It took me some time to recover from the jet lag – a trip to the USA - and more time to recover from the humiliating defeat Stade Français had to suffer in Toulon. This is why I failed to post on the French Top 14.So as it stands :
1 Clermont 35
2 Toulouse 32
3 Castres 31
4 Toulon 28
5 Agen 24
6 Racing Métro 21
7 Perpignan 18
8 Brive 18
9 Stade Français 16
10 Bayonne 15
11 Montpellier 14
12 Bordeaux-Bègles 13
13 Lyon 12
14 Biarritz 10
Clermont are walking on water. The absence of their iconic captain Aurélien Rougerie during the RWC did not hurt at all. New players such as ex-tiger Benjie Kayser have proven their worth, including rookies who come from the club’s academy. Now guess who is going to suffer from the Auvergnat vigour at the Stade de France on Saturday? Yes, poor Stade Français.
Toulouse have the personnel to complete their 19th title, all the qualified observers are persuaded of this. Yet during the 9th day of top 14 a bold team managed to get a LBP from them in their very stadium of Ernest Wallon. Guess who? Stade Français of course
Castres were good last season and are good this season. Some sore losers may remark that : they score no tries but are always ahead due to the qualities of their chief boots Cockott and Teulet. So it takes penalties for them to score and one may also remark that their President is also president of the French Professional League and has authority on the referees. But then, those sore losers…
Wilko is back, so Toulon is feeling better even though their last victories failed to be convincing. But the public at Mayol stadium will remember that they suffered a humiliating 0-17 against Clermont earlier this season.
Agen are a surprise, they play well with a great pack and notably a fiery third row. Has to be seen over the distance…
Racing Métro : all the kids at their rugby school pronounce it the French way “Racigne”, which should humble them a bit. Claim to be Parisian. Pah! Like the Not Nots! Scored a very convincing win against Castres, due to a solo effort of their Fidjian winger Wakatawa.
Perpignan: Ouch! They hurt! The return of some internationals (Guirado, Mermoz etc.) will perhaps do them some good. Coach Delmas might be replaced by a lonely Lievremont.
Brive : had up and downs, notably a good old defeat in Paris at the hands of Julien Dupuy who is a genius.
Stade Français. Ooooooh my poor Stade Français! After a good win or two, they stuttered their rugby to the point that one might be asking if the players were conscious of forming a team. Kelleher and Paul Sackey seem to be in an early retirement scheme, new recruits fumble the ball. Fortunately the return of the international squad with the ever brilliant Tom Palmer, Sergio “King” Parisse, Dimitri Szarzewski, Pascal “the horse” Papé seem to have bolstered the back and we got a very good LBP in Toulouse, a feat few can claim. Dupuy is a genius and the pack is increasingly strong. We’re getting there, go on the boys!
Bayonne : invested a lot of money but now the investors are asking for results. Next day is the Basque derby, postponed because of an outbreak of mumps. Beat Toulouse at the beginning of the season then nothing.
Montpellier are hoping that their internationals are going to rescue them: the ferocious Georgian Mamuka Gorgodze, Les Bleus fly-half François Trinh Duc, flanker Fulgence Ouedraogo.
Bordeaux Bègles: the newly promoted team doesn’t want to go back down that easily. Managed to beat Racigne. Are full of hope. Were thrashed 56-6 by Toulouse.
Lyon: are struck by the mumps epidemic, so had a few games cancelled. They seem to be willing to strike back, so far they managed to beat poor Stade Français.
Biarritz: where is Biarritz now? Thrashed by Toulouse, humiliated by ASM Clermont Auvergne (41-0) they expect a lot from the return of their internationals, notably Yachvili and Harinordoquy. Else they’re bound downwards.
