Top 14 - Match Day 1

[Feicarsinn]

The Northern Hemisphere season begins this weekend with the commencement of the French Top 14. No doubt the early season favourites will be looking to gain some early momentum in their hunt for play off spots, while the newly promoted sides will be aiming to make a statement of intent regarding their survival prospects in one of the most competitive competitions in world rugby. Round 1 throws up some good clashes with Toulouse taking on local rivals Castres and Perpignan hosting big-spenders and last year's runners-up Toulon.
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Round 1 Fixtures:

Friday:

V

​

Toulouse vs Castres @ Toulouse, 21:00

Saturday:

​

V

Bayonne vs Clermont @ Bayonne, 15:00

​

V

Agen vs Racing Metro @ Agen, 18:30

V

Biarritz vs Mont-de-Marsan @ Biarritz, 18:30

V

Bordeaux Begles vs Grenoble @ Begles, 18:30

V

Stade Francais vs Montpellier @ Paris, 18:30

V

Perpignan vs Toulon @ Perpignan, 20:40


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All given times are local.

 

[dudeabides]

As you mentioned those are the big two everybody will be watching. Could go either way. But two that I'm confident in winning are Biarritz and Stade both playing at home, and having done well in the preseason (for what they are worth).

 

[Tony Manx]

Toulouse, Clermont, Racing, BOPB, Bordeaux, Stade and Perpignan to win...............Castres and Toulon to replace BOPB and Bordeaux of the winners to form the Top 6 at the end of the season with maybe Montpellier replacing Stade once and if they get their argies and injured back in time!

Look how closely (apart from Castres and USAP) this follows who has the money!!............................2012/3 budgets with previous two seasons to compare:

Toulouse M 34.97 EUR 33.18 EUR 29.53 M EUR MClermont M 25.52 EUR 24.16 EUR 20.89 M EUR MFrench stage 22.81 M 21.27 M EUR M EUR 19.28 EURToulon EUR 21.84 M 19.67 M 19.05 M EUR EURRacing-Metro 21.74 M 22.38 M EUR M EUR 18.94 EURBayonne EUR 17.96 M 17.22 M 15.75 M EUR EURMontpellier EUR 17.51 ​​M 17.22 M 15.01 M EUR EURBiarritz EUR 17.33 M 16.61 M 15.39 M EUR EURCastres EUR 15.61 M 15.12 M 13.94 M EUR EURGrenoble 14.90 M EUR M EUR 8.94 (*) 7.45 million EUR (*)Perpignan EUR 14.47 M 15.32 M 14.08 M EUR EURAgen 13.19 M 11.93 M EUR M EUR 9.81 EURBordeaux-Begles 11.93 M EUR M EUR 8.00 EUR 5.43 millionMont-de-Marsan M EUR 6.23 EUR 3.97 million (*) EUR 4.45 million (*)

Interesting that BO have kept their income from Cap Gemini albeit that the Chairman of Cap Gemini who was the 45% previous owner of BOPB has given his shares to ex players and resigned!

Not sure where BOPB is this season and what has changed from last as the signings are not that strong and there remains a big reliance on the academy players who, admittedly, are a year older and are showing huge promise!

The friendlies are totally inconclusive having had a run out against Agen, a reasonable game against Bayonne and no game at all against Newport!

Berquist, the big hope to fill the 10 spot (that has been vacant for a number of years) has not played in any of the friendlies due to yet another injury.....Leinster followers will know all about that!! However, the reports of the scrum and defence are good so feel that we will be fighting top 6 rather than bottom three this season and H Cup will, as usual, remain the top priority both for progression in it this season and qualification for following season! A win this and next week to put them in good form for the following week at home to ST (and I will be there by that match) the week after are essential!

 

[thomond2006]

Absolutely sucks that ESPN have jacked in their Top14 coverage, plus Setanta have got rid too.

TV5, channel 799 on Sky, will have a highlights show at 11:10am on Sunday Morning, called "jour de rugby".

 

[Surefire]

Absolutely sucks that ESPN have jacked in their Top14 coverage, plus Setanta have got rid too.

TV5, channel 799 on Sky, will have a highlights show at 11:10am on Sunday Morning, called "jour de rugby".

This does suck. My Saturdays were much better watching a match replay on ESPN3. This was the only way I could watch Top14.

 

[Draggs]

Rory you biscuit! Lovely try and Castres are back in front.
15-19, another Toulouse player in the bin.

Oh I do love it when Top14 matches disintegrate to yellow card displays. Castres now down to 14.

 

[Tony Manx]

23/22 to ST..........Tight game but what was that yellow for Toulouse all about...............he held the 9 shirt and was adjudged to be a serious high tackle?!!

One thing this shows is that Castres will be there or thereabouts this season again!

 

[psychic duck]

Saturday Results:

Perpignan 15-21 Toulon (all points penalties and drop goals)

Bayonne 6-13 Clermont

Biarritz 35-10 Mont-doomed-Marsan

Agen 20-24 Racing-Métro (all Racing points penalties and drop goals)

Stade Français 32-16 Montpellier (sans 6 Argentines)

Bordeaux-Bègles 28-29 Grenoble

 

[Feicarsinn]

Saturday Results:

Perpignan 15-21 Toulon (all points penalties and drop goals)

Bayonne 6-13 Clermont

Biarritz 35-10 Mont-doomed-Marsan

Agen 20-24 Racing-Métro (all Racing points penalties and drop goals)

Stade Français 32-16 Montpellier (sans 6 Argentines)

Bordeaux-Bègles 28-29 Grenoble

I have no sympathy for Montpellier. If you build a team around players who aren't going to be available for large parts of the season and you don't have adequate replacements then you can't make excuses when you lose. I remember they had very much the same sob story after the World Cup last year. All the other teams have to abide by the same rules, so I don't see why we should make excuses for them. In any case, I dislike the idea of a French side playing 6 players from another single nation.

Nice to see Toulon and Racing sticking to their unique style of play, eh?

 

[psychic duck]

I have no sympathy for Montpellier. If you build a team around players who aren't going to be available for large parts of the season and you don't have adequate replacements then you can't make excuses when you lose. I remember they had very much the same sob story after the World Cup last year. All the other teams have to abide by the same rules, so I don't see why we should make excuses for them. In any case, I dislike the idea of a French side playing 6 players from another single nation.

They'll no doubt compensate for the loss of their Argentines by preventing their Georgian/Fijian/Samoan players playing for their nation.

Nice to see Toulon and Racing sticking to their unique style of play, eh?

I would have thought there would have been a few more tries considering it was over 30 degrees in the South of France today.

 

[Black_Magic]

I watched Toulouse - Castres and Perpignan - Toulon. Much too many errors in those matches, I can only hope that this is a first game after a long break syndrome. The standard of both matches wasn't exactly high, but maybe I got too used to Super Rugby Both tries in Toulouse - Castres were nice, especially Kockott's.
Perpignan really deserved to win, but when they finally got within three points after half an hour in Toulon's half, Wilkinson kicked a drop goal on the very next possesion and that was it. Pity for the Catalans, but they have to work on their error-rate, especially ball handling. One of my favourite front row players, Taumalolo, already got himself into some shoving in his first game in France, I'd rather he showed some of his master skills at try-scoring!

 

[Tony Manx]

Can we end the season here please.......................BO on top with only attacking bonus point of the round!!

 

[welshglory]

Can anyone comment on how Hook played for Perpignan?

 

[Tony Manx]

From what I saw of the game, he was fairly average in an average game!

 

[Draggs]

Can anyone comment on how Hook played for Perpignan?

I've heard he was decent, as Tony said. Start of the season and all that. He had some good moments in the preseason, based on the reports.

 

[Black_Magic]

Can anyone comment on how Hook played for Perpignan?

He was ok, though as mentioned - the match was rather mediocre it has to be said. But he was involved in every Perpignan attack (and they spent almost the entire second half attacking) and in my opinion he distributed the ball well.
Actually I'm not a big fan of Wales, but Hook is one of my favourite players from your country. I just think he can't be the first choice for kicking! Otherwise, he's a good ball distributor and a really good attacking player, I'd even consider moving him to the wing for some games (hasn't he already played at 11 a few times?).

 

[Draggs]

He was ok, though as mentioned - the match was rather mediocre it has to be said. But he was involved in every Perpignan attack (and they spent almost the entire second half attacking) and in my opinion he distributed the ball well.
Actually I'm not a big fan of Wales, but Hook is one of my favourite players from your country. I just think he can't be the first choice for kicking! Otherwise, he's a good ball distributor and a really good attacking player, I'd even consider moving him to the wing for some games (haven't he already played at 11 a few times?).

Hook has never played wing, but has played at fullback.
Kicking doesn't matter, we have Leigh Halfpenny.

 

[Tony Manx]

I have no sympathy for Montpellier. If you build a team around players who aren't going to be available for large parts of the season and you don't have adequate replacements then you can't make excuses when you lose. I remember they had very much the same sob story after the World Cup last year. All the other teams have to abide by the same rules, so I don't see why we should make excuses for them. In any case, I dislike the idea of a French side playing 6 players from another single nation.

Nice to see Toulon and Racing sticking to their unique style of play, eh?

Whilst I question the attack on Montpellier, who are by no means alone in employing a "few" overseas players, Yachvilli has come out today to criticise the numbers of "foreigners" in the Top 14 and wonders about the damage it will do to French future rugby players.

Yach, himself, is out for two to three months due to a need for an operation on a herniated disc.............................serious blow to BO but not fatal with Lesgourges coming through from the Espoirs.

 

[welshglory]

Thanks for the updates bros