Top 14 Day 5

[Tony Manx]

Friday, 14th​

Montpellier v Toulon 20.50

Saturday 15th​

USAP v Toulouse 15.00
Agen v Grenoble 18.30
Bayonne v Racing 18.30
Castres v Biarritz 18.30
Mont de M v Clermont 18.30
Bordeaux v Stade F. 20.40

Montpellier face up to the leaders (for the second week on the trot) and need to put in a big improvement if they are to beat a rampant Toulon side. Home advantage will keep them in the game but feel an away win - just - will be the result. Toulouse will defeat a misfiring USAP in Barcelona (I believe?), tightest game of the week will see Grenoble run Agen close and Bayonne will have a hard job keeping Racing from the bonus point.

Biarritz have made several changes and are resting a number of players but welcome back Dane Haylett-Petty from injury who will tighten up the defence in the centre. Baby replaces Brew on the wing and this is going to be a weak link, with Perylongue back at 10 and Barraque, whom he replaced at half time after a number of penalty misses, wrongly benched! Castres will as always be hard to beat on their own turf and am going to be happy with a losing bonus point here. Meanwhile, Clermont and Stade should not have too many problems and, if there is going to be an upset here, it will be at Boardeaux.

 

[Tony Manx]

Anyone watching the Montpellier game? Just had the try of the season by Toulon.......incroyable!!

 

[ZeFrenchy]

pm me a link please!

 

[Tony Manx]

Check yr message!

 

[Tony Manx]

Michalk......wins as many as he loses was my last quote.............just made another super try and is having a stonking game!! 15 32 after 65 mins and MHR are not playing badly at al and their back row are superb!

 

[Tony Manx]

Two very good tries each and a final score of 25 to 32 leaves MHL with the bonus point they so deserved but drama right to the final second for them to get that including, at the end of the match, a kick from just inside the Toulon half hitting the post, catch by MHL and after a number of rucks another penalty!! Very enjoyable.......

 

[Tony Manx]

Moving the match to the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona paid off with a very strong win over Toulouse even if it was only about a third full.......USAP scored five tries to two of Toulouse who have never played as poorly when I have seen them! Strong showing by Strokosh, Narroway and Houghton with Hook making some of his kicks (but far from a "Lions" performance from him) Great game!! Final score 34-20

 

[Tony Manx]

Racing and Agen cruise to wins and so, in reality, did Castres who showed up the true lack of depth in skill in the BO second stringers and all the old failings were obvious...poor tactical kicking from Perylongue/Balshaw, non existent tackling from especially Baby/Buruto, too many basic errors, too many penalties resulting in two yellows at the same time (Castres also had two but in the 71st minute and it was just the ref evening things up when it did not matter!) and strange substitutions. There were also too many unfit players in Guyot/Erik Lund/Haylett Petty and there was really little in the way of leadership!! That being said, Castres were fully committed and deserved their points! Racing next week in Paris and then Bayonne (a), Toulon (h) and ASM (a)..............!!