest supporter on the weekend to see them set things right by avenging us; we were robbed aginst SF earlier!!

Also, they have no business being in 3rd with a -29 points difference. That's just wrong.

That said Montpelly vs Toulouse is the pick of the matches on the weekend IMO; coming off Europe Toulouse are flying as high way up above the line as Montypeculiar are low in the doldrums yet in the Top 14 context that counts for nothing and they are as close on the log with 1 log point and 3 points differential being the only seperation and Monty being at home making up for Toulouse's assumed high spirits maybe?.. Anyway, this will be the other game I catch if I can manage both.

Yeah but Toulouse are on the way up and Montypellier are plummeting............no contest.

Match of the weekend is clearly the evening game in Bayonne!!! Would have gone to that had I been able as there will be more than 60 points scored if the weather is half decent!

 

[FrenchFan]

I expect a big big reaction from Montpellier at home. They'll be playing with fear and for their pride. This is going to be a battle. I can see Montpellier sneaking it.
We are very vulnerable without a fit fly-half. Glasgow couldn't take advantage of it. I think Montpellier will as they are a different beast in Top 14 esp. at home.

 

[gaston le gaff]

We all know that Montpellier are very unlikely to be playing Pro D2 next season even though Tony is trying his very best from far off, these bad patches come to an end at some point, i do know whats going on inside the club but it will stay there, everybody else is 2nd guessing and i will not be saying anything myself.
Toulouse is a great rugby club and if we are going to end this rut it will have to be against one of the best, which does make it more exciting and stimulating so my predicktions are a win for Montpellier willl be tough but a win is a win is a win and do we need it, not only will it boost our confidence but will return us to somewhere near where we should be at this time of year.
The rest wins for Bayonne, Brive, Clermont, Racing, Toulon, Grenoble what i should have said is all home wins this weekend.Still suffering from Bath Jet Lag.
Still wondering should i buy a turkey or a chapon for Christmas, life is so difficult always choices choices and more choices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[FrenchFan]

Montpellier will bounce back. They have the squad and the coach for it. I agree. Things go very much thru cycles. They are going to bounce back. When it happens we just have to make sure we're not on the receiving end of it.

 

[gaston le gaff]

the answer to that my friend will be about 16.45 Sat afternoon

 

[Big Ewis]

Status Freightus ain't kidding around.

That's not an away squad they're sending: Plisson, Slimani, Vuidravawalu, Arias, Camara, Parisse...AND ANTOINE BURBAN best current French flanker is back, finally...(no doubt on my mind he'll return to action, be dominant as usual, and then will be picked for 6N maybe, if he is, injured in the first or second game....).
Anyways, no question: Paris out to get a result in the Alps tomorrow.

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Grenobili

One of the best third rows in the Top 14 right there. Two of the best flyhalves in the league hit it off, will be a very nice one I reckon.

 

[Sapinou]

I read SF compo top to bottom, was like "WTF are Arias & Lakafia doin' there?!" :lol: