Top 14: Stade Francais slump continues with
third successive league defeat
by
Michel Dora
15 November 2008
Montpellier 26 (20) Stade Francais 13
(10)
Stade Francais slumped to their third
successive defeat as they went down 26-13 in Montpellier.
Only some
wayward pace kicking from the usually reliable Frederico
Todeschini spared Stade from a heavier defeat, and it is
clear Ewen McKenzie will have his work cut out to keep the
Paris side on track during the international season.
The
absence of key players such as Lionel Beauxis, Sergio
Parisse and Juan Martin Hernandez left too much of a gap for
the deputies to fill, and Montpellier took full toll once
they had weathered Stade’s early promise.
The
visitors dominated the opening quarter, racing into a 10-0
lead courtesy of a third-minute penalty from Falie Oelschig
and a powerful piece of finishing from rugby league convert
Marc Gasnier – which Oelschig also converted.
At that
point Montpellier had hardly touched the ball and it looked
like a profitable evening was on the cards for McKenzie’s
team, but the hosts burst back into the game with two tries
in five minutes to redress the balance.
First,
scrum-half Julien Tomas made a 30m blindside break, beating
two defenders in the process before racing in under the
posts. Then, with Stade still reeling from the initial
score, Frikkie Welsh capitalised on some subtle midfield
obstruction by Ollie Smith to break through and touch down
again.
Todeschini applied the extras on both tries to lift
Montpellier 14-10 ahead, adding a brace of penalties to
extend the advantage to 10 points by the end of the first
half.
The
Argentine slotted another penalty immediately after the
restart but missed with his next three as the home side
failed to capitalise fully on their overwhelming possession.
Stade, by
this time, were a shadow of the side which won its first
seven league games of the season before falling to Toulouse
26-13, exactly the same score as their latest reverse.
They have
now lost to Toulouse, Clermont and Montpellier in successive
fixtures, coughing up an eight-point lead and any aura of
invincibility in the process.
The only
plus point for McKenzie is the growing influence of Gasnier,
but that will be little consolation in light of their latest
defeat.
Montpellier, meanwhile, rise to fifth (temporarily at least)
on the back of this win, only the third in their history
against the capital’s giants.
|
|
Montpellier |
Stade Francais |
|
Tries |
Tomas, Welsh |
Gasnier |
|
Conversions |
Todeschini (2) |
Oelschig |
|
Penalties |
Todeschini (3), McHugh |
Oelschig (2) |
|
Drop
goals |
|
|
|
