Top 14 day 25

[gaston le gaff]

JUST 2 DAYS LEFT OF THIS SEASONS CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE PLAY-OFFS.
La Rochelle need just one point v Montpellier to qualify for a direct place into the semis we have to do a bit more but are sure of at least a home barrage minimum, Clermont in a similar position to us, the rest is still undecided and the results of the last 2 days all imprtant.
There could be some surprise results this weekend as the pressure is on for the teams still not qualified for the play-offs.


Sat, Sun 29/30 April [TABLE="class: classic-table matchs-table hr-link-table"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TH="class: sorting-desc"]
Date [/TH]
[TH="class: text-right, colspan: 2"]Domicile[/TH]
[TH="class: text-center, colspan: 3"]Score[/TH]
[TH="colspan: 2"]Extérieur[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: before"]
[TD="class: cell-date"] 29/04[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-a"] Cas
52
[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-a"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-before-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-score"] 14h45[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-after-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-b"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-b"] ST
7
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: before"]
[TD="class: cell-date"] 29/04[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-a"] SP
32
[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-a"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-before-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-score"] 18h30[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-after-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-b"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-b"] CABCL
27
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: before"]
[TD="class: cell-date"] 29/04[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-a"] ABRP
43
[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-a"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-before-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-score"] 18h30[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-after-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-b"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-b"] FCG
35
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: before"]
[TD="class: cell-date"] 29/04[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-a"] LOU
20
[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-a"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-before-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-score"] 18h30[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-after-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-b"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-b"] ASM
23
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: before"]
[TD="class: cell-date"] 29/04[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-a"] UBB
13
[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-a"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-before-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-score"] 20h45[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-after-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-b"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-b"] RCT
26
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: before"]
[TD="class: cell-date"] 30/04[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-a"] ASR
40
[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-a"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-before-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-score"] 12h30[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-after-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-b"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-b"] MHR
37
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: before"]
[TD="class: cell-date"] 30/04[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-a"] SFP
27
[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-a"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-before-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-score"] 17h00[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-after-score"][/TD]
[TD="class: cell-logo-b"]

[/TD]
[TD="class: cell-team-b"] R92
23
[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

 

[Brushie]

Home wins except I see Racing winning a feisty encounter, Toulon edging past UBB & ASM/Montpellier doing enough to qualify for certain

 

[gaston le gaff]

All home wins for me bar of course Montpellier to win at La Rochelle, and Lyon will beat Clermont to give us direct access to the semis after our last game win v Stade.

 

[JJFlash]

Castres stuff Toulouse 52-7!!

How much longer can Mola and Elissalde cling on to their jobs? On this showing, not much longer!
I'd rather have Jake White on board!!

 

[gaston le gaff]

Castres stuff Toulouse 52-7!!

How much longer can Mola and Elissalde cling on to their jobs? On this showing, not much longer!
I'd rather have Jake White on board!!

Sorry Jakes off to Japan, as he said to me the other day holidays as there are 15 games per season, instead of around 30 odd!! Yes Toulouse are being torn apart whether with a new President they can come back we will have to wait and see. They reckon Mola is staying the rest maybe needs changing, i watched the game and they were never in it, the defence was like paper machee. Lyon nearly did us an enormous favour they went over the line in the 82nd min. only for the ball to be held up and lost 20-23.
One very good piece of news, our girls are French Champions they regained the Bouclier from Lille who they lost it to last season in the same final, under the cosh all match and finishing with 14 on the park they out scored Lille by 2 tries to one but their defence was superb, some very hairy moments and Gaele our hooker and French National Captain finished the game as prop, with a face that looked like she had been hit by a bus. This girl is strong in caracter, no wonder she captains both teams "Bravo les filles".

 

[gaston le gaff]

Well that was close in the end 40-37 to La Rochelle and we had a try disallowed in the dying seconds which would have given us the win, we were domminated most of the game by a very strong mobile pack and we defended for long periods of time but kept leaking points 40-16 with just 15 mins. on the clock, nearly beat "The Great Train Robbery" as the biggest hold up of all time, still not sure but looks like a play-off game at home which is for sure even if we loose v Stade, we are guarenteed that but against who???

 

[Car]

I switched off earlier to watch Formula 1, but obviously, that was too soon, that was closer than expected. The Paris derby was quite nice as well.

 

[gaston le gaff]

yes all very entertaining even a bout of fisty cuffs thrown in with 2 reds in the derby but even though Racing lost i think we will have them at home in the barrages unless something goes very wrong at Clermont v La Rochelle next Sat.

 

[FrenchFan]

How much longer can Mola and Elissalde cling on to their jobs? On this showing, not much longer!

You are misinformed about Mola. He's not responsible for the mess he's inherited. Don't forget that

1. he didn't recruit any of the players he's coaching

2. he has no say in the current in-fighting that has split the Board over Bouscatel's succession

3. 12 players are retiring or leaving this season: Thierry Dusautoir Patricio Albacete, Yacouba Camara, Census Johnston, Vasil Kakovin, Grégory Lamboley, Samuel Marquès, Luke Mc Alister, Alexis Palisson, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Christopher Tolofua, Toby Flood(?) - we haven't just lost a few players. We have lost an entire generation.

The Board is responsible for the current mess. They have been fighting among themselves over both Noves and Bouscatel for last 3 years. We may have a new president this summer and I hope we do. Bouscatel was a great president but he's done his time.

Our recruitment is good if not excellent in some positions. Dupont, Faumuina and Ramos are my picks - great to see a talent from our academy like Thomas Ramos back from Colomiers where he was on loan. He has been the top goal kicker in ProD2 this season.

Madaule is a good Top 14 soldier but he won't replace Dusautoir or Picamoles in the backrow. I can't think of one player right now who could step into Loulou Picamoles boots except Kieran Read.

Lucas Pointud (Brive), Charlie Faumuina (Nouvelle-Zélande), Louis-Benoît Madaule (Bordeaux-Bègles), Antoine Dupont (Castres), Zack Holmes (La Rochelle), Cheslin Kolbe (Afrique du Sud), Thomas Ramos (Colomiers).

 

[JJFlash]

You are misinformed about Mola. He's not responsible for the mess he's inherited. Don't forget that

1. he didn't recruit any of the players he's coaching

2. he has no say in the current in-fighting that has split the Board over Bouscatel's succession

3. 12 players are retiring or leaving this season: Thierry Dusautoir Patricio Albacete, Yacouba Camara, Census Johnston, Vasil Kakovin, Grégory Lamboley, Samuel Marquès, Luke Mc Alister, Alexis Palisson, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Christopher Tolofua, Toby Flood(?) - we haven't just lost a few players. We have lost an entire generation.


The Board is responsible for the current mess. They have been fighting among themselves over both Noves and Bouscatel for last 3 years. We may have a new president this summer and I hope we do. Bouscatel was a great president but he's done his time.

True, all these players are leaving at the end of the season, but they must be held partly responsible for this disastrous season.

But will Bouscatel go? Hasn't he said that he wishes to stay? Whatever, but finally the buck stops at those responsible for the team's results, and Bouscatel will say that it ain't him, so the heads of Mola and Elissalde are more likely to roll.

 

[FrenchFan]

Not quite. He said he will go if Didier Lacroix (ex-player and current Board member) is elected as president. However he will run again if Hervé Lecomte is the only candidate. It's a fight to the bitter end as the Board is split between Lacroix and Lecomte. Who will win? I've no idea.

The Board is responsible because they didn't prepare for NOves succession. And Bouscatel's succession is dragging. There is uncertainty and a lack of leadership.

Many players are leaving/retiring which only makes things worse. The attitude of some said it all. They know they're leaving. They forgot about respect for the jersey. Camara is eyeing his huge pay packet at his next club. Did he forget who made him? how many caps is he going to get if he sits on the bench?

There's a big question mark over Pelous role. What has he done? does the club need him in his current position as DOR?

The buck stops with the Board. THEY make all the appointments. Mola didn't appoint or recruit anyone. Sacking him now without affording him a real chance when Noves had a free run for 20yrs would be short-sighted.

 

[JJFlash]

I understand that Elissalde will not be the backs coach next season.
Who will replace him? Ntamack?

 

[gaston le gaff]

possible as he is free from UBB, and he has his sons playing at Toulouse, as far as Elisssalde goes, someone had to pay for the bad season, he may not be the only only. Hopefully for them they should be able to put away Bayonne this weekend and then they are on holidays.