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    Top 14

     

    Top 14: Battered and bloody - Clubs count the cost of a brutal weekend

    05 January 2009

    Top 14 Logo The start of a New Year usually heralds the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start afresh, but several players will be cursing their luck after Round 14 of France’s premier rugby competition brought a catalogue of injuries.

    No fewer than four players broke their noses and there were also serious knee injuries for Castres’ English centre Phil Christophers and Brive’s Uruguayan prop Pablo Henn.

    Christophers was stretchered off during his team’s 13-13 away draw at Bayonne, and his season now looks over after confirmation that he ruptured the internal lateral ligament of his left knee.

    Further tests this week could further confirm the suspicion that his anterior cruciate ligament was also damaged, leading to a lengthy recuperation for the three-times capped 27-year-old.

    Read More...

     

    Top 14: The attraction of signing up for France's burgeoning Foreign Legion

    By Colin Spiro, 05 January 2009


    All Smiles - Dan Carter

    Rugby clubs across the globe may be feeling the affects of the economic downturn but it appears ‘Le credit crunch’ could work to Top 14’s favour if weekend reports are to be believed.

    The French open market system, with its lack of salary caps, has already proved too tempting for the likes of Dan Carter and Jerry Collins, but now it looks as if the fiscal pressures being imposed in Great Britain could spawn another surge of foreign imports.

    French sports minister Bernard Laporte may not like the idea – he told Mid-Olympique today that he wants to limit the number of ‘les etrangers’ in Top 14 – but that’s not going to stop clubs trying to recruit high-profile players who will add both kudos and marketing ability, in addition to playing strength.

    And it’s not hard to see why. Monday’s papers were full of the exploits of Clermont’s Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga after he scored four tries against Toulon, while the Sunday evening clash between Brive and Perpignan was pared down to a two-man duel that saw Carter overshadow his English rival Andy Goode – who is still the leading points-scorer in Top 14.

    Read More...

     

    Top 14, round 14: Perfect 10 for Toulouse, but Biarritz Olympique and Toulon lose again

    03 January 2009

    Top 14 Logo
    Toulouse 34 Montpellier 0
    Bayonne 13 Castres 13
    Stade Francais 56 Dax 15
    Clermont 32 Toulon 5
    Mont-de-Marsan 16 Montauban 13
    Bourgoin 15 Biarritz 14
    Brive Perpignan (Sun)

    The top two of Toulouse and Stade Francais both recorded resounding home wins to start the New Year, but the real story of round 14 was at the other end of the table.

    Basement club Mont-de-Marsan beat Montauban 16-13 to record their third successive home win, while troubled Toulon slumped to yet another thumping – this time 32-5 away to Clermont, for whom Napolioni Nalaga scored an incredible four tries.

    Those two results, combined with Castres’ draw at Bayonne on Friday night (see report) and Bourgoin’s 15-14 home win against sliding Biarritz, left just seven points separating the bottom six clubs as the battle to avoid relegation sizzled in the winter sun.

    Mont-de-Marsan’s deserved defeat of Montauban was arguably the pick of the results with the league’s bottom team continuing their recent revival as their fight for Top 14 survival gathered increasing momentum.

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    Top 14: Bayonne mourn singer Mixu’s death; French clubs line up English starlet Cipriani

    03 January 2009

    Bayonne’s home draw with Castres (see report) was overshadowed by the death of Basque singer Michel “Mixu” Mixelena on Friday night.

    The former leader of Sustraia suffered a heart attack minutes before the start of the game as he returned to sit with his wife and children in the stands after parading on the pitch with Pottok, the club mascot.

    Emergency services worked to revive Mixelena for more than an hour but the singer was subsequently pronounced dead.

    Meanwhile, Danny Cipriani, the hottest property in English rugby, could be heading to France next season because his wage demands are proving too high for Guinness Premiership clubs.

    Read More...

    Top 14 - Bayonne pay the penalty for late misses as Castres hang on for vital draw

    02 January 2009

    Top 14 Logo

    Bayonne 13 (7) Castres 13 (13)

    A brace of late penalty misses cost Bayonne dearly as they were held 13-13 at home to lowly Castres.

    Replacement fly-half Manny Edmonds was the culprit, spurning two long-distance efforts in the closing 11 minutes, but at least Bayonne held on to their unbeaten home record - a situation that looked doubtful as they headed for the half-time break 7-13 down.

    But a spirited second-half performance at least saw them draw level after the entire front row was replaced four minutes after the restart.

    Edmonds - who came on earlier for the injured Daniel Larrachea - initiated the fight back with his 53rd-minute penalty, and centre Craig Gower ensured parity when he landed a drop-goal four minutes later.

    At that point the force was very much with the home side, but Castres dug deep to hold on for a draw that could prove crucial in their ongoing fight against relegation.

    Read More...

    Top 14 - Round 14 Preview

    01 January 2009

    Top 14 Logo

    So, the run-in starts here. New Year, new hopes, same old story at the top and bottom of the league. Toulouse, as one would expect, head Top 14 with a three-point cushion over nearest rivals Stade Francais, while Mont-de-Marsan bring up the rear having won just three out of 13 games so far this season.

    That much was predictable, but in between there’s been a catalogue of surprises with the Basque clubs Biarritz and Bayonne featuring heavily for contrasting reasons.

    Bayonne have far exceeded expectations to turn around for the second half of the season in fourth, while Biarritz and have so woefully underperformed that they have now been dragged into an unforeseen relegation battle on the back of five successive league defeats. This week they travel to Bourgoin for a must-win match that could define the rest of the season for both clubs.

    The plight of Castres has been the other major story of the season, with the team that finished fifth last year now staring at the very real possibility of dropping down to Pro D2.

    Read More...

    IRB to investigate Tincu affair after Perpignan hooker plays in Top 14

    29 December 2008

    IRB LogoThe International Rugby Board (IRB) has been dragged into the ongoing Marius Tincu affair after his club Perpignan allowed the Romanian hooker to play against Castres last week.

    The Catalans included Tincu for the Top 14 match despite the player being suspended until March 9 by an earlier disciplinary committee of the ERC. That 18-week ban stemmed from an alleged eye-gouging offence against the Ospreys in a Heineken Cup clash in October.

    The original punishment was upheld on appeal and Tincu was subsequently sidelined from all rugby, with France’s Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) confirming the ban included Top 14 matches.

    However, Perpignan have backed their player’s claims of innocence throughout and even threatened to withdraw from the Heineken Cup over the matter. They say Tincu was punished without concrete evidence and vowed to pursue the case through the civil courts if necessary.

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    Top 14: Chabal weighing up his options; Injuries force Garbajosa into retirement

    29 December 2008

    Top 14 Logo

    French international Sebastien Chabal says he is still unsure which Top 14 club he will play for when he returns home at the end of this season.

    The talismanic forward, known as “Seabass”, is heading back to France after four years with the Sale Sharks in England, with Montpellier being tipped as his likely destination.

    The ambitious Top 14 club are apparently close to signing Chabal’s international second-row colleague (and captain) Lionel Nallet from Castres, and have been further boosted by young stars Louis Picamoles, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Francois Trinh-Duc and Julien Tomas all signing contract extensions.

    But Chabal has spoken in the past of wishing to continue working with Philippe Saint-Andre, the Sharks’ French coach who has also confirmed he will be heading back to France at the end of the season.

    Speculation in the press has linked Saint-Andre heavily with Toulon, where current incumbent Tana Umaga is struggling with an ongoing battle against relegation.

    Read More...

    Top 14, round 13: Toulouse and Stade Francais with the bonus; Toulon in disarray  

    20 December 2008

    Top 14 Logo
    Toulouse 27 Mont-de-Marsan 6
    Brive 20 Bourgoin 12
    Montpellier 33 Toulon 8
    Perpignan 16 Castres 9
    Stade Francais 35 Bayonne 8
    Dax 16 Clermont 20

    Toulouse and Stade Francais both registered bonus-point victories as the Top 14 drew to a close for 2008 at the halfway point in the season.

    Defending champions Toulouse ran in four tries to ensure they end the year in top spot as they predictably overwhelmed basement club Mont-de-Marsan 27-6.

    Their all-star back line proved too strong for the battling visitors with Florian Fritz, Maxime Medard, Yannick Jauzion and Clement Poitrenaud all getting on the scoresheet. But the biggest cheers of the afternoon were reserved for returning hero Vincent Clerc as the international winger made his long-awaited playing comeback at the Stade Ernest Wallon.

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    Top 14: Rougerie double hands Clermont a rare away win

    20 December 2008

    Clermont Logo

    Dax 16 (10) Clermont 20 (10)

    Aurelian Rougerie’s last-minute try – his second of the game – earned Clermont a rare away win as they triumphed 20-16 against valiant Dax at the Stade Maurice Boyau.

    The victory was only their second in seven attempts on the road this campaign – their first since beating Bourgoin on October 4 – and it consolidated Les Jaunards in fifth place at the halfway point of the season.

    It was the perfect antidote for Vern Cotter’s men after last week’s Irish heartbreak in Munster, with returning captain Rougerie stealing the headlines with his two-try display.

    And yet it could so easily have been Dax who were celebrating after another battling performance that confirmed them as a class above current relegations strugglers such as Mont-de-Marsan, Castres and Toulon.

    Read More...

    Top 14: Banned Tincu allowed to play in France; Roncero finally grounded 

    20 December 2008

    Top 14 Logo In a landmark ruling for French sport Perpignan’s Marius Tincu has had his domestic 18-week ban overturned by the Comite National Olympique et Sportif Francais (CNOSF).

    The Romanian hooker was originally handed the lengthy ban by the European Rugby Cup (ERC) after being found guilty of eye gouging in the Heineken Cup match against the Ospreys on October 18.

    Despite a plea of innocence, and threats by Perpignan to pull out of the competition, his appeal was subsequently dismissed and the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) promptly extended it to cover all Top 14 games as well.

    The Catalans final roll of the dice was a further appeal, this time to the CNOSF, France’s top sporting body, on the grounds that a ban in a European club competition should not apply to domestic league games as well.

    The CNOSF ruled in Tincu’s favour and on Friday the LNR accepted their ruling and allowed the hooker to resume playing duties in the Top 14 with immediate effect.

    Read More...

    Top 14 - Round 13 Preview: Carter set for league debut with Perpignan

    19 December 2008

    Top 14 Logo It’s back to Top 14 action this weekend for the final round of games this year before players take a two-week break for Christmas, and there are plenty of enticing clashes to get the festive juices flowing.

    Second-placed Stade Francais against fourth-placed Bayonne looks the pick of the bunch, but there’s also Dan Carter’s home league debut as Perpignan entertain relegation threatened Castres at the Stade Aime Giral.

    Elsewhere, it’s top versus bottom as Toulouse host Mont-de-Marsan, while underperforming Biarritz could slip to a seventh successive defeat when they travel to Montauban.

    In-form Brive host lowly Bourgoin and there’s also the third consecutive meeting between Montpellier and Toulon as the league season reaches its halfway stage.

    Certainly beats Christmas shopping!

    Read More...

    Top 14: McAlister tipped to join Saint-Andre and Chabal at Toulon

    18 December 2008

    Top 14 Logo Former All Black centre Luke McAlister is reported to have been offered a mega-bucks deal to join Top 14 side Toulon next season, perhaps alongside Sale colleagues Sebastien Chabal and head coach Philippe Saint-Andre.

    Chabal and Saint-Andre have already confirmed they will be leaving the Manchester club to return to France next season – with Toulon seen as their most likely destination – and now it is being reported that McAlister has been offered $1.5m per season to join them.

    The highly talented Kiwi had been expected to return to New Zealand at the end of his two-year contract with the Guinness Premiership side (in mid 2009), but the lure of the Euro could now see him end up in France.

    That would effectively end his hopes of returning to the All Black fold for the 2011 World Cup, hosted by New Zealand.

    His father and manager Charlie McAlister was allegedly spotted in the south of France last week, and Sale’s incoming coach Kingsley Jones admitted that his star player was now being openly courted by Top 14 clubs.

    Read More...

    Top 14: White departs early from Toulon; Toulouse's Servat signs for three more years

    17 December 2008

    Former Springbok coach Jake White has completed his consultancy role at Toulon a week earlier than expected.

    White had been due to work with the Top 14 strugglers for more than two weeks, but departed after their weekend victory over Montpellier in the European Challenge Cup.

    The highly esteemed coach did, however, stay long enough to make a raft of suggested changes, including trimming the playing squad, upgrading the club’s training facilities and initiating a South African scouting programme – which he would facilitate, of course.

    “He saw what he needed to see and said what he needed to say,” said Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal. “He explained a lot of things to me and might be back,” he added in an interview with Var-Matin.

    Former Toulon player Anton Oliver recently admitted that the club’s infrastructure and training facilities were completely inadequate, and it seems White drew the same conclusions after his brief stay.

    “Our training centre is not worthy of a club in Top 14,” admitted Boudjellal. “It’s not in line with the ambitions I have for this club. Refurbishment has been planned but we’re waiting.”

    Boudjellal also confirmed that White had told him to reduce the playing squad.

    Read More...

    Top 14: Mixed news for Toulouse; Blanco lays down the law at struggling Biarritz

    16 December 2008

    Top 14 Logo

    Top 14 leaders Toulouse had mixed news ahead of Saturday’s clash with basement club Mont-de-Marsan.

    The in-form defending champions will have to make do without David Skrela for up to a month after an MRI scan confirmed the international fly-half had torn a thigh muscle.

    Frustratingly for Skrela it is a repeat of the injury he sustained while playing for France against Australia in November. He was only eight minutes into his comeback – against Newport Gwent Dragons on Saturday – when he had to be replaced.

    Skrela’s absence, combined with a holiday for Byron Kelleher and an injury to Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde, means that Freddie Michalak is being lined up to play scrum-half at the weekend, with South Africa Gaffie Du Toit stepping in to the fly-half role.

    But on a more positive note long-term absentee Vincent Clerc came through the latest stage of his comeback unscathed at the weekend and could be included in the squad to face Les Montois.

    The international winger has been absent since March following torn knee ligaments, but managed nearly an hour for the Toulouse Espoirs at the weekend.

    Read More...

    Interview: Ben Cohen - Time to Brive

    By Colin Spiro, 12 December 2008


    Ben Cohen: French connection

    © Diarmid Courreges

    Ben Cohen talks to FRC about his move to Brive and how having twins has changed his perspective on life.

    "I genuinely do think that French rugby is behind – not necessarily on the pitch, because they can go and beat anyone of their given day – but I think behind the scenes they are" - Ben Cohen

    England World Cup winner Ben Cohen says he has no regrets about joining French Top 14 side Brive, where he is currently plying his trade with fellow Brits Andy Goode, Steve Thompson and Barry Davies.

    The 30-year-old winger would love to still be playing for his country but is resigned to life on the international hard shoulder after deciding to up sticks and move to France in 2007.

    Up until then Cohen had been a one-team man, racing in for more than 100 tries for his beloved Northampton Saints before the relationship broke down when he was overlooked for the captaincy.

    A brief break from the game was followed by his transfer to Top 14 side Brive - or Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin to give it its full name - with whom he is now enjoying his second season as they fight for Heineken Cup qualification.

    Read More...

    Top 14: Tincu’s ban upheld by LNR; Toulon target Wallaby flanker Smith 

    11 December 2008

    Top 14 Logo Marius Tincu’s 18-week ban has been officially extended by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) to include Top 14 matches.

    Perpignan’s Romanian hooker was originally slapped with the lengthy ban by ERC – which oversees European club competitions – after an alleged eye-gouging incident on October 10 against the Ospreys prop Paul James in the Heineken Cup.

    The French club defended its player and said it was outraged by the length of the ban, even threatening to withdraw from the competition when it was first handed down. It subsequently lost an appeal to the ERC and had been pinning its hopes on the LNR ruling in Tincu’s favour.

    Read More...

    Top 14: Toulon welcome White, not Habana; Castres confirm coaching shake-up

    10 December 2008

    Former Springbok coach Jake White has acknowledged he’s got his work cut out at Toulon after starting his three-week consultancy stint with the Top 14 strugglers.

    White, who has been called in to work alongside head coach Tana Umaga, admitted he didn’t see much to smile about when watching the club’s 14-10 European Challenge Cup defeat in Montpellier.

    “The scrum and defence was okay, but the lineout was very poor and the kicking game only average,” he told AFP.

    Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal got White on board in an advisory role after a string of disappointing results saw the Top 14 newcomers edge ever nearer the relegation zone.

    The outspoken president is desperate to ensure his massive player investment is not wasted with a swift return to Pro D2.

    Read More...

    Exclusive: Ross Skeate - Locked on for Toulon success

    09 December 2008


    Skeate: Eye on the ball

    © RossSkeate.com 2008

    "Structured rugby has its place, but I wanted to be in the French league that was full of flair and running sort of rugby" - Ross Skeate

    At 6ft 7ins Ross Skeate is used to making a big impression, but Toulon’s new South African lock is hoping that it’s his game – not just his frame – that sets tongues wagging in Top 14.

    The 26-year-old joined Toulon from Western Province last month and said he is already relishing the change of continents and rugby styles as he begins to settle in to life in the south of France.

    “They are a great bunch of guys and when I arrived they were really easy to get along with and people like Jerry Collins – who I played with for the Barbarians – have really helped me find my feet. We are a very tight squad,” said the imposing second row.

    But how did a talented South African - capped at school, under-19 and under-21 level – come to ply his trade down in the harbour town of Toulon?

    “Basically I found myself in a position where I didn’t want to be, playing-wise and career-wise, and I thought something fresh would challenge me. I needed a new obstacle and to experience a new way of doing things,” he explained.

    “That was really the major reason for my decision – that I needed a fresh challenge and I needed to get better as a player. I wasn’t getting enough game time (in South Africa) so I decided to come out here and face a new challenge.”

    Read More...

    Top 14: Nallet and Tillous-Borde set for Castres exit; Wallaby Giteau staying put

    08 December 2008

    Top 14 Logo

    Relegation-threatened Castres are facing a player exodus if reports in Midi Olympique are to be believed, with French captain Lionel Nallet and international scrum-half Sebastien Tillous-Borde both wanting away.

    Thirty-two-year-old Nallet, who has 42 caps for the national team, is apparently in talks with Montpellier – together with Sale’s Sebastien Chabal – while Tillous-Borde (23) is soon expected to confirm a switch to Brive.

    The double loss will only be partially compensated by the signing of Montauban coaching duo Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers.

    In a further blow to the club - which is currently 13th in Top 14 - it was also confirmed that fly-half Cameron McIntyre sustained a double fracture of the jaw in their 33-3 Heineken Cup defeat at Leinster.

    The Kiwi fly-half is now expected to be out of action for at least two months.

    Elsewhere, it appears that Bayonne’s audacious bid to lure Australia fly-half Matt Giteau will end in failure.

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    Bourgoin’s Romer resigns; Cecillon sentenced and Saint-Andre quits Sale

    Top 14 Logo Bourgoin’s deteriorating season continued in freefall with the news Tarcisse Romer has resigned from his post as director general at the Top 14 club.

    Romer, who joined the club in October 2007, tendered his resignation to Bourgoin president Pierre Martinet on Wednesday and will now leave the Top 14 strugglers following their weekend clash with Worcester Warriors in the European Challenge Cup.

    It is just the latest blow in a troubled season for Bourgoin, who have been fighting to hold it together both on and off the pitch.

    Romer’s resignation follows the recent departure of sporting director Eric Catinot and comes on top of serious financial worries for Bourgoin.

    Martinet has already had to deal with a player delegation unhappy with the current situation, and now the club is also facing the very real possibility of relegation despite a stunning away win at Castres at the weekend.

     Read More...

    Top 14: ARU to tempt Giteau with captaincy; Toulouse without Skrela and Elissalde 

    02 December 2008

    Bayonne logo

    The ‘will he/won’t he?’ Matt Giteau story continues to develop by the day, if not the hour, with the latest developments including the reported offer of the national captaincy in an effort to keep him in Australia.

    The Wallaby fly-half has admitted to weighing up a staggering financial offer from Top 14 club Bayonne (see report), but news reports Down Under claim the Australian Rugby Union is unwilling to release from his contract and will offer the captaincy as a sweetener for staying.

    In addition to being contracted to ARU until 2011, Giteau also has a year left of his club contract with the Western Force still to run.

    It now appears that should Giteau simply walk out on that he could be hauled before the International Rugby Board, together with the club he moves to.

    Read More...

    Top 14: Giteau tempted by huge Bayonne offer; Carter ready for Perpignan adventure

    01 December 2008

    Bayonne logoIn demand Wallaby fly-half Matt Giteau has admitted he is considering a huge offer to play for Top 14 side Bayonne.

    Despite club denials at the weekend Giteau has confirmed that Bayonne owner Alain Afflelou made him a staggering financial offer when the pair met in Paris last week.

    According to reports in Australia the Wallaby No 10 admitted he was tempted by a deal that would be worth nearly $10m (Aus) spread over four years.

    “I think whenever anyone’s presented with that type of offer you’d sit down and consider your options,” he said.

    Read More...

    Top 14, round 12: Shocks aplenty as the relegation battle hots up

    29 November 2008

    Top 14 Logo
    Toulouse 32 Bayonne 11
    Montauban 6 Perpignan 9
    Castres 9 Bourgoin 23
    Mont-de-Marsan 12 Clermont 11
    Toulon 6 Dax 13
    Biarritz 13 Stade Francais 32
    Montpellier 9 Brive 22

    Relegation threatened Mont-de-Marsan and Bourgoin both sprung surprise victories on Saturday as the focus turned firmly on the bottom of the table in Top 14.

    Basement club Mont-de-Marsan pulled off the biggest shock of the afternoon with a 12-11 home win against last year’s runners-up Clermont, leaving them celebrating back-to-back victories for the first time this season.

    Ex-Saracens full-back Brent Russell scored the game’s only try as Clermont edged into an 11-9 lead shortly before half-time, but the combined boots of Yannick Laforgue (three penalties) and Damien Cler (one penalty) proved enough to earn Les Montois the win.

    Clermont, meanwhile, were left to reflect on their sixth defeat of the season – hardly the top four form their fans have come to expect – and an unwise decision to field a weakened team.

    Read More...

    Top 14: Rumour and denial as Giteau is linked with a £4.25m deal with Bayonne

    29 November 2008

    Top 14 Logo

    Australia fly-half Matt Giteau was the focus of rumour and denial at the weekend following newspaper reports of an alleged £4.25m offer from Top 14 club Bayonne.

    Sydney’s Daily Telegraph reported the lucrative four-year deal had been made after Giteau met with club representatives, but Bayonne chairman Francis Salagoity categorically denied the rumours.

    “I have not had any contact with this player or his agent,” he said. “What’s more, we couldn’t afford to offer such an amount of money to any player. This whole story is false,” he added.

    The transfer reports emerged after Giteau had admitted he wanted to play in France on a “sabbatical” deal similar to the one the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) has granted for Dan Carter to join Perpignan.

    But The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) appear less inclined to be flexible and said they would hold Giteau to his national contract, which is not due to expire until the World Cup in 2011.

    An ARU spokesman denied the early release of Ricky Elsom from his national contract had set a precedent, adding that he had been granted “compassionate leave” to join Leinster three months before his contract ran out. “Matt is under contract with the ARU until 2011 and for him to play overseas he would need a clearance from the ARU. Our position is that we don’t entertain sabbaticals,” he stressed.

    Read More...

    Top 14: Too good Toulouse throw down the championship gauntlet

    29 November 2008

    Top 14 Logo

    Toulouse 32 (17) Bayonne 11 (3)

    Leaders Toulouse brushed aside battling Bayonne with a comprehensive 32-11 victory as they threw down the gauntlet to any would-be title challengers.

    The defending champions opened with such intensity that they demolished the Bayonne pack in the first two scrums, earning a brace of early penalties that Freddie Michalak eagerly anticipated.

    They matched electric pace with slick handling, carving open a Bayonne defence that had previously gone nearly 400 minutes without conceding a try.

    By the end of a pulsating evening the visitors’ battered back line had been breached three times with tries from Clement Poitrenaud, Byron Kelleher and Virgile Lacombe condemning them to only their third defeat of the season.

    Michalak added five penalties as he rediscovered his kicking form to the delight of another sell-out crowd at the Ernest-Wallon.

    Read More...

    Top 14 - Round 12 Preview

    28 November 2008

    Top 14 Logo

    It’s round 12 of Top 14, the penultimate round before the halfway mark, and this week’s fixtures are dominated by the top-two clash between Toulouse and Bayonne.

    The Ernest-Wallon stadium is sold out yet again for the Friday night match, with Toulouse looking to open up clear water between themselves and the chasing pack.

    There is also a fascinating English battle in the Montpellier-Brive clash as former Leicester Tigers team-mates Ollie Smith and Andy Goode come up in direct opposition to one another.

    Elsewhere, Toulon will be looking to build on last week’s success when they take on fellow strugglers Dax, while Castres and Bourgoin also do battle in another vital match for the team’s fighting to avoid the drop.

    Up at the other end would-be leaders Perpignan travel to Montauban as they seek to recover after last week’s reverse at Clermont, while Stade Francais travel to play a Biarritz side which has lost its last three games.

    As ever, I’ll be putting my reputation on the block as I seek to go one better than last week’s six out of seven correct predictions.

    Toulouse v Bayonne (20.35, 28/11/08)

    Leaders Toulouse play host to surprise high-fliers Bayonne in a top-two clash fit for it’s Friday night primetime billing. The defending champions struggled for fluency in the past two rounds with their roster of internationals absent with their respective countries, but their narrow wins against Toulon and Bourgoin ensured they remained in top spot.

    Read More...

    Top 14: Giteau wants to play in France; Biarritz replace Delmas with Gonzalez

    28 November 2008

    Top 14 Logo

    Australia fly-half Matt Giteau is the latest star name to admit that he wants to play French club rugby in the Top 14.

    Giteau, who revealed his desire in French rugby newspaper Midi Olympique, said he would like a similar deal to that offered to All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter, who has been given a six-month sabbatical to play for Perpignan by the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU).

    Giteau, who is contracted to the Australian Rugby Union (ARU), has been instrumental to the Wallabies’ success on their current European tour and was clearly smitten by his time spent in France recently.

    “After the tour, I am going to discuss with the federation to see if it will authorise me to get some experience in France like what the NZRU did with Carter,” he said.

    “It would be fantastic. I adore your country, your way of life, your food, the croissants at breakfast,” he was reported as saying.

    Giteau indicated he would like to play in France some time before the next World Cup in 2011, but the likelihood is that it would be sooner rather than later. This is in part due to the fact he is reportedly in conflict with the Western Force, his Australian franchise.

    Reports suggest he is unhappy due to money he is owed for a sponsorship deal and that he is seeking to leave the club immediately.

    Read More...

    Top 14: Toulon president Boudjellal admits Henry was on his hit list

    27 November 2008

    Top 14 Logo

    Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal has admitted that he initially targeted All Blacks coach Graham Henry to work as a temporary consultant alongside Tana Umaga.

    Boudjellal revealed his intentions after confirming that ex-Springbok coach Jake White would take up the role instead, performing a “club audit” while he works at Toulon between December 3-22.

    No name, it seems, is too great for Boudjellal to consider bringing to the Top 14 club, although results on the pitch have so far proved elusive for the big-spending outfit as they seek to consolidate following last year’s promotion.

    White’s imminent arrival follows a failed attempt to recruit Australian John Connolly earlier this month.

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    Top 14: Toulon turn to Jake White; Toulouse prepare for top-two clash

    26 November 2008

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    In the latest twist to the ongoing Toulon saga the club’s millionaire president Mourad Boudjellal has hired former Springbok coach Jake White as a temporary ‘consultant’.

    The arrival of White, scheduled for December 3rd, follows hot on the heals of the failed recruitment of Australian John Connolly.

    Boudjellal turned to Connolly as the team struggled for cohesion, and wins, but the two-day experiment was kicked into touch when players and current coach Tana Umaga objected to his arrival.

    A player walkout was only averted when Connolly’s consultancy was abruptly terminated, with results taking a distinct upturn on the pitch following the unseemly episode.

    Aubin Hueber was brought in as a full-time assistant coach, after Jean-Jacques Crenca was dismissed, and Toulon’s recent performances have given grounds for optimism with a narrow away defeat at Toulouse followed by victory at the weekend at home to Biarritz.

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    Top 14: The scramble for Chabal

    25 November 2008

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    The rumours claiming Sebastien Chabal will return to France next season appear to be gathering pace, with differing stories in the country’s top sporting papers this week.

    Midi-Olympique, the specialist rugby paper, claimed Chabal could be part of a package of players to join Toulon following an alleged meeting between owner Mourad Boudjellal and current Sale coach Philippe Saint-Andre.

    The paper said the pair met in Paris on November 16th, with Boudjellal trying to line up Saint-Andre to become Toulon coach next season. It went on to suggest that if Saint-Andre did come he could also bring over English-based French players Sebastien Bruno, Lionel Faure and Chabal – who plays at No 8 for Sale.

    However, sports daily L’Equipe said Chabal, who earned rave reviews for his performances in the November internationals, was keener to ply his formidable trade in Paris.

    The 30-year-old has been with Sale wince 2004 but although he signed a two-year contract extension only last year it now appears that a return to his homeland is a virtual certainty.

    “I know in my heart that I want to return to France and that I will return,” he told L’Equipe.

    “That will mean one big salary less for my club and I am just waiting for their agreement that I can leave.”

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    Springbok Habana wants to play in Top 14; Williams wins IRB Player of the Year award

    24 November 2008

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    Former IRB Player of the Year Bryan Habana has confirmed that he is eyeing a move to France’s Top 14 next season.

    The Springbok flyer told the Afrikaans newspaper Sondag that he expects to be playing club rugby in Europe next year after his contract runs out with the Bulls, his current club.

    “I can definitely see myself playing in Europe. For now it’s concentrating on the Springboks and when the end of my contract comes up I don’t think I’ll see myself going to England, Scotland or Wales. It’s a little bit too cold, too wet and too far from South Africa,” he said.

    Habana, who scored a late try in South Africa’s record 42-6 victory against England at Twickenham on Saturday, said his future preference would be a spell with a Top 14 club.

    “The South of France is wonderful and being in France last year it grew in my heart. To experience something different and set new goals is definitely part of my future.

    “I really can’t see myself in England ‘ I’d have to really, really get a good offer to go there,” he added.

    But Habana said his focus now was on helping the Springboks beat the British and Irish Lions this winter.

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    Top 14, round 11: Bayonne win again to keep the pressure on Toulouse

    23 November 2008

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    Bourgoin 12 Toulouse 18
    Stade Francais 19 Castres 12
    Bayonne 42 Montpellier 9
    Mont-de-Marsan 12 Dax 6
    Toulon 10 Biarritz 5
    Brive 33 Montauban 28
    Clermont 29 Perpignan 9

    High-flying Bayonne were the big winners in round 11 of the Top 14, with the Basque club moving up to second after demolishing Montpellier 42-9 at the Stade jean Dauger.

    The hosts ran in five tries to record their ninth win in 11, claiming their first attacking bonus of the season in the process.

    Hooker David Roumieu and winger Sam Gerber both went over as Bayonne opened up an early 15-3 advantage, but it was a three-try blitz midway through the second half that really did for Montpellier.

    The visitors were already 21-6 down before Thibault Lacroix scored twice in four minutes, with his replacement Vincent Inigo adding a third just sixty seconds later.

    Australian Manny Edmonds landed all three conversions en route to a match return of 17 points as Richard Dourthe’s team continued to defy pre-season expectations.

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    Top 14: Seven Up for Toulouse;
    Stade Francais end three-match losing run

    22 November 2008

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    Results took precedence over performance as Toulouse and Stade Francais both recorded wins that maintained their respective title challenges on Friday night.

    For leaders Toulouse it was a case of getting the job done while their first XV was again effectively away on international duty, while for Stade there was obvious relief at finally ending a run of three successive league defeats.

    Conversely, it was a night of ‘close but no cigar’ for the vanquished, with Bourgoin and Castres going down to their ninth and seventh defeats respectively.

    It could be argued that both deserved more for their efforts on a wintry and wet evening, but neither, ultimately, had the conviction to claim much needed wins.

    Bourgoin were the first to suffer, losing 18-12 at home to Toulouse as the visitors overcame their spirited hosts thanks to tries from Maleli Kunavore and Byron Kelleher – the latter with the final move of the match.

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    Top 14 - Round 11 Preview

    21 November 2008

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    Here we go again with another fascinating round of matches in Top 14 as the season draws inexorably towards the halfway stage. Defending champions Toulouse travel to lowly Bourgoin as they seek to consolidate top spot but there are a number of intriguing match-ups as international duties continue to play havoc with the clubs. Most notably early-season leaders Stade Francais will be keen to get their show back on the road after three successive defeats, while Clermont – last year’s runners-up – entertain championship chasing Perpignan on Saturday evening.

    My reputation, such as it is, goes on the line again with my round 11 predictions, hoping to go one better than last week’s 6 out of 7 correct calls.

    Once more it’s all to play for, with four teams in contention for the leaders’ spot, while Toulon and Bourgoin battle to escape the drop zone. Should be another good one.

    Bourgoin v Toulouse (19.00, 21/11/08)

    The November internationals may have seriously weakened Toulouse but the fixture list has been kind to the defending champions: last week they hosted struggling Toulon – squeaking to a 19-18 win - and now they head to Bourgoin, another club in serious freefall after a run of five defeats in their last six league games. Toulouse, on the other hand, have won six on the spin and will be hoping that Freddie Michalak rediscovers his kicking form after his wayward return against Toulon.

    Verdict: Toulouse win.

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    Top 14: Montpellier pay the price for weekend victory over Stade Francais

    18 November 2008

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    Montpellier’s reward for beating former leaders Stade Francais on Friday is the loss of three players – two to injury and one to the national team.

    Argentine fly-half Frederico Todeschini could be out for three months after tearing a bicep against Stade, while centre Sylvain Mirande is undergoing further tests after a suspected double fracture in his hand.

    As if that wasn’t bad enough, they have also lost Julien Tomas to the French squad after the scrum-half was called up in place of the injured Jean-Baptiste Elissalde.

    Former Montpellier prop Laurent Vili was also in the news this week following the launch of a fund-raising appeal on his behalf by Provale, the players’ union.

    Provale is trying to bolster Vili’s coffers ahead of a forthcoming court case, in which the ex-Montpellier player is accused of murder.

    He has already been acquitted once, but the case is set for an appeal hearing in early December.

    Provale has stepped in because the initial case cost Vili €40,000.

    “Who today can easily find €40,000 to defend themselves? It’s time for the great family of rugby to prove its solidarity,” said a Provale statement.

    Better news for high-flying Bayonne though, with confirmation that long-term absentee Julien Tilloles is back in training. The scrum-half has been out for four months following an operation on his right knee.

    Perpignan have confirmed the DNACG has approved the playing licence for All Black fly-half Dan Carter.

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    Top 14: Michalak off target as Toulouse struggle; Perpignan move up to second

    16 November 2008

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    Montpellier 26 Stade Francais 13
    Castres 26 Mont-de-Marsan 3
    Bourgoin 9 Bayonne 13
    Toulouse 19 Toulon 18
    Dax 20 Montauban 20
    Brive 18 Clermont 16
    Perpignan 27 Biarritz 12

    Struggling Toulon came wi