Top 14 2014/15 Season

[FrenchFan]

. I also think with the TOP 14 losing BO and USAP who had the finances to buy in big players had they survived, there are 4/5 teams Lyon, Oyonnax, La Rochelle, Brive and maybe Grenoble who will find the going tough this season and the 2 teams to go down will come from these 5 i think.

yep, add Bayonne to that list.They're gonna go down...

 

[FrenchFan]

well best of luck to Montypellier. The Top 14 is getting tougher and tougher literally every single year, by large noticeable chunks. This year in particular will be very interesting.
Clermont are reinforced, Toulon got some upgrades themselves despite Wilko's departure, Montypellier and Toulouse still right in the mix near the top, Castres the eternally underestimated club, Racing and Stade Frugalité are right there and can surprise everyone at any given time. Oyonnax are no joke, the LOU is back and mark an exciting return to the Top 14. Bordeaux looks fierce, Brive are no joke...and the rest aren't exactly useless either.

Toulon Montpellier Castres Racing SF Clermont are the leaders. Don't see Toulouse in it.
Bayonne Brive to go down.
Lyon Surprise package

 

[gaston le gaff]

Toulon Montpellier Castres Racing SF Clermont are the leaders. Don't see Toulouse in it.
Bayonne Brive to go down.
Lyon Surprise package

I think you may have to eat your words about Bayonne!!!!!! and as far as the French internationals are concerned we all knoow the state of the players i know every single one of our players and know their strenghs and weakness's, but we are always going back to same old story Top 14 V PSA and the FFR, and until its sorted which probably never, things are not going to change.The presidents who put there own money into the TOP 14 teams want results and silverware if possible its that easy.
As far as the coaches are concerned you cannot put the Racing coaches in the same bag as Bernie le Dingue, no competition but he took a whole season and lots of Boujellal money to get results and along with Galthie is by far streets ahead of everyone else, France will have to wait till at least 2017 for Galthie if it ever happens but i have a sneaky feelibg it may well. anyway good to see you back as replying to BE posts all by myself was less interesting than having several guys posting.

 

[FrenchFan]

yeah i could be wrong about Bayonne. Its so hard to call. They'll be quite a few candidates for a return to ProD2. I think the basques miss out on a real opportunity to merge and become a force again. I can't see the basque country featuring much in the Elite. They're going to struggle as a rugby region unfortunately.

sure you know your players and i know the Toulouse guys here should not have travelled. I had Mas and Picamoles in the 'Should be rested', and who was right again?
Picamoles could be a big injury issue for the club as he's delayed getting treatment on his hip and this is stupid going into a WC year. If his hip flares up again I can see him miss out on a good chunk of the season and risk his place for the WC. He should have used the June window to get treatment.

Of the 7 Toulouse players that travelled, only Tolofua Fickou were truly fit. No wonder the series was a washout.

I think Laporte is a great coach. I dont know how he gets these guys to play together but he does. I'd like him to become the next president of FFR. Only him could shake the tree and get things in motion. You know for Galthie to get the job a big change "at the top" would be needed.

 

[gaston le gaff]

Bernie is going to stand for President or so he says, there will be opposition but i dont know how many will support him but i think he would be fine if he was elected he was sports minister for over a year which is excellent training, and then you could well see a Galthie arriving around 2017 the 2 of them together could be Dynamite and the kick up the rectum that French International rugby needs. The WC is a forgone conclusion of disaster for France but thats acceptable for the situation its in at the moment. Many have talked about reducing the TOP 14 to 12 but not sure thats a great idea, the summer tests should go its one to many in a season that is near as dam it now 12 months a year. This new 30 man squad is Boll**** and will never work, the clubs need there players for all or nearly all there games FTD played about 30% more minutes last season than most, its a good job he was not picked or he would have been dead on his feet by end of June. Honestly i could see a Bernie and Galthie as a duo running the show but it would put an awful lot of FFR officials noses out of joint though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and France would have one hell of a chance of winning a WC with those 2 in place, Galthie can stay where he lives now and still coach the French team from Paris.

 

[FrenchFan]

put it this way, the clubs that will compete for the top spots this coming season will be the one with the smallest numbers of french internationals.

This is why i'm ruling out my own club. I cannot see how we can be both competitive in Top 14 and Europe while missing up to 7 key players. It's no longer possible. Toulouse is going to struggle this season.

The only way to mount a serious challenge in both competitions would be to have all hands on deck, with only 2 or 3 max players in selection. No more.

I agree about FTD, one of the reasons he was best outhalf of the season was because he could focus 100% on his club and not be bothered by les bleus.

 

[gaston le gaff]

There are still clubs that cannot compete on both fronts whether they have Internationals selected or not and from what i have seen and heard lots of the players are no longer that keen to be anywhere near PSA and Paris!!!!! Lots of the clubs will look at the Euro Cuo as purely finacial benefit and they will go as far as possible to gain monies which always helps the clubs move forward, and i doubt very much who can stand up alongside Toulon and that means all the teams in Europe and not just in France.

 

[FrenchFan]

yes i have heard similar reports here as well and no less from our own players. PSA lost the players support on that tour. No doubt.

He has created a TOXIC environment few players could thrive in. That's all he's done. Sure any international wants to go to the WC but not like that.

Look at JM Doussain who was our best player last season and didn't enjoy his time - every time Noves had to pick up the pieces and build Jean Marc's confidence back up again

Bernie le dingue is taking Camous to his word about leaving after his 2nd mandate, and the sooner that old fossile is gone the better - they're going to make it as difficult as possible for Bernie to run for president. They'll have their own internal candidate. It's all stiched up. This is what you get with a totally corrupt system.

Bernie has some great political connections from his time as secretary of state, he is going to need them because these clowns are going to cling to power like barnacles - I can't see any change happening unless they elect a president who is ready to rock the boat and bring innovation into the system.

 

[gaston le gaff]

This is all true that all the old farts want to hang on to their jobs but, the results are not there for years the same has been going on but with results which were at the very least acceptable, now it's not the case, so things will change Camou knows he has to go and there will be in house fighting everyone trying to keep their own slice of the cake, with Bernies success at Toulon and if he puts in a super serious option as the only candidate worthy its going to be difficult to do something different. Plus he has clout in high places, higher than the FFR to be precise, i think it will be interesting as it unfolds but you can say goodbye to the WC this time around that's for sure. PSA has broken Doussain, Pellissier, Bonneval will not be far off if the idiocies continue, Le Boris another just to mention a few and the club coaches have to pick up the pieces and re install confidence, these players are still kids, and one by one PSA is beaking them, instead of bringing them up to International level in a clear and intelligent manner.

 

[Big Ewis]

anyway good to see you back as replying to BE posts all by myself was less interesting than having several guys posting.

well, I never !!

And yeah agreed with everything said here, read it all, no issues...
Just on Toulouse: I think Noves' style may be somewhat obsolete at this point or somehow not with its time. He's got fantastic players, and barring a shiitty scrum has nothing to complain about. But the inconsistency Toulouse has shown these past two years are symptomatic of something more than just the old 'we have too many players who play test Rugby and are tired' argument. Look at the Connacht home game as the paradigm for this. Toulouse were looking to merely overpower their visitors easily and didn't commit to any aspect of the game, almost whatsoever. They were lazy at the rucks, with the attacking schemes and passing. And they barely even started waking up late in the game. This is Connacht spoiling your pool stage at home, and you're not even fkd to react soon and seriously enough.
Then, the massacre in Munster in the 1/4F. Players were most probably less fresh than the local Irish club, but that isn't nearly the whole excuse: we were soft at the breakdown, they were much hungrier; we were downright pathetic on defense, remember that Zebo try when he stops for 2 seconds and just casually jogs in a try on like 3 defenders ? You've got to be kiddin' me. These guys were trash every once in a while, and that's the whole culture of the team, and the coach is obviously very much concerned by that.
Toulouse were lackluster as hell and downright annoying to look at in their T14 1/4F. Fritz gets knocked the fk out, looks like he's gone in a coma, and Noves yells at him to play. It was a little shambolic and 'bordélique' if you will this year.
Toulouse couldn't win a single game on the road, while every other notable team did it.

And btw, ST do have some attacking in them. I've said it before, they managed to put high scores past a number of clubs this year, and if one actually saw the games, that backline looked mighty fine when operating at a high level. Even with Beauxis on, Toulouse has looked sharp as hell on attack when they "wanted".
Toulouse beat the Saracens in both fixtures, who were no scrubs this year, went on (with a little luck) to the H Cup final - and about Connacht again of course smashed them in the away game as we all remember. So if Toulouse wants, Toulouse owns.

There's clearly a motivation problem, something along those lines. I dunno, can't claim I have the answer, I have no actual knowledge of what goes on behind the curtains there, in the locker rooms and all...

 

[gaston le gaff]

There are people saying Noves has had his day but Toulouse have had one bad season and when i say bad it was not their usual in comparison to some, Toulouse's season was good USAP and BO had bad seasons, i'm sure the powers that are installed in Toulouse will give Noves continual support but if this season turns out much the same then maybe just maybe changes will happen, even Sir Alex stepped down but it was probably his own choice. The age thing is definetly a disadvantage to Noves as todays rugby has no similarities to 20yrs ago, but i sure he knows that very well, i'll give him at least another season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

your new big boy gaston:


Interesting to see your typical prop's physique there: powerful shoulders and bust, thick legs, stocky/short-ish, cauliflower ears stickin' out...yep, he's a prop.

 

[gaston le gaff]

met him a couple of weeks ago and was a real happy bunny to be in Montypellier, and looking forward to the seaso they are all in Tignes until this weekend then its down to the serious week in week out, until May/June next year. If you see the guy behind him on the right ( beard and gut) dont ask what position he plays he does not he's Dede the kit man!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

hehehe...could've been a prop during the older days maybe, the ones we called "cassoulet" props back in ze day...yeah that pic was taken in Tignes. Attoub of course is of Tunisian, Kabile origin. They make for good props, some of those Maghrebian guys. They've got the right frames for props.

But that's the guy I'm really eager to see play in MP (left of the ball handler):

 

[gaston le gaff]

Well that's either Benjy Fall or Steffon Glas but I think you mean the former sans doute

 

[Big Ewis]

yeh, was talkin about Fall. Just read Pascal Papé's interview online...I really do not like saying this, and don't wish to be mean, but it's honestly pitiful and heart-wrenching to hear those Bleus talk about their group. They're really like fish in a bowl, and can't see past that bowl. I'm sure some of them have notions they're being coached by jokes of a staff, and there's just something really wrong, and "toxic" as FrenchFan says about the whole operation every single time they've got together to play test Rugby. But for the most part, all those guys keep talking about is how scrutiny and hefty criticism is only oil to their fire, and more motivation to prove everybody wrong...

It's funny because this is all so familiar, isn't it ? Of course, the hole was never dug so deep and the failure has never been "apocalyptic", but France still isn't quite entirely useless yet. They can actually still beat good teams - more recently England, or the Ireland game which they obviously lost but should've won (right, Pascal ?).

Honestly, watching the last tour in Australia, if the Top 14 didn't have so many foreigners I'd think France are just behind in terms of skill and pace; which we are, to some extent. But Fofana, Huget, Bonneval and co. know that SH style, they have to cope with it every day.
Also, France did produce two fine games just last year in New Zealand territory and really weren't catastrophic in Test 2 either despite losing by 30, and then most certainly gave the All-Blacks a game in Paris, and yes they played well, it wasn't catching the All-Blacks off guard or anything. They were absolutely suffocating, best defense I'd seen the whole 2013 year, and laborious and irregular but still present on attack.
Since PSA won't leave, France just need to find it within themselves to go out and steal a win from an organized, well coached squad.
I do still believe, call me crazy or downright stupid, France have that big game in them at the next WC somewhere. They won't put 40+ pts on NZ, but they've got enough quality on paper and the pressure will be just excruciatingly high enough for them to produce that performance.

 

[FrenchFan]

There are people saying Noves has had his day but Toulouse have had one bad season and when i say bad it was not their usual in comparison to some, Toulouse's season was good USAP and BO had bad seasons, i'm sure the powers that are installed in Toulouse will give Noves continual support but if this season turns out much the same then maybe just maybe changes will happen, even Sir Alex stepped down but it was probably his own choice. The age thing is definetly a disadvantage to Noves as todays rugby has no similarities to 20yrs ago, but i sure he knows that very well, i'll give him at least another season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe Noves has done his time. But that's not the issue atm. People can't see the forest for the trees.

We can't perform in both competitions missing on average 5 up to 7 players. It is no longer possible.

If a new coach were to come in, he would be faced with exactly the same issue. Not much he can do with several of his key players missing at various stages.

 

[Big Ewis]

.....so Toulouse's problem is just they have a lot of players playing outside the Top 14 ?.............

 

[FrenchFan]

This is all true that all the old farts want to hang on to their jobs but, the results are not there for years the same has been going on but with results which were at the very least acceptable, now it's not the case, so things will change Camou knows he has to go and there will be in house fighting everyone trying to keep their own slice of the cake, with Bernies success at Toulon and if he puts in a super serious option as the only candidate worthy its going to be difficult to do something different. Plus he has clout in high places, higher than the FFR to be precise, i think it will be interesting as it unfolds but you can say goodbye to the WC this time around that's for sure. PSA has broken Doussain, Pellissier, Bonneval will not be far off if the idiocies continue, Le Boris another just to mention a few and the club coaches have to pick up the pieces and re install confidence, these players are still kids, and one by one PSA is beaking them, instead of bringing them up to International level in a clear and intelligent manner.

I wouldn't go that far to say he broke them. I saw Jean Marc and he is in fine form. Missing out on the June tour did him a world of good.
Don't forget he was voted player of the season by the fans here, not an easy one to get with so many good players around. He has had an excellent season. There's no other player like him in Top14. I don't know any one who can successfuly cover both 9 and 10 like he does. He was sensational in some games. He won us games with man of the match displays last season I don't know how many times. When Mc Alister got injured, he was there for the club.

PS the irony about the Toulousains who had to travel is that 5 out of the 7 that travelled were not fit. But the ones that stayed and went on holiday like Jean Marc were all fit and available for selection...

Don't worry about Pelissier and Bonneval, they're fine. Pelissie hasn't been picked enough anyway ;=) They have good support at their club. Once again it's always the club players coach and all the people around the team that pick up the pieces and get the players back on their feet.

 

[FrenchFan]

.....so Toulouse's problem is just they have a lot of players playing outside the Top 14 ?.............

as long as Toulouse continue to pay a heavy toll to the navy blues then we can't be as competitive as we did in both Top 14 & H Cup. That's no longer possible. This is the lesson from the last 2 seasons.