Top 14 Day 25

[Tony Manx]

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[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]20/04[/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]15:00[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]ASM Clermont[/TD]
[TD]Stade Toulousain[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"] - [/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]18:30[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]SU Agen[/TD]
[TD]USAP[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: altrow, bgcolor: #EEEEEE"]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"] - [/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]18:30[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]Aviron Bayonnais[/TD]
[TD]Montpellier Hérault Rugby[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"] - [/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]18:30[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]Union Bordeaux-Bègles[/TD]
[TD]Biarritz Olympique[/TD]
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[TR="class: altrow, bgcolor: #EEEEEE"]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"] - [/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]18:30[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]Castres Olympique[/TD]
[TD]Mont-de-Marsan[/TD]
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[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"] - [/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]20:40[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]Grenoble[/TD]
[TD]Rugby Club Toulonnais[/TD]
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[TR="class: altrow, bgcolor: #EEEEEE"]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]21/04[/TD]
[TD="class: textcenter, align: center"]16:10[/TD]
[TD="class: textright, align: right"]Stade Français[/TD]
[TD]Racing Métro 92[/TD]
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After disappointing loss to USAP, BO have nothing to play for in the Top 14 and go two hours up the road to take on a resurgent UBB who will be hard to beat following their achieving definite Top 14 status for next year......let the party begin!! It will be interesting to see whether Biarritz rest any of their players in preparation for the Leinster semi final next week end and all that that entails.....BO to win - more as support than expectation!

Same goes for ASM in what would normally be a thriller but could again be subject to players resting as a losing bonus point would arithmetically guarantee a top 2 finish. However, the pride in maintenance of their home record will prove to much and ASM will go all out for the win and I cannot see any combination of the Toulouse squad defetaing them.

Castres and Toulon should come away with wins, although Grenoble should give the latter a hard time.

USAP and Montpellier both travel to Agen and Bayonne respectively.....USAP need to win to stand any chance of overhauling Montpellier for sixth place and Les Barrages but they would also need Montpellier to be pointless and, despite Bayonne's recent form, cannot see MHL losing by more than 7, if indeed they do lose.

Lastly, the bonanza and spectacle that is the Paris derby will be played out at Stade de France but with only Racing having anything to play for other than bragging rights in the City. I would go for Racing to mean that there will be no changes in positions in the Top 14 this week!

Shame that all British broadcasters seem to have given up on this season's televising of any French matches although I see Premier Rugby, who wanted £20 per month earlier in the season to watch it (the other sports covered is crap!), are providing a half hour summary of last week's games this weekend......what is that about!!

 

[gaston le gaff]

home wins for Grenoble,Bordeaux, Clermont, Castres, Stade Francaise to beat Racing because we need them too, away wins for USAP and of course Montpellier as there is still a very fine chance of obtaining that 4th play-off place.

 

[Tony Manx]

Biarritz have decided that Leinster is now the priority, and who can blame them, with Imaonl, Traille, Zee,, Baby and Yach all missing from their preferred 15 of recent games and the bench split as 5 to 3 in favour of forwards.

Team as announced is Bosch, Brew, Gimenez Burotu, Thomas, (o) Peyrelongue (m) Lesgourgues; Molcard, Lakafia, Lauret, Taele, Mary Gomez Kodela, August (cap), Blaauw. with Substitutes : Heguy,Van Staden , Dubarry, Guyot, Yachvili Barraque, Ngwenya, Broster.

Cannot see this team whipping the top off a rice pudding but who knows......................

 

[Big Ewis]

very excited for ASM Toulouse...aren't they getting close to 60 wins at home straight ?!...

 

[Mr.cyclopede]

It will be the 59th if ST doens't get a victory this afternoon, and by this beeing a drawwith Stade Français record

Maybe not a record for straight victories, but for straight no defeat, to be checked...

First try for Fofana , 1min30s after starting kick...

 

[Tony Manx]

Good game going on here......Fofana gets a good try in less than two minutes and Toulouse look more "up" for it than have seen in many a match.....20 minutes gone 8-3....

.....and 12 minutes later the score goes to 25-3 as Clermont score two quick tries and Toulouse are plagued with the handling mistakes that have been ever present this season plus some poor reffing from Bardos who does not give the defender anything at the breakdown.

Parra has been on fire and Rougerie off injured after only 15 minutes....

 

[Mr.cyclopede]

32 minutes gone...25-3...
Don't have time to go to the fridge for a drink !

 

[Tony Manx]

....and that is the half time score....the half ending with a two minute period of play from Toulouse that bodes really well of the second half if they can get and keep the ball in their hands.....Good stuff!!

 

[Tony Manx]

ASM win easily!!

Clermont equal the record of Stade Francais with 59 wins in a row


http://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/top-1...s-de-59-succes-de-rang_sto3720923/story.shtml

 

[Tony Manx]

Wins, so far, for ASM, Castres, Agen, Bayonne and Bordeaux.........

Obviously Perpignan, like Biarritz, were more iinterested in next week's semi finals as their team did not look like their best and I expect at least 9 changes to the Biarritz team against Leinster......they showed loads of spirit but so many mistakes were made and blind alleys run. Buruto shows that he can run through people, unfortunately, no one taught him how to hold on to the all in the tackle or to pass it. Good to see Lauret back and hope that he can step up next weekend although he has been out for nearly three months.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Montpellier loose after very dodgey decisions by Mon Poite but still get at least a 6th play-off place, onwards and upwards, Grenoble last 10 mins were on fire and thieved a well deserved victory against leaders Toulon, good to see both Pelissier and Dupont playing well for Grenoble as they will be with us at Montpellier next season.

 

[Tony Manx]

..................after very dodgey decisions by Mon Poite............. .

Zoot alors!!

He is ze best ref in ze all le world n'est pas?

 

[Tony Manx]

Who said French flair gone for ever?

He did not see Estabenz with a little kick and catch over the head of the attackers in his own 22 in the Stade de France today in Stade Francais win over Racing....French rugby still has flair but the present international coaches do not like to see it unless produced by their little favourite at 10 - just a shame that he cannot produce it!!

Good to see Contemponi make a recovery from that awful injury to play in Stade's last home game and we will will try to give him a good send off when they come down here for his final match in a fortnight.

The wins of Grenoble and Bayonne (of all clubs!) overtake the beaten Biarritz as the only movements in the Top 14 table as a result of this weeks games and another defeat against Stade would leave Biarritz in 11th place at the end of the season......which, to be honest, is where they deserve to be! Amlin champions again and almost relegated......interesting times!!

 

[psychic duck]

Would be fitting if Stade beat Perpignan in the Amlin Challenge Cup and Contepomi had his last match in Europe at the ground where he spent most of his domestic career.

Who said French flair gone for ever?

He did not see Estabenz with a little kick and catch over the head of the attackers in his own 22 in the Stade de France today in Stade Francais win over Racing....French rugby still has flair but the present international coaches do not like to see it unless produced by their little favourite at 10 - just a shame that he cannot produce it!!

Any flair Estebanez has is cancelled out by having Wisniewski inside him. Estebanez should get more recognition from France, he would bring something different to the Fritz, David, Fickou type of 6 foot 4 inch centre who just runs straight they keep picking.

 

[Tony Manx]

Would be fitting if Stade beat Perpignan in the Amlin Challenge Cup and Contepomi had his last match in Europe at the ground where he spent most of his domestic career.

Did not realise that he spent most of his career at Aime Giral in Perpignan?

 

[psychic duck]

Final will be at the RDS. I'm sure the Leinster fans there would give Felipe a nice send off.

 

[Draggs]

Would be fitting if Stade beat Perpignan in the Amlin Challenge Cup and Contepomi had his last match in Europe at the ground where he spent most of his domestic career.



Any flair Estebanez has is cancelled out by having Wisniewski inside him. Estebanez should get more recognition from France, he would bring something different to the Fritz, David, Fickou type of 6 foot 4 inch centre who just runs straight they keep picking.

I liked Fabrice. The WC incident/PSA seems to have ended his international career.
Where is he better, first or second five?

 

[Tony Manx]

Final will be at the RDS. I'm sure the Leinster fans there would give Felipe a nice send off.

Yes but they are meeting in the semi......the winner will play Leinster or, less likely, Biarritz who play in Dublin in the other semi.....

 

[FoxyDread]

A note about Premier Sports, too late for this season but the price was around 90pound for a full year, though that might depend on where you are based. It´s good for the other code.

 

[Tony Manx]

A note about Premier Sports, too late for this season but the price was around 90pound for a full year, though that might depend on where you are based. It´s good for the other code.

When they first started showing Top 14, I rang them and asked them who they were. They refused to say who they were owned by or what company had an interest in them but wanted me to pay them £10 per month just to watch Top 14 as they have nothing else that I would want to watch.......in any case, they did not show that many games live and have now stopped showing anything other than, I noted last weekend, a 30 minute highlights summary!

Waste of money as, I understand you know, you can get the programmes streamed albeit with no English commentary but I, would, look upon that as a blessing!!