Brits abroad

[francoisfou]

Round 22 of the Top14 starts tomorrow:

Bordeaux/Bègles - 4 Jonny Gray, 22 Joey Carbery
La Rochelle - 14 Jack Nowell

Vannes - 1 Mako Vunipola
Toulon - 6 Lewis Ludlam

Toulouse - 15 Blair Kinghorn, 6 Jack Willis
Castres - 3 Will Collier

Montpellier - 10 Stuart Hogg, 8 Billy Vunipola
Perpignan - 3 Kieran Brookes

Bayonne - 12 Manu Tuilagi, 5 Alex Moon
Pau - 9 Dan Robson

Racing v Stade Français kicks off Sunday afternoon and the teams are yet to be announced.

[Mellsblue]

Will Collier (33 years old) has just signed a one-season extension to his contract with Castres, having clearly made the number 3 shirt his own.
He's played sixteen matches this season in the Top14 and Champions' Cup, of which fourteen were in the starting XV, despite being absent injured for two months.
His club are currently 5th in the Top14 and will most probably make the end of season playoffs.
He'll undoubtedly be in the Castres starting XV for tomorrow afternoon's Top14 match against Toulouse at the 33,000 capacity Stadium that's already sold out

Here he is pictured with the former, and more than formidable Castres and France prop Gérard Cholley (31caps between 1975/79), of whom the older members of this forum will remember.

https://castres-olympique.com/wp-conten ... 24x683.jpg

He did an interview with The Times a couple of weeks ago ago. He is loving life down there and who can blame him.

[francoisfou]

I've read that Manu Tuilagi, Billy V, Stuart Hogg and the Britalian Stephen Varney were prominent in their clubs' wins this afternoon.
In particular, Varney's Vannes pulled off an unexpected bp win at home to Toulon, which leaves them just one point behind Stade Français and Perpignan in 12th and 13th in the table, with four matches to play ( 5 for SF)

Stade Français visit Racing tomorrow evening when Zach Henry will wear 10 and Joe Marchant 22.
For Racing, Sam James 15, Owen Farrell 10, Will Rowlands 5 and Jr Kpoku 7.

[francoisfou]

Stuart Hogg’s season with Montpellier is over due to a ruptured achilles.

[Captainhaircut]

Stuart Hogg’s season with Montpellier is over due to a ruptured achilles.

Absolutely dreadful news. Could not have happened to a nicer person.

[Banquo]

Stuart Hogg’s season with Montpellier is over due to a ruptured achilles.

Absolutely dreadful news. Could not have happened to a nicer person.

I thought he was in prison tbh

[Danno]

Stuart Hogg’s season with Montpellier is over due to a ruptured achilles.

Absolutely dreadful news. Could not have happened to a nicer person.

I thought he was in prison tbh

Just got a restraining order iirc

[Banquo]

Absolutely dreadful news. Could not have happened to a nicer person.

I thought he was in prison tbh

Just got a restraining order iirc

That's all right then

[Danno]

I thought he was in prison tbh

Just got a restraining order iirc

That's all right then

Hah, indeed. It was a horrible rapsheet when you think about the effect on his wife, amazed he basically got away with it

[francoisfou]

Stuart Hogg’s season with Montpellier is over due to a ruptured achilles.

Absolutely dreadful news. Could not have happened to a nicer person.

I thought he was in prison tbh

Should've been, but Montpellier Rugby Club have the doubtful reputation of giving miscreants a respite from justice, be it in France or Scotland.

[Banquo]

Just got a restraining order iirc

That's all right then

Hah, indeed. It was a horrible rapsheet when you think about the effect on his wife, amazed he basically got away with it

me too, I'd just assumed he was banged up

[Mikey Brown]

Lancaster back for the Lyon game with Farrell selected at 12 (ahead of Tuisova) is interesting.

Kpoku starts at 6. Will hopefully get to see this one.

[francoisfou]

Top14 round 23 takes place tomorrow and Sunday evening;

Perpignan - 3Kieran Brookes
Stade Français - 10 Zach Henry, 13 Joe Marchant

Toulon - 3 Kyle Sinckler, 6 Lewis Ludlam, 20 Dan Biggar
Toulouse

Lyon
Pau - 9 Dan Robson

Castres - match postponed after Castres' Fijian winger, Josaia Raisuqe was tragically killed in his car on a level crosssing on his way to training a couple of days ago
Clermont

Racing - 15 Sam James, 5 Will Rowlands, 21 Dan Lancaster
Bayonne - 5 Alex Moon, 21 Manu Tuilagi

Vannes - 1 Mako Vunipola, 9 Stephen Varney
La Rochelle - 14 Jack Nowell

Montpellier
Bordeaux/Bègles - Sunday evening kick off so teams are yet to be announced

[Puja]

Top14 round 23 takes place tomorrow and Sunday evening;

Thank you as always for doing these.

Do you know if Arundell is injured or out of favour?

Puja

[Danno]

Top14 round 23 takes place tomorrow and Sunday evening;

Thank you as always for doing these.

Do you know if Arundell is injured or out of favour?

Puja

Seconded - always appreciated

[francoisfou]

Top14 round 23 takes place tomorrow and Sunday evening;

Perpignan - 3Kieran Brookes
Stade Français - 10 Zach Henry, 13 Joe Marchant

Toulon - 3 Kyle Sinckler, 6 Lewis Ludlam, 20 Dan Biggar
Toulouse

Lyon
Pau - 9 Dan Robson

Castres - match postponed after Castres' Fijian winger, Josaia Raisuqe was tragically killed in his car on a level crosssing on his way to training a couple of days ago
Clermont

Racing - 15 Sam James, 5 Will Rowlands, 21 Dan Lancaster
Bayonne - 5 Alex Moon, 21 Manu Tuilagi

Vannes - 1 Mako Vunipola, 9 Stephen Varney
La Rochelle - 14 Jack Nowell

Montpellier
Bordeaux/Bègles - Sunday evening kick off so teams are yet to be announced

Montpellier - 8 Billy Vunipola (c), 20 Sam Simmonds
B/B - 5 Jonny Gray

In ProD2, Jonny May scored 3 tries in Angoulême's big win over Oyonnax and his side have qualified for the playoffs.
The evergreen Jimmy Gopperth kicked 16 points in Provence's bp win over Biarritz.

With one round to play, these are the teams in the top 6:

1 Brive 94 - Béziers (a)
2 Grenoble 94 - Nevers (h)
3 Colomiers 86 - Biarritz (a)
4 Provence 82 - Oyonnax (a)
5 Angoulême 80 - Valence Romans (a)
6 Montauban 77 - Aurillac (a)

At the other end of the table, Nice are already relegated. Aurillac are 15th on 52 points and the once great Agen 14th on 54 points. The side that finishes 15th will travel to the runner up in Nationale 1 (either Chambéry or Carcassonne) to see who plays in ProD2 next season.
Wouldn't it be good to see the likes of Courtney Lawes (Brive), Jimmy Gopperth, George North, Teimana Harrison (Provence) and Jonny May playing in the Top14!

[francoisfou]

Honorary Brit, Jimmy Gopperth, has played his last game for Provence. According to RugbyPass, the bounders of Provence are not renewing his contract and will thus deprive him of playing in the Top14 - unless another French club signs him.
He’ll be a sprightly 42 at the end of next month and wants to continue playing.
Worcester, maybe?

[Mikey Brown]

I don’t even follow the championship but I love the idea of him carrying on at Worcester.

[FKAS]

I don’t even follow the championship but I love the idea of him carrying on at Worcester.

Be a good option as player coach.

[francoisfou]

Honorary Brit, Jimmy Gopperth, has played his last game for Provence. According to RugbyPass, the bounders of Provence are not renewing his contract and will thus deprive him of playing in the Top14 - unless another French club signs him.
He’ll be a sprightly 42 at the end of next month and wants to continue playing.
Worcester, maybe?

Edit: Not strictly true! There's one more round in the ProD2 regular season on Friday night and Provence are away to Oyonnax, and a win could possibly secure a home playoff match.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/i-still- ... -gopperth/

[francoisfou]

Top14 round 24 takes place tomorrow and Sunday:

Bayonne - 4 Alex Moon
Vannes - 1 Mako Vunipola

Bordeaux/Bègles - 4 Jonny Gray
Castres - 3 Will Collier

Toulouse - 19 Jack Willis
Racing - 15 Sam James, 10 Dan Lancaster, 19 Will Rowlands, 20 Jr Kpoku (and no Owen Farrell who's maybe rested)

Stade Français - 13 Joe Marchant, 10 Zach Henry
Lyon

Pau - 10 Joe Simmonds who's back from injury
Toulon - 10 Dan Biggar, 18 Lewis Ludlam, 23 Kyle Sinckler

Montpellier v La Rochelle is on Sunday evening and the teams haven't been announced yet