French rugby Updates : Le café du Rugby.

Winters

Interesting development. If I recall, Canal+ initially threatened court action but on what grounds I'm not sure. Did it actually go out to tender? I didn't think they actually needed to only to get a bidding war going.

blackdog1

thomond2006 wrote: »

Tonga'uiha and Wannenburg starting too for Oyonnax. Two flops at their respective previous clubs.

Lyon are going to be fascinating to follow, they have made 15 or so signings with a good mix of young players with potential (Gunther, Martin, De Marco) and proven Top14 level players (Smith, Porical, Matadigo, Estebanez). I can't see them getting relegated with that kind of quality. Brive have probably been the weakest of the clubs in terms of recruitment but they play good rugby so I'll be rooting for them to stay up.

I must admit I laughed a bit when I heard racing signed Northampton's 2 props. They both were average in the scrum...hartley just stood up all the time and they just pushed. Without hartley they were finished and its proven so now.

blackdog1

thomond2006 wrote: »

Tonga'uiha and Wannenburg starting too for Oyonnax. Two flops at their respective previous clubs.

Lyon are going to be fascinating to follow, they have made 15 or so signings with a good mix of young players with potential (Gunther, Martin, De Marco) and proven Top14 level players (Smith, Porical, Matadigo, Estebanez). I can't see them getting relegated with that kind of quality. Brive have probably been the weakest of the clubs in terms of recruitment but they play good rugby so I'll be rooting for them to stay up.

I must admit I laughed a bit when I heard racing signed Northampton's 2 props. They both were average in the scrum...hartley just stood up all the time and they just pushed. Without hartley they were finished and its proven so now.

thomond2006

Winters wrote: »

Interesting development. If I recall, Canal+ initially threatened court action but on what grounds I'm not sure. Did it actually go out to tender? I didn't think they actually needed to only to get a bidding war going.

BeIn you mean? Canal had signed a deal and it was BeIn who felt cheated.

Winters

Both I think, Canal+ when LNR announced they were going to tender and then BeIn when they didn't. I think.

http://www.sportbusiness.com/sport-news/french-regulator-orders-new-tender-top-14-rights

blackdog1

I see toulon have reportedly signed cj van der linde on a 2 year contract. Was at London irish last year and didn't finish a game due to injury.

thomond2006

blackdog1 wrote: »

I see toulon have reportedly signed cj van der linde on a 2 year contract. Was at London irish last year and didn't finish a game due to injury.

I'd be very surprised if that is true. Maybe as cover for Castro who is injured but not on a two year deal.

Winters

If any team can bring broken saffers back from the brink then it's Toulon.

thomond2006

Well Midi Olympique just tweeted to Toulon that they were fooled about Van Der Linde so that move isn't happening.

thomond2006

Toulon's first lineup of the season, they play Toulouse in pre-season tomorrow night. :cool:

15. D.Armitage ; 14.Mitchell, 13. Wulf, 12.Mermoz, 11.D.Smith ; 10.Giteau, 9.Tillous ;
7.Gorgodze, 8.S.Armitage, 6.Bruni ; 5.Mikautadze, 4.Suta ; 3.Hayman (cap), 2.Orioli, 1.Chiocci.

Replacements: Burden, Fresia, Barcella, Annetta, Taofifenua, Belan, Munoz, Bastareaud, Cramond, Claassens, Chilachava, Michalak, Seuteni, Tuisova.

No Halfpenny or James O'Connor just yet.

Toulouse's lineup:
1.Kakovin, 2.Baille, 3.Tialata, 4.Millo-Chluski, 5.Tekori, 6.Camara, 7.Harinordoquy, 8.Galan,
9.Doussain, 10.Flood, 11.Palisson, 12.McAlister, 13.David, 14.Clerc, 15.Poitrenaud

Remplaçants: 16.Marchand, 17.Ferreira, 18.Tolofua, 19.Lamboley, 20.Vermaak, 21.Fickou, 22.Matanavou, 23.Maka

damianmcr

Is the Top 14 on Sky this season?

vienne86

damianmcr wrote: »

Is the Top 14 on Sky this season?

I heard that it is - I hope this is true.

The Lost Sheep

damianmcr wrote: »

Is the Top 14 on Sky this season?

vienne86 wrote: »

I heard that it is - I hope this is true.

It is on Sky. 2 games live and a highlights programme a week. Playoffs also all live
http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12321/9270596/sky-sports-have-signed-the-rights-to-the-top-14-frances-premier-rugby-competition

vienne86

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

It is on Sky. 2 games live and a highlights programme a week. Playoffs also all live
http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12321/9270596/sky-sports-have-signed-the-rights-to-the-top-14-frances-premier-rugby-competition

Two games per week - excellent. Any word of a highlights programme?

The Lost Sheep

vienne86 wrote: »

Two games per week - excellent. Any word of a highlights programme?

And a highlights programme. Mentioned in post of mine you quoted.

vienne86

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

And a highlights programme. Mentioned in post of mine you quoted.

Uh oh......getting late! Great news though.

Big Nelly

any chance it will still be on Setanta?

vienne86

Season starts in two weeks time......really stupid that the European Cup fixtures haven't been fixed yet.

The Lost Sheep

Big Nelly wrote: »

any chance it will still be on Setanta?

No. Exclusive to Sky

vienne86 wrote: »

Season starts in two weeks time......really stupid that the European Cup fixtures haven't been fixed yet.

It is but what do you expect after all messing surrounding the structures etc

pickarooney

Toulon are having an open training session at our sister club on Monday. Nearly tempted to take a couple of hours work to see what they're like.

Morf

pickarooney wrote: »

Toulon are having an open training session at our sister club on Monday. Nearly tempted to take a couple of hours work to see what they're like.

Big and good and foreign.

thomond2006

Sexton has been named in Racing's extended squad for their friendly at Toulon, so he should play some part.

thomond2006

mogwai81

Does anybody know a site where i could watch the Top 14 or a least watch highlights? Living in Australia, so TV coverage is out of the question. Cheers.

matthew8

mogwai81 wrote: »

Does anybody know a site where i could watch the Top 14 or a least watch highlights? Living in Australia, so TV coverage is out of the question. Cheers.

lnr.fr, the official website, posts highlights.

thomond2006

Top14 returns tonight!

A Toulon team with quite a few absentees (Burden, Castro, Bakkies, Williams, J Smith, Lobbe, Habana, Halfpenny) travel to a Bayonne side that unusually did very little business in the summer. No place in the 23 for Freddie as Giteau starts at 10 and JOC covers on the bench. However Michalak is in the French squad so he won't play every week. Same goes for Basta.



Le quinze de départ:

1. JC. Van Rensburg

2. G. Arganese

3. G. Jgenti

4. D. Senekal

5. M. Chisholm

6. J. Monribot

7. D. Haare

8. C. Ollivon

9. C. Loustalot

10. S. Fernandez

11. M. O'Connor

12. M. Ugalde

13. J. Rokoçoko

14. M. Bustos Moyano

15. S. Spedding

Les remplaçants: Labouyrie - Iguiniz - Fa'aoso - Marmouyet - Rouet - Stewart - Lovobalavu - Muller.

vienne86

Where do I get the fixture list for Top 14? In the past I have used Eurosport, but they are still showing last year's list.

thomond2006

vienne86 wrote: »

Where do I get the fixture list for Top 14? In the past I have used Eurosport, but they are still showing last year's list.

http://admin.lnr.fr/IMG/pdf/Calendrier_TOP_14_2014-2015.pdf

.ak

Forgot how early the T14 starts...

How did the friendly go last week with Racing?

thomond2006

.ak wrote: »

Forgot how early the T14 starts...

How did the friendly go last week with Racing?

Toulon just about won.

sydneybound

How do we all think the two promoted teams will get on this year?

Lyon with the amount of money they spent will surely stay up

The interesting one will be Le Rochelle who are a great rugby town. In the D2 play off final a crowd of 33,000 attended which is some going.

In the D2 they were getting crowds of over 12,000 (which is their max) so from that apect alone I hope they have a good year. For big games against local(ish) rivals like Bordeaux and Toulouse they could easily reach the 20,000 mark, pity they dont have a bigger stadium for those occasions.

I think Oyonnex will be one team to go down this year.

thomond2006

Bayonne are in trouble I reckon.

matthew8

Bayonne, La Rochelle, Oyonnax, Grenoble, Brive and Lyon look like the teams to scrap it out. On paper Lyon and Grenoble should be OK with their squads but Grenoble have to recover from a horror show at the end of last season and Lyon haven't proven themselves yet at this level. It is hard to see La Rochelle surviving and Bayonne and Oyonnax don't look too hot either. Brive are candidates based on their small budget and overachieving last year, and they also lost LeDevedec, one of their best players. If I had to pick I'd go for Oyonnax and La Rochelle.

former legend

Posted in the 'Australia v NZ' thread but Sky Sports is free to all Sky and UPC subscribers tomorrow so the Montpellier v Racing game is available.

thomond2006

The problem for La Rochelle is they have a horror block of fixtures to start: Brive (A), Toulon (A), Toulouse (H), Grenoble (A). They could lose all of those four and you'd fear they won't recover.

The key will be, like Oyonnax last year, to make their home a fortress. Brive didn't win away from home last year for example but were very strong at home.

sydneybound

Random question but are Lyon going to be staying in their current stadium Matmut Stadium which only holds 8,000 which seems very small for a Top 14 side especially for a big city like Lyon.

In the English Prem a side needs to have at least a 10,000 capacity stadium to be allowed in.

thomond2006

sydneybound wrote: »

Random question but are Lyon going to be staying in their current stadium Matmut Stadium which only holds 8,000 which seems very small for a Top 14 side especially for a big city like Lyon.

In the English Prem a side needs to have at least a 10,000 capacity stadium to be allowed in.

Lyon will move a few matches to the soccer stadium.

sydneybound

thomond2006 wrote: »

Lyon will move a few matches to the soccer stadium.

I was thinking that. Lyon V Clemont or another nearby/bigger club in an 8,000 seater just wouldn't feel right.

P_1

Is Bayonne v Toulon on Sky this evening or is it a trawl through the Canal+ water features?

matthew8

P_1 wrote: »

Is Bayonne v Toulon on Sky this evening or is it a trawl through the Canal+ water features?

Sky.

P_1

matthew8 wrote: »

Sky.

Tres bien

nc6000

Good start to the Sky Top 14 coverage, only 16 minutes late!

thomond2006

I like the clock that counts down for kicks.

former legend

thomond2006 wrote: »

I like the clock that counts down for kicks.

Jonny Sexton won't.

thomond2006

former legend wrote: »

Jonny Sexton won't.

It's a good rule.

matthew8

I only joined in after 20, does the ref intend to enforce the clock strictly? Jonny looks like a kicker very dependent on routine and this could be terrible for him.

thomond2006

thomond2006 wrote: »

I like the clock that counts down for kicks.

Is it happening all across the world this season?

19543261

That Bayonne kick was ridiculous. Nobody bothered chasing so they gained no ground.

19543261

Is that 5 unforced errors now..

thomond2006

Bayonne won't win if their scrum is getting demolished.