French rugby Updates : Le café du Rugby.

pickarooney

My local team are one win away from ProD2. Would be mad to see Biarritz, Perpignan et al coming here.

thomond2006

Eddy Ben Arous (Racing), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Xavier Chiocci (Toulon), Nicolas Mas (Montpellier), Rabah Slimani (Stade français),

Guilhem Guirado (Toulon), Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing),

Alexandre Flanquart (Stade français), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Pascal Papé (Stade français), Sébastien Vahaamahina (Clermont),

Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Bernard Le Roux (Racing), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Loann Goujon (La Rochelle).

Rory Kockott (Castres), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Sébastien Tillous-Borde (Toulon),

Rémi Tales (Castres), Frédéric Michalak (Toulon), François Trinh-Duc (Montpellier),

Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Rémi Lamerat (Castres), Gaël Fickou (Toulouse), Alexandre Dumoulin (Racing),

Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Noa Nakaitaci (Clermont), Sofiane Guitoune (UBB), Brice Dulin (Racing), Scott Spedding (Bayonne).

So no Lopez, Mermoz and Medard. Somehow Freddie Michalak has returned despite not being in the first choice Toulon 23!

iroced

thomond2006 wrote: »

Grenoble are not out of the woods just yet. Rugbyrama mention that in the case of equal points with any of the teams around it, Grenoble will finish below.

So if the below took place Grenoble would be relegated:
- Bayonne get a TBP win at home to La Rochelle - La Rochelle have nothing to play for
- Brive get a no bonus win at home to Stade Francais - Stade Francais in contention for Top 2
- Grenoble get nothing from their trip to Lyon - Lyon are already relegated

Yeah. Their head-to-head results read

Bayonne 5 pts
Brive 5 pts
Grenoble 4 pts

---

By the way, PSA announced the France 36 for the WC.

AVANTS
Piliers: Atonio (La Rochelle), Ben Arous (Racing-Métro), Chiocci (Toulon), Debaty (Clermont), Mas (Montpellier), Slimani (Stade Français)
Talonneurs: Guirado (Toulon), Kayser (Clermont), Szarzewski (Racing-Métro)
Deuxième-lignes: Flanquart (Stade Français), Maestri (Toulouse), Vahaamahina (Clermont), Papé (Stade Français)
Troisième-lignes aile: Dusautoir (Toulouse), Le Roux (Racing-Métro), Nyanga (Toulouse), Ouedraogo (Montpellier)
Toisièmes-lignes centre: Chouly (Clermont), Goujon (La Rochelle), Picamoles (Toulouse)

ARRIERES
Demis de mêlée: Kockott (Castres), Parra (Clermont), Tillous-Borde (Toulon)
Demis d'ouverture: Michalak (Toulon), Tales (Castres), Trinh-Duc (Montpellier)
Centres: Bastareaud (Toulon), Dumoulin (Racing-Métro), Fickou (Toulouse), Fofana (Clermont), Lamerat (Castres)
Ailiers et arrières: Dulin (Racing-Métro), Guitoune (Bordeaux-Bègles), Huget (Toulouse), Nakaitaci (Clermont), Spedding (Bayonne)


Trinh-Duc & Michalak rather than Lopez & Plisson.

Again PSA can't settle on a halves pair and ditch Lopez because he had a bad game. I'm happy for Trinh-Duc but he almost never featured for 4 years...


--- edit ---
Trinh-Duc was happy to learn the news => http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actualites/La-joie-de-francois-trinh-duc/559764 :pac:

vienne86

iroced wrote: »

Yeah. Their head-to-head results read

Bayonne 5 pts
Brive 5 pts
Grenoble 4 pts

---

As always, there will be still be excitement on the last day of the Top 14, when all matches are played simultaneously.

Iroced, would you know which French radio station will be covering the rugby on Saturday? Last year I was in France, and got it in the car - it was brilliant listening - but I have no notion which station I was tuned in to. This year I will be at home, and hope to tune in the internet radio, but it is not so easy to search on that. Thanks.

iroced

vienne86 wrote: »

Iroced, would you know which French radio station will be covering the rugby on Saturday? Last year I was in France, and got it in the car - it was brilliant listening - but I have no notion which station I was tuned in to. This year I will be at home, and hope to tune in the internet radio, but it is not so easy to search on that. Thanks.

There could be a couple... Where were you in France?

The sports radio in France is RMC. During week-ends their broadcast are mainly multisports coverings. But I'm not sure they have a dedicated rugby multiplex.

I think Sud Radio does it. RTL have also multisports coverings during week-ends.

But if you were in a rugby area you may have tuned in to a local radio (the France Bleu channels, there's one per county roughly, e.g. France Bleu Roussillon is great to follow USAP, they'd give you updates on the other games but you would not have a proper commentator for it ; while France Bleu Hérault is crap to follow Montpellier, I'm not even sure they follow each game :rolleyes:...).



--- edit ---

Think I found what you're searching for. Sud Radio indeed does it. And here's the link and the program :cool:
=> http://www.sudradio.fr/Autre-contenu/Les-evenements-rugby

Sud Radio wrote:

A l'affiche ce week-end

Samedi 23 mai : 100 % rugby dès 15h00
Journaliste : Xavier BARRET / Consultant : David GERARD

Top 14

16h15 : BAYONNE / LA ROCHELLE
Journaliste : Gilles GAUTHIER

16h15 : BRIVE / STADE FRANÇAIS
Journaliste : Alexandre PRIAM

16h15 : LYON / GRENOBLE
Journaliste : Laurent SOULIÉ

16h15 : MONTPELLIER / CLERMONT
Journaliste : Julien PUYUELO

16h15 : RACING METRO / CASTRES
Journaliste : Vincent DELZESCAUX

16h15 : TOULON / OYONNAX
Journaliste : Fabrice MICHELIER

16h15 : TOULOUSE / BORDEAUX
Journaliste : Jérémy DESOBLIN

First Utility Super League

18h00 : CATALANS / WIGAN en intégralité
Journaliste : Pierre VERGES / Consultant : Patrick WOZNIAK


Dimanche 24 mai : 100 % rugby dès 14h00
Journaliste : Jean-Marie LLENSE / Consultant : Benjamin BOYET

Pro D2

15h05 : MONT-DE-MARSAN / AGEN en intégralité
Journaliste : Xavier BARRET / Consultant : David GERARD

vienne86

Thanks for your help Iroced - when I was listening last year, I was in Poitou Charente, travelling from La Rochelle to Poitiers, so not really a rugby area - I would doubt I was listening on Bleu Poitou. The matches had started when I picked up the hire car, so I just kept pressing the 'search' button until I found rugby!

vienne86

iroced wrote: »

Think I found what you're searching for. Sud Radio indeed does it. And here's the link and the program :cool:
=> http://www.sudradio.fr/Autre-contenu/Les-evenements-rugby

That's it! Someone at each game and a couple of people in the studio. I can't find any Top 14 on Sky this weekend, so this'll be me sorted. It was fantastic last year - everytime someone scored, the relegation battle changed. Oyonnax hung on by the skin of their teeth........and look at them now!

Deano7788

vienne86 wrote: »

That's it! Someone at each game and a couple of people in the studio. I can't find any Top 14 on Sky this weekend, so this'll be me sorted. It was fantastic last year - everytime someone scored, the relegation battle changed. Oyonnax hung on by the skin of their teeth........and look at them now!

It's on Sky Sports 5 from 3.10.

vienne86

Deano7788 wrote: »

It's on Sky Sports 5 from 3.10.

Ah OK - I wonder which match they'll show.....it just says 'a match' on my Sky schedule.

thomond2006

So after signing for Toulon to the shock of Clermont, Napolioni Nalaga is now not going to Toulon and is set to sign a two year contract with Lyon in the ProD2! He visited Lyon today for a medical. Talk about a player who is way too good for that division! Lyon (who are loaded) must be paying him a fortune as IMO he would start for any team in Europe.

According to RR Toulon wanted to cut ties due to the JIFF quota. Tbh they don't need Nalaga with Mitchell, Habana and Delon in situ along with young Josua Tuisova who is a serious prospect.

sydneybound

I'd love to know where their getting the money obviously must be from a big backer. Went to their home game against Racing and they only have a small 11,000 seater, good atmosphere but they'd need bigger to bring in the big bucks. Surely with all this money they must be thinking about moving?

aimee1

sydneybound wrote: »

I'd love to know where their getting the money obviously must be from a big backer. Went to their home game against Racing and they only have a small 11,000 seater, good atmosphere but they'd need bigger to bring in the big bucks. Surely with all this money they must be thinking about moving?

do they not play a few games a season at the football stadium?

sydneybound

aimee1 wrote: »

do they not play a few games a season at the football stadium?

Lyon FC (or maybe council) are building a new stadium however the rugby team never play in their existing football stadium.

pickarooney

sydneybound wrote: »

Lyon FC (or maybe council) are building a new stadium however the rugby team never play in their existing football stadium.

Word as they would inherit Gerland when OL moved on, but there was a lot of talk about LOU becoming a huge regional side a while back and I can't really see it happening any time soon. Hard to imagine Nalaga in D2.

vienne86

Deano7788 wrote: »

It's on Sky Sports 5 from 3.10.

So the match they are showing is Toulouse v Bordeaux.

iroced

sydneybound wrote: »

Lyon FC (or maybe council) are building a new stadium however the rugby team never play in their existing football stadium.

Lyon FC :P? Olympique Lyonnais would not like to be called like that :pac:. This is how the Marseille fans are mocking them like "there's only one "olympique" it's Marseille not Lyon ".

pickarooney wrote: »

Word as they would inherit Gerland when OL moved on, but there was a lot of talk about LOU becoming a huge regional side a while back and I can't really see it happening any time soon. Hard to imagine Nalaga in D2.

Yeah OL is moving into their own big stadium from the start of next season (same situation than Arsenal when they moved to the Emirates) and LOU is supposed to inherit from Gerland (40k stadium).

I think it's only a matter of time when Lyon becomes a strong rugby place in France. Rugby has been historically played in the region (Bourgoin, Grenoble, Oyonnax...) and with the way things are changing in French rugby (it's slowly but surely moving into big cities) and with the local will to create a strong club in Lyon, I can't see them failing to achieve it for too long.

What they've experienced lately (huge investment, promotion, relegation) resembles a lot to the early Boudjelal years in Toulon. I'm not saying they're gonna develop the same way but like Toulon back then they need to find a bit of stability to secure a top14 position and aim for the top.

iroced

vienne86 wrote: »

That's it! Someone at each game and a couple of people in the studio. I can't find any Top 14 on Sky this weekend, so this'll be me sorted. It was fantastic last year - everytime someone scored, the relegation battle changed. Oyonnax hung on by the skin of their teeth........and look at them now!

RMC is also doing the multiplex :cool:.

---

Try for Lyon! Grenoble are 7-0 down.
And now try for Bayonne !
At the moment, Brive to go down !!!

The crazy day has started .

iroced

Try for Castres in Colombes. Coudl Racing be in trouble?

Try for Montpellier now. 7-3 home to Clermont.

And a second try for Lyon. 14-0. Grenoble are not up for it right now...


The crazy last GW has indeed started :cool:.

iroced

La Rochelle level in Bayonne. 7-7. Brive are now safe

Racing level home to Castres. Racing go to the play-off.

iroced

Second try for Montpellier :cool:. 14-3 vs Clermont.

Second try for Bayonne too. Bayonne 14-7 up vs La Rochelle.

Try for UBB at Toulouse. 7-0 up.

Brive 3-0 up vs SF.

Grenoble going a bit better. Still 6-14 down in Lyon.

Oyonnax 6-0 down in Mayol.

---

So Oyonnax are currently out of the top6 ! And Bayonne still the one to go down. But the way it's going, Grenoble have to be careful...

iroced

Try for Brive!!! Brive 8-0 up.

Second try for Castres from Kockott but he misses the (tough) conversion. ... And second try for Racing. Sexton converts it. 18-10 for Racing.

Double for Drew Mitchell. RCT 20-0 up.

Try for Clermont. Montpellier leads 14-10.

Second penalty kicks for Toulouse despite UBB domination. Toulouse 6-5 up.... And a second try for UBB from a luminous kicked pass from Bernard. UBB 12-6 up.


---

As it stands, Toulon & Clermont in the semi-finals, Oyonnax out of top6 and Bayonne to go down.

iroced

Wow :eek:. Bad news for Toulouse & Oyonnax. Red card for Census Johnston for "brutality". Could miss the play-off.

Try for Bayonne. 19-7 up and 1 try away from the TBP which would equals safety :cool:.

Grenoble woke up in Lyon. Just got a try. Not converted but only 11-14 down and their LBP saves them for now.

Second try for Clermont in Montpellier. Clermont 17-14 up.

YC for Papé in Brive.

---

Oyonnax may regret losing the TBP vs Lyon last week...

---

Just a little story between Brive & Bayonne in case they finish level. Bayonne will be ahead for 1 pt from their H2H results. In the return game Brive had a penalty a couple of minutes before the end. They kicked in touch hoping to score a try. They eventually failed. Had they gone for the 3 pts and scored it, they'll only need to win today to be safe. But now, if Bayonne gets the TBP which looks more and more likely they're gonna need to get it too!

iroced

Minutes before HT, Lyon got a penalty that put Grenoble out of the LBP. But after the 40 min mark, Grenoble scored a second try that gives them a bit of caution for now! Crazy stuff!!!


So. Here's the situation at half-time. 21 tries scored!!! They should play simultaneously every GW !

Montpellier - Clermont : 14 (2T) - 17 (2T)
Lyon - Grenoble : 17 (2T) - 18 (2T)
Bayonne - La Rochelle : 19 (3T) - 7 (1T)
Toulouse - Bordeaux : 9 - 12 (2T) --- Toulouse down to 14 men.
Toulon - Oyonnax : 20 (2T) - 3
Brive - Stade Français : 8 (1T) - 0
Racing - Castres : 21 (2T) - 10 (2T)

As it stands.

Toulon & Clermont in the semi-finals.
SF & ST home quarters respectively vs Racing & UBB.
Oyonnax 7th. Could play the ERC play-off qualifier.
Bayonne to accompany Lyon in Pro D2.

But bar 1st and last, everything can still change !!!!!!

vienne86

Yikes, Grenoble living dangerously.

I wonder will UBB hold off Toulouse....hmmm.

iroced

And after only 4 mins in the second half Bayonne scored their 4th try !!! Bayonne (with their TBP) is safe !!! Bayonne 26-7 up.

And now Brive got their second try !!! One more and they bring Bayonne back down! Madness! Brive 13-0 up.

On other news Tillous-Borde gave RCT the TBP too. Toulon 1st and can't be overtaken. RCT 27-3 up.

And Lyon goes ahead of Grenoble with a penalty kick. 20-18.

Very dark day in Toulouse. After Johnston RC, Harinordoquy got badly injured. Could be season over for him...

iroced

vienne86 wrote: »

Yikes, Grenoble living dangerously.

Yeah only 3 pts of caution now...

vienne86 wrote: »

I wonder will UBB hold off Toulouse....hmmm.

With Toulouse down to 14 men they very well could!

iroced

And a 5th try for Bayonne from Rokocoko. So now bayonne depends upon Brive not getting the TBP.

And a 4th try for Toulon.

And a 3rd try for Racing.

iroced

AAAaaaaaannnnnndddddd Radikedike sends Brive into heaven for now !!! 3rd try and 20-0 up for CAB !!!

What a day of rugby !!! :eek: !!!

iroced wrote: »

With Toulouse down to 14 men they very well could!

Maybe I spoke too fast... Huget scored a try for Toulouse converted by Bézy. Toulouse 16-15 up!
UBB may regret all the wasted points. Bernard is only on 2/7 on his kicks!

And a dropgoal for Wisniewski and Grenoble in the lead again. 21-20 in Lyon.

vienne86

UBB now 9-15 up in Toulouse......no ....try from Picamoles....16-15!

vienne86

Only one point in it at Lyon.....Grenoble by a whisker.....squeaky bum time.