French rugby 2023/24

[Robespierre]

The new Top14 season begins next weekend, and several clubs will have to make do without their Test players until at least early November, by which time four rounds will have been played.

Here are the fixtures:-

Friday 18th
Bayonne v Toulouse

Saturday 19th
Racing v Union Bordeaux/Bègles
Lyon v Toulon
Castres v Pau
Oyonnax v Clermont
Perpignan v Stade Français

Sunday 20th
Montpellier v La Rochelle

ProD2 also starts on the same weekend and I'll post the opening fixtures shortly.

[Rugbygramps]

Which teams are likely to be hardest hit Robes. No doubt as in the premiership there will be some clubs barely affected

[Robespierre]

Which teams are likely to be hardest hit Robes. No doubt as in the premiership there will be some clubs barely affected

The usual bunch: Toulouse, La Rochelle, Toulon, Lyon, UBB and Racing.

Toulouse will be lucky to come away with something at Bayonne, and the same with La Rochelle at Montpellier

[loretta]

The new Top14 season begins next weekend, and several clubs will have to make do without their Test players until at least early November, by which time four rounds will have been played.

Here are the fixtures:-

Friday 18th
Bayonne v Toulouse

Saturday 19th
Racing v Union Bordeaux/Bègles
Lyon v Toulon
Castres v Pau
Oyonnax v Clermont
Perpignan v Stade Français

Sunday 20th
Montpellier v La Rochelle

ProD2 also starts on the same weekend and I'll post the opening fixtures shortly.

Thanks Robespierre, I’m going to be following Japan around for the pool games and was hoping to get permission from “management” to see a few other games too. As I understand it, the ProD2 will continue through while the Top 14 is suspended on RWC weeks. Is that right?

[Robespierre]

The new Top14 season begins next weekend, and several clubs will have to make do without their Test players until at least early November, by which time four rounds will have been played.

Here are the fixtures:-

Friday 18th
Bayonne v Toulouse

Saturday 19th
Racing v Union Bordeaux/Bègles
Lyon v Toulon
Castres v Pau
Oyonnax v Clermont
Perpignan v Stade Français

Sunday 20th
Montpellier v La Rochelle

ProD2 also starts on the same weekend and I'll post the opening fixtures shortly.

Thanks Robespierre, I’m going to be following Japan around for the pool games and was hoping to get permission from “management” to see a few other games too. As I understand it, the ProD2 will continue through while the Top 14 is suspended on RWC weeks. Is that right?

Good luck with getting your pass signed!
Yes. ProD2 round 1 is next weekend and then every week until Sep 19/20 when there are no matches, then from what I've read there'll be no matches either early Oct or at the end of Oct .

[loretta]

Thanks, might sneak some in if I’m lucky

[Robespierre]

There are some players' names that you'll know who are in ProD2 this season:

Biarritz Olympique - Jonathan Joseph, Zach Kibirige, Billy Searle, Rhys Webb, Charlie Matthews
Grenoble - Terence Hepetema
Agen - Richard Barrington, Jo Maksymiw
Vannes - Valentino Mapaplangi
Dax - Neaphi Leatigaga
Montauban - Semesi Rokoduguni
Brive - Ross Moriarty, Stuart Olding
Soyaux - Angoulème - Ben Botica
Provence - Teimana Harrison, Jimmy Gopperth, Jonny McPhilips
Valence Romans - George Worth
Béziers - Harry Glynn

Round 1 will be played next weekend:

Biarritz v Colomiers
Grenoble v Mont de Marsan
Agen v Brive
Béziers v Soyaux - Angoulème
Vannes v Nevers
Aurillac v Rouen
Dax v Provence
Montauban v Valence-Romans

[Rugbygramps]

Biarritz have some good signings.
Be nice to see them back competing well in the top 14 again as in the days of Yashville and Harry Nordeqy

[Robespierre]

Biarritz have some good signings.
Be nice to see them back competing well in the top 14 again as in the days of Yashville and Harry Nordeqy

Yes, it’d be good to see them back in the Top14, but the competition is going to be tough, but they should be among the favourites for promotion. « Harry Ordinary », as Dayglo once called him, although for me he was an exceptional No8 and far from ordinary.

[Rugbygramps]

Biarritz have some good signings.
Be nice to see them back competing well in the top 14 again as in the days of Yashville and Harry Nordeqy

Yes, it’d be good to see them back in the Top14, but the competition is going to be tough, but they should be among the favourites for promotion. « Harry Ordinary », as Dayglo once called him, although for me he was an exceptional No8 and far from ordinary.

Totally agree about Harry, great player. Remember seeing a piece I think by Eddie Butler, which mentioned that he was identified as a future French player from the age of 14

[Scott1]

Biarritz have some good signings.
Be nice to see them back competing well in the top 14 again as in the days of Yashville and Harry Nordeqy

Yes, it’d be good to see them back in the Top14, but the competition is going to be tough, but they should be among the favourites for promotion. « Harry Ordinary », as Dayglo once called him, although for me he was an exceptional No8 and far from ordinary.

Always remember him giving Horwill a hiding and then throwing his scrum cap back at him. I believe Horwill was assaulted twice by French players in that game

[ourla]

Bayonne edged an error strewn first half but tightened up their game and blew away Toulouse in the second half.

Lopez masterclass at 10.

No doubt Toulouse were massively depleted but they were disappointing nonetheless.

[Robespierre]

Bayonne edged an error strewn first half but tightened up their game and blew away Toulouse in the second half.

Lopez masterclass at 10.

No doubt Toulouse were massively depleted but they were disappointing nonetheless.

Thanks, Ourla. Just seen this result, no real surprise, although I would have hoped for a better performance from the Toulouse players, but Bayonne are a force to be reckoned with at home. I wonder if La Rochelle will do better in Montpellier today?

[LE18]

How is George Worth rated these days, he showed great potential early on at Tigers but faded away, Freddie Steward reminds me of him.

[TigerFeetSteve]

https://twitter.com/jaredwright17/statu ... QAApg&s=19

Got to be a big ban for the player here, O'Gara well within his rights to stand there let the ball hit him to stop the quick throw