Top 14 - Round 1
Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:44
Suddenly, the Top 14 starts again in France. The rest seems inordinately short and suddenly it is Tuesday and Round 1 of the Top 14.
Tuesday? Because of the congested season there will be two rounds this week, which is hard, especially as many sides have injury problems from the friendly matches. For example Stade Français will start without Juan Martín Hernández, Biarritz without Imanol Harinordoquy, Perpignan without Nicolas Laharrague, Toulon without Oreni Ai'i and Castres without Sébastien Tillous-Borde - amongst others.
There will be interest in the use of experimental law variations, the introduction of the citing commissioner in the hope of reducing the endemic fighting, the new foreign players on the French scene and the performance of the two new clubs, especially Toulon.
Foreign players who will attract interest are tough Jerry Collins, Joe van Niekerk, Matt Henjak, controversial Sonny Bill Williams, Ben Castle and Tiaan Liebenberg at Toulon, Justin Marshall and Ollie Smith at Montpellier, big Rodney Blake at Bayonne, Alix Popham, Lachlan McKay and Andy Goode at Brive, Magnus Lund at Biarritz, Juan Manuel Leguizamón at Stade Français, and, of course, when he comes Dan Carter at Perpignan.
Toulon's last visit to the Top 14 lasted just one year and they were rocketed back to Pro D2. Now they have beefed up their side till it is barely a French outfit and are determined to survive. They come in for relegated Auch but kick off against the side that ended top of the Top 14 log last season - Clermont Auvergne.
The other promoted side, Mont-de-Marsan who went through play-offs to win promotion ahead of Racing Métro, have an easier start - against Montauban.
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But Toulon have home-ground advantage while Stade Montois are away.
Those two matches are likely to attract the most attention but pity poor Dax. In the normal course of events they would have been demoted last season as they were well and truly second last but instead Albi went down because of their financial problems. Dax start their new struggle for survival against sophisticated Stade Français. Luckily Dax are at home. They have acquired several new players but nobody of great note apart from a trio of Argentinians - Nicolas Vergallo, Federico Martin-Aramburu and Lucas Borges. On of the Dax players, Irakli Giorgadze, has gone whom to Georgia to care for his family in critical times following the fighting with Russia.
Biarritz will be interesting. They had a poor season last year - in the quality of their rugby and in eventually missing out on the knock-out rounds which one would have thought should have been theirs. They could not score tries. There is no particular reason that they will score tries this year as of their four acquisitions three are forwards - Lund and props Fabien Barcella and Campbell Johnston.
Sides like Perpignan, Castres and even Montpellier will want to get their campaigns going well to have a chance of making the semis after Round 26. There is a long road ahead.
The fixtures for Round 1 on 26 August 2008:
Biarritz vs Bourgoin
Castres vs Bayonne
Montpellier vs Toulouse
Toulon vs Clermont Auvergne
Perpignan vs Brive
Dax vs Stade Français
Montauban vs Mont-de-Marsan
Predictions: If you were a betting man you would probably bet on Biarritz, partly because Bourgoin are not great away from home, Toulouse, Clermont Auvergne, partly because the Auvergnats are more settled, Perpignan, Stade Français and Montauban. That leaves what may just be the battle of the Tuesday, Castres against Bayonne where home ground may weigh seriously in Castres's favour and in any case they ended last season improving week by week till they ended fifth.
Last year's final standings:
1. Clermont 96
2. Toulouse 91
3. Stade Français 80
4. Perpignan 79
5. Castres 69
6. Biarritz 66
7. Montauban 63
8. Montpellier 61
9. Bayonne 54
10. Bourgoin 52
11. Brive 51
12. Albi 48
13. Dax 34
14. Auch 19
Teams:
There are now 23 players in the team of whom three must be front row players capable of playing hooker, prop and prop. This is to try to avoid uncontested scrums.
It is hard to get teams from France but we shall publish what we can get.
Bayonne squad: Pierre-Philippe Lafond, Aretz Iguiniz, Rodney Blake, Denis Avril, Arnaud Heguy, Roumieu, Rob Linde, Cédric Bergez, Mikaera Tewhata, Marc Baget, Guillaume Bernad, Jacques Deen, Julien Puricelli, Rémy Martin (captain), Johnny Howard, Lopez, Manuel Edmonds, Daniel Larrechea, Craig Gower, Thibault Lacroix, Vincent Inigo, Filimone Bolavucu, Julien Peyras, Sam Gerber.
Bayonne: Avril, Baget, Bergez, Bernad, Blake, Bolavucu, Matias Cortese, Deen, Edmonds, Pépito Elhorga, Julian Fiorini, Xavier Garbajosa, Cédric Garcia, Gerber, Gower, Dwayne Haare, Heguy, Howard, Iguiniz, Inigo, Lacroix, Nicolas Lafitte, Lafond, Larrechea, Benjamin Lhande, Rob Linde, Mathieu Maillard, Jean-Joseph Marmouyet, Martin, Louis Massabeau
Biarritz: 15 Nicolas Brusque, 14 Philippe Bidabé, 13 Laurent Tranier, 12 Damien Traille, 11 Takudzwa Ngwenya, 10 Vincent Courrent, 9 Dimitri Yachvili, 8 Samui Vahafolau, 7 Jacques Cronjé, 6 Magnus Lund, 5 David Couzinet, 4 Jérôme Thion (captain), Benoît Bourrust, Benoît Denoyelle, Eduard Coetzee.
Replacements: 16 Antonin Raffault, 17 Benoît Lecouls, 18 Jean-Baptiste Roidot, 19 Wenceslas Lauret, 20 Julien
Peyrelongue, 21 Henry Fa'afili, 22 Benjamin Thiery, 23 Fabien Barcella.
Brive: 15 Alexis Palisson, 14 Norman Ligairi, 13 Ronnie Cooke, 12 Ben Johnston, 11 Horacio Agulla, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Jean-Baptiste Pejoine, 8 Simon Azoulai (captain), 7 Alix Popham, 6 Gerhard Vosloo, 5 Arnaud Mela, 4 Yohan Van Zyl, 3 Pierre Capdevielle, 2 Steve Thompson, 1 Davit Khinchagishvili
Replacements: tba
Castres squad: Carl Hoeft, Luc Ducalcon, Gidéon Lensing, Danie Saayman, Mathieu Bonello, Romain Terrain, Colin Gaston, Rodrigo Capo-Ortega, Lionel Nallet, Leiataua Tomiki, Florian Faure, Iosefa Tekori, Darron Nell, Romain Teulet, Romain Boscus, Paul Bonnefond, Anthony Lagardère, Charles Sika, Thomas Sanchou, Cammie Mcintyre, Lionel Mazars, Thomas Bouquié, Laloaoa Milford
Clermont Auvergne squad: Laurent Emmanuelli, Davit Zirakashvili, Mirko Lozupone, Mario Ledesma, Vincent Debaty, Loic Jacquet, Christophe Samson, Thibaut Privat, Julien Bonnaire, Fabien Alexandre, Elvis Vermeulen, Emmanuel Etien, Thomas Combezou, Pierre Mignoni, Brock James, Arnaud Mignardi, Pierre Manuel Garcia, Gonzalo Canale, Seremaia Baï, Aurélien Rougerie, Julien Malzieu, Benoît Baby.
Dax squad: Nicolas Decamps, Kasiano Lealamanua, Yves Pédrosa, William Bonnet, Renaud Boyoud, Mattin Auzqui, Anthony Mazel, Mickaël Bert, Kane Thompson, Joel Koffi, Jannie Bornman, Mathieu Lièvremont, Vincent Deniau, Nicolas Vergallo, Nicolas Morlaes, Maxime Petitjean, Duncan Bell, Laurent Marticoréna, Gavin Williams, Federico Martin Aramburu, Lucas Borges, Neumi Nanuku, Bruno Hiriart, David Bortolussi.
Montpellier squad: Pietman van Niekerk, Danie Thiart, Bruce Douglas, Eugene van Staden, Joan Caudullo, Fabien Rofes, Mamuka Gorgodze, Michel Macurdy, Drikus Hancke, Jérôme Vallée, Johan Wasserman, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Louis Picamoles, Vassili Bost, Justin Marshall, Julien Tomas, François Trinh-Duc, Federico Todeschini, Frikkie Welsh, Ollie Smith, Grant Rees, Thomas Brana, Olivier Sarramea, Mark McHugh.
Perpignan squad: Nicolas Mas, Perry Freshwater, KisI Pulu, Jérôme Schuster, Guilhem Guirado, Marius Tincu, Nathan Hines, Rimas Alvarez-Kairelis, Gerrie Britz, Damien Chouly, Henry Tuilagi, Jean-Pierre Pérez, Viliami Vaki, Bertrand Guiry, Chris Cusiter, Nicolas Durand, Nicolas Laharrague, Steve Meyer, David Marty, Gavin Hume, Christophe Manas, Farid Sid, Philip Burger, Jérôme Porical.
Stade Francais: 15 Nicolas Jeanjean, 14 Julien Arias, 13 Stéphane Glas, 12 Brian Liebenberg, 11 Dave Vainqueur, 10 Lionel Beauxis, 9 Noel Oelschig, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Pierre Rabadan (captain), 6 Simon Taylor, 5 Pierre Vigouroux, 4 Arnaud Marchois, 3 Sylvain Marconnet, 2 Dimitri Szarzewski, 1 Pierre
Correia.
Replacements: 16 Mathieu Blin, 17 Franck Montanella, 18 Mauro Bergamasco, 19 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 20 Terry Bouhraoua, 21 Mathieu Bastareaud, 22 Mirco Bergamasco, 23 Laurent Simutoga
Toulon: 15 Olvier Grimaud, 14 Martin Jagr, 13 Mafileo Kefu, 12 Tusi Pisi, 11 Marc Andreu, 10 Ramiro Pez, 9 Norman Jordaan, 8 Thomas Sourice, 7 Jerry Collins, 6 Soane Toevalu, 5 Esteban Lozada, 4 Jocelino Suta, 3 Ben Castle, 2 Philip Fitzgerald (captain), 1 Saimone Taumoepeau.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 David Banquet, 18 Mathieu Larrouy, 19 Fotunuupule Auelua, 20 Yoann Maestri, 21Sonny Bill Williams, 22 Sébastien Fauqué, 23 Matt Henjak.
Toulouse: 15 Clément Poitrenaud, 14 Manu Ahotaeiloa, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 11 Cédric Heymans, 10 Jean Baptiste Elissalde, 9 Byron Kelleher, 8 Shaun Sowerby, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6
Jean Bouilhou, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Fabien Pelous (captain), 3 Salvatore Perugini, 2 William Servat, 1 Daan Human.
Replacements: 16 Virgile Lacombe, 17 Jean-Baptiste Poux, 18 Yohan Montès, 19 Romain Millo-Chluski, 20 Grégory Lamboley, 21 Yannick Nyanga, 22 Gaffie du Toit, 23 Bertus Swanepoel
Match officials:
Biarritz vs Bourgoin
Referee: Jean-Luc Rebollal
Touch judges: Jean-Paul Vermande, Fernand Pereira
Assessor: Christian Zidel, Bernard Perez
Television match official: Daniel Gillet
Castres vs Bayonne
Referee: Stephan Pomarède
Touch judges: Jean-Christophe Clot, Alain Rongier
Assessor: Francis Coup, Michel Debet
Television match official: Jean-Christophe Gastou
Montpellier vs Toulouse
Referee: Jean-Pierre Matheu
Touch judges: Eric Briquet Campin, René Bordeneuve
Assessor: Michel Sicard,
Michel Messan
Television match official: Serge Marzullo
Toulon vs Clermont Auvergne
Referee: Christophe Berdos
Touchse: Patrick Bellet, Claude Tajan
Assessor: Patrice Frantschi, Daniel Pruvot
Television match official: Daniel Dartigeas
Perpignan vs Brive
Referee: Cédric Marchat
Touch judges: Denis Grenouillet, Patrick Dellac
Assessor: Michel Forget, Yves Bressy
Television match official: Daniel Irazoqui
Dax vs Stade Français
Referee: Franck Maciello
Touch judges: Hervé Gilard, Didier Morin
Assessor: Jean-Marie Combe, Marc Desclaux
Television match official: Gérard Borreani
Montauban vs Mont-de-Marsan
Referee: Hervé Dubes
Touch judges: Frédéric Ducarez, Jean-Claude Bes
Assessor: Jean-Louis Lamy, Marc Daroque
Television match official: Jean-Pierre Pellaprat
