French rugby Updates : Le café du Rugby.

thomond2006

19-10 now between Oyonnax and Brive

thomond2006

14-10 in Nice to Toulon

Taco Corp

Sexton looks completely fed up

thomond2006

Try Fofana!!!

Edit: Not given. But a Perpignan player is being binned.

damianmcr

Another one hasnt been binned.

thomond2006

Parra makes it 25-22. 10 minutes left!

thomond2006

Try for Oyonnax! But I think if Perpignan and Oyonnax are level on points then it's Oyonnax who go down.

P_1

thomond2006 wrote: »

Try for Oyonnax! But I think if Perpignan and Oyonnax are level on points then it's Oyonnax who go down.

Perpignan going down as things stand

thomond2006

Clermont get a penalty but thankfully for USAP they take the 3 points.

Parra completely shanks it.

razorblunt

Haughton doing his damnedest to lose this for USAP.

thomond2006

P_1 wrote: »

Perpignan going down as things stand

Sorry you're right, the commentators are saying the same. The coaches are screaming to the players that they need the draw!

P_1

Late try for Stade in Nice

missed conversion, Toulon win by 2

thomond2006

Another YC for Perpignan. Clermont should wrap it up.

matthew8

And that's the end for Perpignan.

P_1

Montpellier and Toulon into the semis.

Clermont, Racing Metro, Toulouse and Castres into the barrage.

Perpignan and Biarritz relegated.

Risteard

Biarritz and Perpignan going down in the same season?

Who would have predicted that a few years ago?

thomond2006

Risteard wrote: »

Biarritz and Perpignan going down in the same season?

Who would have predicted that a few years ago?

Perpignan were doing alright until two of their key players, Camille Lopez and Sofiane Guitoune, got season ending injuries in the latter rounds of the Heineken Cup pool stages. Lopez was their first choice 10 (and now on his way to Toulon apparently) and Guitoune was their best winger who was running in lots of tries. Ironically Perpignan's season started with an impressive home win against Clermont.

Biarritz were a complete disaster from the start of the season when they had a lot of injuries to deal with. Their season never got going. They tried during the season to organise a merger with Bayonne who are next door but talks never got anywhere.

Edit: Just saw a tweet from Racing Métro commiserating with Perpignan, who they say had been in the top division for 103 years! :eek:

thomond2006

So Toulon and Montpellier are into the semi-finals with Toulouse vs Racing and Clermont vs Castres in quarter-finals.

Swiwi.

Oyannax stay up, is that correct? I'll soon be joining Podge as a supporter so I'm happy.

How is Rene Ranger going for Montpellier?

matthew8

Right now the winner of Castres-Clermont looks like they'll be a lamb to the slaughter, and you'd have to fancy Toulon against either of those teams as well.

thomond2006

Swiwi. wrote: »

Oyannax stay up, is that correct? I'll soon be joining Podge as a supporter so I'm happy.

How is Rene Ranger going for Montpellier?

Yes Oyonnax stay up thanks to getting a LBP at Brive.

Ranger is doing well I think, he's a regular starter and the team are flying it.

matthew8

He scored one try (I think it was from far out) and all but scored another one, passing the ball to another guy to score it after he crossed the line and there were no Racing players in sight.

Swiwi.

thomond2006 wrote: »

Yes Oyonnax stay up thanks to getting a LBP at Brive.

Ranger is doing well I think, he's a regular starter and the team are flying it.

Is he playing wing or centre?

thomond2006

Swiwi. wrote: »

Is he playing wing or centre?

Wing

You can see the gametime here, although I think they are updating them now: http://www.lnr.fr/rene-mark-nelson-ranger,17726.html

iroced

Fantastic win for us today. Racing were on an impressive run and we shut them down! 44-10! 5 tries to 1. Can't believe it! We make the semi-finals for the second time in our history. Hopefully the pressure of the event won't catch us now.

But all the excitement of this great end of our regular season is cut down by USAP cruel fate. They only dropped to the relegation zone last GW and delivered a mangnificent battle today in Marcel-Michelin which made them safe until the 70th min mark. This is just too cruel! Would almost have been better had they been crushed in Clermont.
Coming back to their game, have to say I've been afraidly expected it since USAP could not capitalise while 15 men vs 13 in the first half and beginning of the second. Also Oyonnax resurrection in the last 13 min is hard to swallow.
Tough day down here. The atmosphere is unbearable. After 103 years in the elite of French rugby, I hope this catastrophic scenario is not the beginning of the end (cf Béziers, Narbonne, Colomiers, Bourgoin...) for my catalan friends.

As thomond said USAP is paying a super heavy tribute to their HCup participation. It was too much for their squad and Lopez and Guitoune injuries just killed them.

Hopefully the club will start an inner revolution. They need it. It's not today that they go down. It's the accumulation of errors in the last couple of years which lead to this heartbreaking scenario.

P_1

I wonder if we'll see an exodus from USAP now as a result. I can't exactly forsee the likes of James Hook et al wanting to ply their trade in ProD2?

vienne86

What an afternoon in the Top14! I was scheduled for a boring 2 hour drive in France, but enjoyed every minute of it thanks to brilliant radio coverage of the rugby - reporters at each of the matches and some pundits in studio. French commentators are excitable at the best of times but this was crazy! Really feel for perpignan - they got so close to toppling clermont. But hopefully they will be back in the top flight soon.

Swiwi.

vienne86 wrote: »

What an afternoon in the Top14! I was scheduled for a boring 2 hour drive in France, but enjoyed every minute of it thanks to brilliant radio coverage of the rugby - reporters at each of the matches and some pundits in studio. French commentators are excitable at the best of times but this was crazy! Really feel for perpignan - they got so close to toppling clermont. But hopefully they will be back in the top flight soon.

So who gets promoted?

matthew8

Swiwi. wrote: »

So who gets promoted?

Lyon and the playoff winner (Agen, La Rochelle, Pau or Narbonne). Lyon should definitely stay up next year but that doesn't look like a great group of playoff teams.

vienne86

matthew8 wrote: »

Lyon and the playoff winner (Agen, La Rochelle, Pau or Narbonne). Lyon should definitely stay up next year but that doesn't look like a great group of playoff teams.

La Rochelle did a stint in the Top 14 a few years ago, but I think they only lasted a season. And I think Agen were in the Top 14 too, but you're right - not a lot of pedigree in any of those four playoff teams.

matthew8

Here are the division 2 budgets (in millions):

1 Lyon 14,87
2 Agen 9,01
3 Stade Rochelais 8,57
4 Pau 8,54
5 Colomiers 5,54
6 Albi 5,19
7 Tarbes 4,99
8 Mont-de-Marsan 4,83
9 Béziers 4,81
10 Narbonne 4,61
11 Dax 4,14
12 Bourg-en-Bresse 3,90
13 CSBJ 3,82
14 Aurillac 3,65
15 Carcassonne 3,63
16 Auch 2,41

The top 14 average is about 20 million.

Lyon's budget will have a big increase next year I'd imagine so they'll be well equipped if they can show that crucial home form at the top level. As for the other teams it's bleak but Oyonnax and Brive survived so anything's possible. That said, I hope for their own sake that Narbonne don't get promoted. I would pity them if they had to go to Toulon. That could be a 100 point loss.

iroced

matthew8 wrote: »

Here are the division 2 budgets (in millions):

1 Lyon 14,87

Would have been the 11th budget for this year Top 14.

11th being...
USAP 14,47


---

Narbonne being promoted would just be the most poisonous icing on the USAP relegation stodgy cake.

Historical regional rivalry between the Catalan and the Gavatx .

CatFromHue

I was reading in the Times today that Racing didn't make the playoffs (I think the headline was something along the lines of Sexton's season ends in failure) but they did, they finished 5th!

The author must have thought that only the top 4 make the playoffs!

Podge_irl

Told you lads Oyannax would stay up. Deadly bunch of lads altogether.

Mind you, Lyon will be easier for me to get to next year. I fear my heart is in Oyannax now though.

Swiwi.

Podge_irl wrote: »

Told you lads Oyannax would stay up. Deadly bunch of lads altogether.

Mind you, Lyon will be easier for me to get to next year. I fear my heart is in Oyannax now though.

Lyon is a cool place! Where are you off to? I've just google mapped Oyonnax and it's going to be 3 hours of driving to attend any games...not sure I'm that devoted yet...

Podge_irl

Swiwi. wrote: »

Lyon is a cool place! Where are you off to? I've just google mapped Oyonnax and it's going to be 3 hours of driving to attend any games...not sure I'm that devoted yet...

Off to nowhere. Oyannax is geographically closer but Lyon is easier to get to. Oyannax has no direct transport, it's all via Lyon (or possibly belgarde). Might try cycling over and spending a weekend in Oyannax in early season.

If you wanna go to a game at some point gimme a shout!

Swiwi.

Podge_irl wrote: »

Off to nowhere. Oyannax is geographically closer but Lyon is easier to get to. Oyannax has no direct transport, it's all via Lyon (or possibly belgarde). Might try cycling over and spending a weekend in Oyannax in early season.

If you wanna go to a game at some point gimme a shout!

It never takes much to tempt me into France. A Lyon v Oyannax clash in Lyon would do just nicely. Lyon Old Town is fab, and Lyon is one of those places known for it's Haute Cuisine.

So your Finnish friends eventually offered you a contract extension?

Podge_irl

Swiwi. wrote: »

It never takes much to tempt me into France. A Lyon v Oyannax clash in Lyon would do just nicely. Lyon Old Town is fab, and Lyon is one of those places known for it's Haute Cuisine.

So your Finnish friends eventually offered you a contract extension?

Never been to Lyon. Could certainly be fun.

They did. Will probably take it and quickly move on but planning to stay in Genève for the time being.

former legend

Well, Jonny hasn't mellowed since going to France anyway...
http://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/top-14/2013-2014/racing-explication-musclee-entre-sexton-et-kruger-a-l-entrainement_sto4238761/story.shtml

Taking on Juandre Kruger might be considered somewhat foolhardy however.

Buer

vienne86 wrote: »

La Rochelle did a stint in the Top 14 a few years ago, but I think they only lasted a season. And I think Agen were in the Top 14 too, but you're right - not a lot of pedigree in any of those four playoff teams.

Agen have a fair bit of pedigree. They were a big club to drop out of the T14; third most wins in history, I believe. They were in the final as recently as 2002 and consistently in the HEC for a few years after that.

Things have gone drastically wrong for them in the last 5 years though.

thomond2006

former legend wrote: »

Well, Jonny hasn't mellowed since going to France anyway...
http://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/top-14/2013-2014/racing-explication-musclee-entre-sexton-et-kruger-a-l-entrainement_sto4238761/story.shtml

Taking on Juandre Kruger might be considered somewhat foolhardy however.

G'wan Delon, take inspiration from this and pick a fight with Bakkies.

Taco Corp

take a look at the second incident in this video. of all the incidents we've seen in the last month or so, I can't understand how this was not a red.

Tox56

Captain_Hindsight wrote: »

take a look at the second incident in this video. of all the incidents we've seen in the last month or so, I can't understand how this was not a red.

Because he made an effort to bring him down safely on his back?

Taco Corp

Tox56 wrote: »

Because he made an effort to bring him down safely on his back?

not how I see it. he was just holding him until he was tackled himself.

Buer

Captain_Hindsight wrote: »

not how I see it. he was just holding him until he was tackled himself.

He held him up and made sure he didn't release him. It was sloppy but he grabbed Habana low and Habana ducked into him which contributed to Ioane flipping him. Given he ensured that Habana wasn't dropped, it would have been a harsh red card for me.

Swiwi.

Captain_Hindsight wrote: »

take a look at the second incident in this video. of all the incidents we've seen in the last month or so, I can't understand how this was not a red.

Red for me too. I just want those tackles (the first one) out of rugby.

.ak

The tackle would've been fine if ione followed him to the deck. But he didn't. It was clumsy, he tried to hold onto him but why? Just made it more awkward. Wasn't really a bad tackle, defo not a red. Habana made a meal of it though, as he's done before.

Edit: i was refering to the first tackle by the way. 2nd tackle was also just awkward, not even sure it deserved a yellow.

Morf

.ak wrote: »

The tackle would've been fine if ione followed him to the deck. But he didn't. It was clumsy, he tried to hold onto him but why? Just made it more awkward. Wasn't really a bad tackle, defo not a red. Habana made a meal of it though, as he's done before.

Edit: i was refering to the first tackle by the way. 2nd tackle was also just awkward, not even sure it deserved a yellow.

I didn't think either were that bad considering the 2nd he brought Habana safely to ground and the first wasn't that late and Habana looked knocked out the way he went limply backward.

The commentators having kittens about the first tackle was ridiculous, Ione was committed to the tackle and it wasn't massively late.

.ak

Yeah it was fine really.

thomond2006

Domingo, Menini,
Guirado, Kayser, Tolofua,
Debaty, Mas, Slimani,
Maestri, Flanquart, Vahaamahina,
Le Roux, Burban, Chouly, Dusautoir, Nyanga, Ouedraogo, Picamoles.

Parra, Machenaud,
Michalak, Talès,
Bastareaud, Lamerat, Fofana, Fickou, Le Bourhis,
Huget, Médard, Dulin, Bonneval.

http://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/xv-de-france/2012-2013/tournee-en-australie-xv-de-france-bleus-avec-michalak-et-camara-sans-pape_sto4240158/story.shtml

French squad for the three test series against Australia.

No Trinh-Duc to the consistent annoyance of many, he's been flying in an on form Montpellier team. However Michalak's recent performances at 10 have been excellent and Tales is the incumbent. Plisson dropped after an indifferent Six Nations.

Menini is a surprise since he's only second choice loosehead at Toulon with the much younger Xavier Chiocci being the starter there.

The biggest story is Pascal Papé being dropped, I don't think he's injured. On the other hand Szarzewski is injured.