Top14 Semi-Finals

[DonBilly]

The semi finals, Biarritz Olympique - USA Perpignan and Stade Français - Stade Toulousain will be played respectively on Friday at Montpellier and on Saturday at Lyon.

The Top14 final will be played on the 10th of June.

 

[DonBilly]

Probable teams:

Biarritz :
Johnston, Lecouls, Balan, Noirot, August, Couzinet, Thion, Olibeau, Betsen, Dusautoir, Harinordoquy, Lièvremont, Yachvili, Dupuy, Peyrelongue, Bobo, Gobelet, Arramburu, Traille, Bidabé, Brusque, Dambielle.

Perpignan :
Freshwater, Debaty, Mas, Konieck, Tincu, Hines, Gaston, Alvares-Kairelis, Robertson, Goutta, Le Corvec, Tonita, Durand, Dupuy, Edmonds, N.Laharrague, Manas, Bourret, Marty, Grandclaude, Hume, J.Laharrague.

Toulouse :
Poux, Human, Hasan, Bru, Lacombe, Pelous, Millo-Chlusky, Lamboley/Brennan Bouilhou, Nyanga, I.Maka, F.Maka, Elissalde, Michalak, Dubois, Heymans, Clerc, Medard, Jauzion, Fritz, Garbajosa, Poitrenaud.

Paris :
Marconnet, De Villiers, Roncero, Szarzewksi, Kayser, Auradou, James, Du Plooy, Parisse, Rabadan, Ma.Bergamasco, Sowerby, Fillol, Pichot, Penaud, Saubade, Hernandez, Dominici, Skrela, Messina, Liebenberg, Mi.Bergamasco.[/b]

[url="http://forum.planet-rugby.co...anet-rugby.com/index.php?t=...t=0#msg_1153986[/url]

 

[harrison2468]

How has Freshwater been playing this year Don?

 

[DonBilly]

He was very good the first half of the season and that's why I guess he played the 6 Nation for England. On the second part of the season he was more ordinary and I think that he was out due to injuries.

Anyway the SF played tomorow evening will be a real chock of two big packs. Biarritz won in Perpignan if they manage to keep the ball they should qualify otherwise the Perpigna halves and centre could castigate the BO.

The other forward player to follow is Debaty. He's from Belgium but chnage his citizenship to French an plays now for the U21 France side. This guy is a colossus very strong. He can become one of the best French props with Attoub of Castre.

 

[DonBilly]

The end of the French domestic season is approaching, still a week and the Brennus shield may have to move from Biarritz to Toulouse, Perpignan or Paris.

 

[DonBilly]

Biarritz have won the first semifinal versus Perpignan 12 - 9. No try, the defenses were very hermetic.

I hope that Toulouse and Paris play a more opened game.

 

[DonBilly]

Toulouse won (12 - 9) although they were dominated by Paris from the beginning till the end. They managed to score almost every time they entered in Paris half. Paris decided to play several line-outs rather kicking the penalties, it's easy now to guess what are Galthié's nightmares....

So the final will be on next Saturday afternoon (not in the evening as usual due to the FIFA WC) while the rest of the Rugby world will be playing test Rugby the French will all be concentrated on this final which will designate the holder of the Brennus shield for a year:

Biarritz or Toulouse?

 

[Black-Monday]

I would say Biarritz, they can be monsters around the breakdown and with crash ball. Of the two game I saw of Toulouse they looked like a team of stars playing like stars usuallu do together. Crap.

The line out may be a good fighting ground.

BM

 

[harrison2468]

Originally posted by Black-Monday@Jun 8 2006, 10:34 AM
Of the two game I saw of Toulouse they looked like a team of stars playing like stars usuallu do together. Crap.

Have you had your head buried in the sand for the last three years? Toulouse won although playing bad - a sign of a good team, and if you have seen some of the tries Toulouse's stars have scored in recent years, then that comment just makes no sense.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nNYcReoXijs&search=%20rugby

Just for proof.