French rugby 2019/20

[fleabane]

Pas de problème, Robespierre!

[Robespierre]

Pas de problème, Robespierre!

Merci, mon ami, t’es trop gentil!

[strawclearer]

Pas de problème, Robespierre!

Merci, mon ami, t’es trop gentil!

Prenez une chambre!

[Robespierre]

Pas de problème, Robespierre!

Merci, mon ami, t’es trop gentil!

Prenez une chambre!

Are you practicing for the trip to Pau in January?!!

[Robespierre]

Top14 results and table after round 8:

Montpellier 33 22 Toulouse
Agen 27 14 Stade Français
Brive 30 9 Bordeaux
Pau 37 24 Castres
Toulon 20 9 Bayonne
La Rochelle 12 6 Racing
Clermont 24 15 Lyon (Lyon's first defeat of the season)

Table - Look at the bottom four clubs who've all been champions in recent seasons, and each has lost players to the World Cup!

1 Lyon 30
2 Bordeaux 26
3 Bayonne 21
4 Clermont 20
5 Toulon 18
6 La Rochelle 18
7 Montpellier 17
8 Pau 17
9 Brive 17
10 Agen 16
11 Toulouse 14 (Champions 2018/2019)
12 Castres 14 (Champions 2017/2018)
13 Racing 13 ( Champions 2015/2016)
14 S Français 9 (Champions 2014/2015)

[Robespierre]

Round 9 results:

Lyon 45 - 17 La Rochelle Lyon march on and have a 5 point lead at the top.
S Français 9 - 25 Racing Stade Français are now 7 points adrift at the bottom
Toulon 19- 19 Montpellier
Bayonne 3 - 9 Pau
Bordeaux 23 - 0 Agen
Castres 28 - 26 Brive
Toulouse 34 - 8 Clermont Toulouse had Medard, Ntamack, Guitoune, Huget and Ramos back from Japan.

1 Lyon 35
2 Bordeaux 30
3 Pau 21
4 Bayonne 21
5 Toulon 20
6 Clermont 20
7 Montpellier 19
8 Toulouse 19
9 La Rochelle 18
10 Racing 18
11 Castres 18
12 Brive 18
13 Agen 16
14 S Français 9 (Who'd have thought that SF and Tigers would be propping up their respective league tables?)

No more Top14 until Nov 30/Dec 1.

Champions' League over the next two weekends and here are some key Anglo - French fixtures for next weekend;

Glaws - Toulouse
La Rochelle - Exeter
Clermont - Quins
Northampton - Lyon
Racing - Saracens

[ourla]

Very tight in the main group there.

[Robespierre]

Very tight in the main group there.

Yes, just 5 points separate 3rd and 13th.

[Robespierre]

So Shaun Edwards has been confirmed as defence coach for the French XV! Raphaël Ibañez is the team manager, Fabian Galthié is head coach, William Servat responsible for the scrum and Laurent Labit ( ex coach of Racing) in charge of attack. A first rate coaching team in my opinion, and if more priority is given to the national side rather than the clubs, then the renaissance of Les Bleus is assured! The first match for them in the 6N is home to England and has the makings of a cracker!

[CitizenSmiff]

If reports of the French national team's training habits are to be believed then they're in for an awful shock with Edwards! They don't mess about up Wigan way.

[Robespierre]

If reports of the French national team's training habits are to be believed then they're in for an awful shock with Edwards! They don't mess about up Wigan way.

[CitizenSmiff]

In a good way I meant, he's a very intense individual who gets results.

[JP14]

Hopefully most French players will stick to the training regime and won’t quit, because Les Bleus have a damn good squad.

[Robespierre]

Toulouse have picked a strong 23 for tonight's match at Glaws, only Cheslyn Kolbe is missing. Edit - and Antoine Dupont !

Toulouse: 15. Thomas Ramos; 14. Yoann Huget, 13. Sofiane Guitoune; 12 Romain Ntamack; 11 Maxime Medard; 10. Zack Holmes, 9. Sebastien Bezy; 1. Cyril Baille, 2. Julien Marchand (c), 3. Charlie Faumuina; 4. Florian Verhaeghe, 5. Joe Tekori; 6. Francois Cros; 7. Rynhardt Elstadt, 8. Jerome Kaino.
Replacements: Peato Mauvaka, 17. Clement Castets, 18. Dorian Aldegheri, 19. Richie Gray, 20. Selevasio Tolofua, 21. Alban Placines, 22, Pierre Pages, 23. Lucas Tauzin.

Let's hope they come away with a win.

[Robespierre]

I’m pleased with the win, but after having more or less dominated the second half Toulouse the margin of victory was close. If Polledri had come on sooner, the result may have been different. However, an away win is vital.