French rugby 2019/20

[JP14]

Gloucester just couldn’t deal with Elstadt, Gray in the lineout, that was their undoing, Huget was incredibly close to an amazing finish.

[fleabane]

All home wins and this away win should be enough to get out of the pool stage. ( ) The result could be the end of any Gloucester hopes.

[fleabane]

Stade Français coaching team sacked!

Meyer goes immediately, O’Connell at end of season.

Plisson moving immediately to La Rochelle

https://www.programme-tv.net/news/sport ... sur-les-i/

[Robespierre]

This weekend's Top14 fixtures:

Saturday 30th
Racing 92 v Bordeaux Bègles
ASM Clermont Auvergne v Agen
La Rochelle v Castres
Pau v Toulon
Montpellier v Lyon (could the leaders slip up in Montpellier?)

Sunday 1st
Brive v Stade Français (Will SF, 7 points adrift at the bottom, earn a precious win against 12th place Brive?)
Toulouse v Bayonne


Lyon (35 points) and Bordeaux (30 points) are runaway leaders and only 5 points separates 3rd placed Pau and Agen at 13th.
I'll post the results on Monday and we'll see if the table will have opened up a bit.

[Robespierre]

The weekend's results of the Top14:

Racing 92 v Bordeaux Bègles (30-34)
ASM Clermont Auvergne v Agen (30-13)
La Rochelle v Castres (22-13)
Pau v Toulon (9-19)
Montpellier v Lyon (33-8)
Brive v Stade Français (26-21)
Toulouse v Bayonne (45-10)

Standings:
1 Lyon 35 points
2 Bordeaux 34
3 Montpellier 24
4 Toulouse 24
5 Clermont 24
6 Toulon 24
7 La Rochelle 22
8 Brive 22
9 Pau 21
10 Bayonne 21
11 Racing 19
12 Castres 18
13 Agen 16
14 S Français 10

The mid-table is still very tight with only 6 points between 3rd and 12th.

The European Champions Cup is back for the next two weekends with Toulouse playing back-to-back matches with Montpellier!

[Robespierre]

Round 12 was played this last weekend and here are the results:

La Rochelle 40 - 8 Agen
Pau 23 - 27 Bordeaux
Clermont 39 - 22 Castres
Toulouse 13 - 13 Toulon (I've heard that Etzebeth and Parisse were prominent in Toulon's pack)
Lyon 52 - 9 Bayonne
Brive 22 - 44 Racing (Finn Russell in fine form for Racing inflicting Brive's first home defeat in this season's Top14)
Montpellier 20 - 20 Stade Français (precious points for SF who are now only 1 point adrift of Agen)

Table:
1 Bordeaux 42
2 Lyon 40
3Toulon 31
4 Toulouse 30
5 La Rochelle 28
6 Clermont 28
7 Racing 28
8 Montpellier 27
9 Brive 24
10 Pau 23
11 Bayonne 23
12 Castres 23
13 Agen 17
14 SF 16

[Robespierre]

Round 13 in the Top14 was played at the weekend and here are the results:

Toulon have ominously found some recent form and thrashed Castres.
However, another form team, Toulouse, lost heavily to Stade Français, who trade places with Agen at the bottom of the table.
Tigers' opponents in two weeks, Pau, took a thumping at home against La Rochelle.

Agen 12 - 13 Lyon
Racing 27 - 19 Clermont
Bordeaux 22 - 3 Bayonne
Montpellier 29 - 26 Brive
Pau 13 - 44 La Rochelle
Toulon 43 - 3 Castres
S Français 30 - 18 Toulouse

1 Bordeaux 47
2 Lyon 44
3 Toulon 36
4 La Rochelle 33
5 Racing 32
6 Montpellier 31
7 Toulouse 30
8 Clermont 28
9 Brive 25
10 Pau 23
11 Bayonne 23
12 Castres 23
13 S Français 20
14 Agen 18

[JP14]

If things go our way don’t we get Toulon in the quarters? Could be a tough day if we do.

[Robespierre]

If things go our way don’t we get Toulon in the quarters? Could be a tough day if we do.

Isn't it too early to say with two more pool matches to play, home to Cardiff and away to Pau?
Toulon are away to Scarlets and home to Bayonne - neither match should cause them to break into a sweat!
But yes, if Tigers are drawn against Toulon, it'll be tough!

[Mark62]

Toulon should be one of the top 2 seeds, I think we will be 3rd seed thus avoiding them.
Having just seen them dismantle castres , highlights on YouTube, without Estebeth, I would say they must be favourites for the challenge cup, especially with the final being played in the south of France

[Robespierre]

Toulon should be one of the top 2 seeds, I think we will be 3rd seed thus avoiding them.
Having just seen them dismantle castres , highlights on YouTube, without Estebeth, I would say they must be favourites for the challenge cup, especially with the final being played in the south of France

Indeed! Toulon supporters will flock to Marseille in their 000s!

[Robespierre]

New French coach Fabien Galthié has announced his initial squad of 42 players for the 6N.
Notable absentees are Camille Lopez, Yoann Huget and Maxime Médard, and significant inclusions are members of the Under 20 World Cup winning team, like flyhalf Carbonel who may well be preferred to Ntamack who is equally happy at centre.

France Six Nations squad
Forwards:

Dorian Aldegheri (Toulouse), Cyril Baille (Toulouse), Demba Bamba (Lyon), Camille Chat (Racing 92), Anthony Etrillard (Toulon), Jean-Baptiste Gros (Toulon), Mohamed Haouas (Montpellier), Julien Marchand (Toulouse), Jefferson Poirot (Bordeaux-Begles), Cyril Cazeaux (Bordeaux-Begles), Killian Geraci (Lyon), Bernard Le Roux (Racing 92), Boris Palu (Racing 92), Romain Taofifenua (Toulon), Paul Willemse (Montpellier), Gregory Alldritt (La Rochelle), Charles Ollivon (Toulon), Dylan Cretin (Lyon), Francois Cros (Toulouse), Alexandre Fischer (Clermont), Sekou Macalou (Stade Francais), Selevasio Tolofua (Toulouse), Cameron Woki (Bordeaux-Begles)

Backs:

Antoine Dupont (Toulouse), Baptiste Serin (Toulon), Maxime Lucu (Bordeaux-Begles), Romain Ntamack (Toulouse), Louis Carbonel (Toulouse), Mathieu Jalibert (Bordeaux-Begles), Gael Fickou (Stade Francais), Virimi Vakatawa (Racing 92), Arthur Vincent (Montpellier), Julien Heriteau (Toulon), Gervais Cordin (Toulon), Lester Etien (Stade Francais), Gabriel Ngandebe (Montpellier), Damian Penaud (Clermont), Vincent Rattez (La Rochelle), Teddy Thomas (Racing 92), Anthony Bouthier (Montpellier), Kylian Hamdaoui (Stade Francais), Thomas Ramos (Toulouse)

The squad will be reduced to 28 before the opening match against England on February 2nd.
There is some real talent in this squad and I firmly believe that France will be in with chance of winning the title particularly as they have three home games and are away to Wales and Scotland.

Edit: and a new captain in Toulon's Charles Ollivon.

[glenn]

In my mind, this is what France needed to do. Jettison the poor players holding them back and bring in exciting young hungry players who want to play not just get paid.

[JP14]

No Lambey, is he injured or not in form?

[Robespierre]

No Lambey, is he injured or not in form?

I don't think he's played since October due to concussion problems and is about to begin training again.