Tag: Rugby

South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus believes his side must be more consistent after their bonus-point 34-21 win over Argentina in Durban.

Braces from Aphiwe Dyantyi and Makazole Mapimpi and one each for Lukhanyo Am and Faf de Klerk saw the Springboks seal a comfortable victory.

However, while Erasmus did take pleasure in how his troops bounced back after the break, he was not overly pleased with his side’s performance.

“The only positive was the first 30 minutes in the second-half; it was the only decent rugby we played,” the coach told SA Rugby’s website.

“I was expecting that we wouldn’t produce a completely fluent display, but the first-half was worse than I thought. Thankfully Siya (Kolisi) and the boys picked it up after the break.

“We lost a few line-outs that were crucial and there were some technical errors but for all of that it was a dominant performance, but it wasn’t the crispest performance. Technically and tactically we weren’t on par.”

He added: “The line-outs we lost in their 22 were a problem – we were down there five times and we didn’t capitalise in the first half. That was the most frustrating thing.

“But you have to look at the positive – there is some gelling to be done in this team but as long as the effort is there it will come and we saw good effort.”

Changes are expected to be made to the Springbok side for the reverse fixture in Mendoza next weekend, with Erasmus revealing his plans.

“They know what we’re about now and we’ll make a few changes to the team – four of five changes – as we’re expecting a massive physical onslaught; they are fuming,” he said.

“They have always been tough there – but we got five points out of this game; not the most beautiful and perfect game but we’re well in it. Going there I don’t think we have the luxury of experimenting.”

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Namibia have qualified for Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan after beating Kenya 53-28 in Windhoek to win the Rugby Africa Gold Cup on Saturday.

They join world champions New Zealand, South Africa, Italy and the Repechage winner in Pool B for what will be their sixth-successive tournament.

Kenya’s dream of qualifying for their first Rugby World Cup is not over, but they now face the prospect of taking on Canada, Hong Kong and Germany in November’s round-robin Repechage competition in Marseille for the final place.

Kenya had only beaten Namibia twice in 10 matches with their last victory coming in 2016, but driven by an opportunity to make history, the team ranked 28th in the World Rugby rankings played their part in a highly-entertaining and high-scoring match.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “Congratulations to Namibia on winning the Rugby Africa Gold Cup to secure a place at Rugby World Cup 2019. They were impressive throughout the competition and are deserved champions.

“We look forward to welcoming the Namibia team and their fans to Japan for what promises to be a very special and ground-breaking Rugby World Cup – the first in Asia.

“The qualification process is almost over, but Kenya’s journey continues as they deservedly secure a place in November’s Repechage in Marseille, and I would like to wish them, Canada, Hong Kong and Germany all the best for what promises to be an exciting tournament.”

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Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has named a squad of 28 players for the visit to Argentina, where they will face the Pumas in Mendoza on Saturday.

South Africa and Argentina meet on Saturday, 25 August, for the second time in as many weeks in the opening stages of the Rugby Championship.

The Springboks defeated the Pumas 34-21 in a bonus-point win in the first encounter between the sides in Durban at the weekend.

Erasmus trimmed the forwards by three players, namely Jean-Luc du Preez (loose forward), Sikhumbuzo Notshe (loose forward) and Marvin Orie (lock). Uncapped flanker Cyle Brink underwent surgery earlier in the week to repair damage suffered to his injured knee.

Squad members Ross Cronje (scrum-half), Jesse Kriel (centre) and Lwazi Mvovo (wing) are the three backs not travelling to South America.

The Springboks had a recovery day on Sunday in Durban, while captain Siya Kolisi and the squad are due to fly out to Argentina on Monday morning.

Erasmus will announce his matchday squad on Thursday.

Springbok squad:

Forwards: Thomas du Toit, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Steven Kitshoff, Siya Kolisi (c), Francois Louw, Wilco Louw, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx , Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Tendai Mtawarira, RG Snyman, Akker van der Merwe, Marco van Staden, Warren Whiteley

Backs: Lukhanyo Am, Faf de Klerk, Aphiwe Dyantyi, André Esterhuizen, Elton Jantjies, Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Lionel Mapoe, Embrose Papier, Handré Pollard, Ivan van Zyl, Damian Willemse

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Northampton Saints have confirmed that hooker Dylan Hartley and prop Alex Waller will co-captain the squad for the 2018/19 season.

The pair, who have amassed almost 500 appearances in black, green and gold between them, will lead Saints during the upcoming season and new director of rugby Chris Boyd insisted that the decision was straightforward.

“To keep Dylan in a leadership role was an obvious choice for me,” he said. “He’s hugely respected by everyone here at Saints and has led the club brilliantly for several years now.

“We were, however, aware that the club could be without a captain for large chunks of the season while Dylan is away on England duty, so naming Alex as co-captain was the obvious next step.

“Alex is a pivotal figure here at Franklin’s Gardens. His leadership skills are clear to see, and he boasts an intimate knowledge of this club having spent the entirety of his nine senior seasons here.

“Dylan and Alex have worked together for a number of years and I’m sure they will continue to build on their partnership in this new set-up.”

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Hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau has defended under-fire Wallabies coach Michael Cheika in the wake of yet another Bledisloe Cup loss to New Zealand last weekend, saying the players need to take responsibility.

Cheika has come in for criticism in the past few days after his side’s second-half collapse, which left their hopes of extinguishing 16 years of Bledisloe heartache hanging by a thread.

But senior Wallabies in the form of Polota-Nau and Adam Coleman have rallied behind their boss, whom they believe is still the best man to take the team forward with the 2019 World Cup in Japan on the horizon.

“He’s definitely the best man for the job,” Polota-Nau told Sky Sports.

“It’s more about how we take that blueprint and put it out there on the field.

“At the end of the day we’re the guys out there on the field and only we can control what the plays are at hand.”

Lock Adam Coleman echoed the words of his team-mate as the Wallabies prepare for the second Test at Eden Park on Saturday.

“We’ve got full confidence in this coaching staff and we back them 100 percent,” Coleman said.

“There has never ever been a question about that so I don’t know where that has come from.”

Polota-Nau added on the tough prospect of winning at the Auckland venue: “(We) don’t even consider what they call the hoodoo of Eden Park.

“I’ve played there quite a few times and managed to win only once – in 2009 with the Waratahs – but we have to make sure we use that one opportunity and reminisce on the good times.

“My biggest motivator is to win again at Eden Park.”

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New Springbok fly-half Damian Willemse admitted that his Test debut in Saturday’s win against Argentina in Durban had come as a surprise to him.

The 20-year-old was a shock selection in the Springbok Rugby Championship squad and although Bok coach Rassie Erasmus said he hoped to introduce Willemse at full-back from the replacements bench, he eventually came on at fly-half with Handre Pollard shifting to inside centre.

Willemse’s debut came with 20 minutes left in that Test and he threw a poor pass which resulted in an Argentina try and also kicked the ball out on the full which put his side under pressure when the match was evenly balanced.

Despite his shaky start in the Test arena, Willemse was delighted that he got an opportunity at the highest level.

“I didn’t think I would be sitting here at the age of 20, even though I always believed I could,” he told Sport24 after the match.

“Sitting here tonight there are mixed emotions. I’m really happy that we got the result and it is a massive honour and privilege to wear the Springbok jersey.

“There are a lot of Springboks that came and went and that is not part of my plan. We want to be great Springboks. There is a plan and we’re working really hard towards that.”

When asked about his error in judgement with his horror pass, Willemse displayed the maturity which has helped him cement his place as the Stormers’ first choice fly-half in 2018.

“I think always for young guys it’s important to work hard and learn,” he added.

“That’s what I’m trying to do … take it all in and throw it into one basket, shake it up and see what we come up with. You need a mature fly-half, you need a good quarterback and I think that maturity is very important.

“I’m just going to stay in the moment and look to work on my mistakes.”

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With the dust having settled on Round One of the Rugby Championship, we’ve gone through the action to pick the best players from the weekend.

New Zealand unsurprisingly dominate the XV following their superb second-half display against Australia, which saw them claim a 38-13 victory. South Africa have five representatives after defeating Argentina 34-21, while Los Pumas have one player in the side.

Rugby Championship: Team of the Week

15 Ben Smith (New Zealand): Steve Hansen’s men struggled for fluency in the opening half on Saturday but the full-back was the player to spark the All Blacks to life. His half-break led to Aaron Smith’s try and it was the momentum the three-time world champions needed as they dominated the second period. Smith went on to run for 92 metres in total and make five clean breaks, showing why he was preferred to the talented Jordie Barrett.

14 Waisake Naholo (New Zealand): Like Smith, Naholo failed to show his quality until the first try when he brilliantly offloaded to Kieran Read, who duly fed scrum-half Smith. After that, the right wing outshone last year’s find of the season Rieko Ioane. Naholo scored two tries, made 126 metres and beat a remarkable 13 defenders as the All Blacks scythed through the hosts’ defence with regularity. Elsewhere, Makazole Mapimpi impressed for South Africa but it was an easy decision to include the Highlanders man in the XV.

13 Jack Goodhue (New Zealand): It rather typifies the strength of New Zealand rugby and the system which is in place that an inexperienced player can already look so adept at the highest level. In just his second cap, Goodhue touched down early in the second period, latching onto Ioane’s run and pass, while the centre – like Naholo – made 126 metres in total. Despite the presence of Sonny Bill Williams, the Crusaders back has surely cemented his position in the starting line-up for the foreseeable future.

12 Anton Lienert-Brown (New Zealand): New Zealand received a blow early in the match when Ryan Crotty was forced off but the Chiefs centre more than made up for his absence. Although Kurtley Beale tried his best for Australia and instigated Jack Maddocks’ try, and Andre Esterhuizen provided plenty of physicality for the Springboks, Lienert-Brown’s consistency sees him take the slot ahead of those two.

11 Aphiwe Dyantyi (South Africa): A tough call between the Springbok and his opposite number on Saturday, Ramiro Moyano, but we’ve gone for the South African, who touched down for a couple of crucial scores. Dyantyi almost played second fiddle to S’busiso Nkosi during the June series against England, with the Sharks player the more impressive of the two over those three Test matches, but his injury has seen Dyantyi step up.

10 Beauden Barrett (New Zealand): Pressure eased and how. Richie Mo’unga’s Super Rugby form had put some heat on Barrett going into this Rugby Championship campaign but he did not let that affect him in Sydney. The fly-half was superb with his game management, distributing and running game throughout against the Wallabies, showing top footballing skills for his try to boot. Barrett also set up two tries to cap a strong day.

9 Faf de Klerk (South Africa): Aaron Smith impressed for New Zealand in a try-scoring performance but once again De Klerk was the heartbeat of the Springboks. Despite Handre Pollard struggling at 10, the scrum-half still managed to take the game by the scruff of the neck with an authoritative showing at the base. One try and a whopping three assists sees him walk into this jersey as he continues to impress in green and gold.

8 Kieran Read (New Zealand): Only special players return from injury and slot right back into international rugby like they’ve never been away. While Read did make his comeback recently in Super Rugby, he’s hit the ground running in impressive style and was on song again over the weekend. He set up his team’s first try and was his usual busy self in both the tight and loose, looking back to his imperious best.

7 Francois Louw (South Africa): Such a complete player who combines the grunt with subtle touches around the field, Louw was in solid form against Argentina in Durban. Moving forward it looks like Louw alongside Siya Kolisi could be the answer heading into RWC 2019 as both in tandem with either Duane Vermeulen or Warren Whiteley would be a fearsome back-row. The Bath men gets in ahead of busy All Black Sam Cane.

6 Pablo Matera (Argentina): Marked his 50th Test for Los Pumas with a try in a typically hard-working display. The set-piece was an issue for Argentina so it says a great deal about Matera’s work around the field that he sneaks in ahead of impressive Wallaby flank Lukhan Tui here.

5 Eben Etzebeth (South Africa): After a nine-month spell on the sidelines, the hardman of South African rugby showed Springbok rugby supporters what they’ve been missing with a polished display in his side’s win over Argentina in Durban. It was hard to believe that Etzebeth played his first match of the year as he delivered an impressive 80-minute shift. Etzebeth gained 48 metres on attack from 14 runs and beat three defenders. Also did well in the line-outs and caught the eye on defence with 10 tackles.

4 Brodie Retallick (New Zealand): Another seasoned second-row who returned to the Test arena with a bang, Retallick was arguably the player of the opening round after a brilliant all-round performance in the All Blacks’ triumph over the Wallabies in Sydney. Made a big impact on attack with 63 metres gained from 11 carries with two defenders beaten and a clean break which resulted in a well-taken try after selling Bernard Foley an outrageous dummy. Retallick was also busy on defence making seven hits.

3 Owen Franks (New Zealand): The All Blacks pack’s scrummaging was excellent in Sydney and Franks was at the forefront of that effort as he anchored the set-piece superbly. The 99-Test veteran also cleaned out the rucks with great intent and put his body on the line on defence and eventually made eight tackles. Comes in ahead of Springbok Frans Malherbe.

2 Malcolm Marx (South Africa): This was a difficult one as Codie Taylor also impressed for the All Blacks but Marx gets the nod after a solid performance at the coalface of the Springboks’ forward effort in Durban. Marx was his usual busy self with ball in hand and his physicality at close quarters was particularly impressive. Also did his bit on defence making five tackles.

1 Joe Moody (New Zealand): The All Black scrum was a thing of beauty at the weekend and Moody deserves special praise as he was at his dominant best in that facet of play. Got the better of his direct opponent, Sekope Kepu, and when the Wallaby was forced off the field through injury, Moody dished out similar treatment to debutant Jermaine Ainsley. Like his front-row partner Franks, Moody also did well defensively and finished with seven hits.

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Springbok scrum-half Ross Cronje will captain the Golden Lions when they tackle the Griquas at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Friday.

Cronje and Marvin Orie were not part of Bok coach Rassie Erasmus’ revamped 28-man squad to travel to Mendoza to face Argentina on Saturday.

Both will turn out for the Lions this weekend along with fellow fringe Springboks in Andries Coetzee and Courtnall Skosan.

The Lions open their campaign having missed the opening weekend, while the Griquas lost 42-19 to the Pumas.

Golden Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Sylvian Mahuza, 13 Jan-Louis la Grange, 12 Manni Rass, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Shaun Reynolds, 9 Ross Cronje (c), 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Len Massyn, 6 James Venter, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Rhyno Herbst, 3 Johannes Jonker, 2 Corne Fourie, 1 Sti Sithole
Replacements: 16 HP van Schoor, 17 Jacobie Adriaanse, 18 PJ Steenkamp, 19 Vincent Tshituka, 20 Dillon Smit, 21 Tyrone Green, 22 Wandisile Simelane

Date: Friday, August 24
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 19:00 local (17:00 GMT)
Match Officials: TBC

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Here’s part two of our Top 14 season preview, covering from last season’s beaten finalists Montpellier to Toulouse, who finished third in the standings.

Montpellier

Head coach: Vern Cotter
Last season: 1st (runners-up)

After dominating the regular Top 14 season, it ended in disappointment for Montpellier following their loss to Castres in the showpiece event. Vern Cotter’s men were outplayed in the final, succumbing 29-13 and leaving some supporters angry at their failure to claim the title.

They are back for another tilt at the championship, however, and should be strong once again. Recruitment has been minimal but Johan Goosen, Julien Ledevedec and Levan Chilachava are astute signings, while the departures of Jesse Mogg and Joe Tomane should not prove damaging to their chances.

The 2017/18 runners up are therefore in a strong position on paper but, after failing to win the league, there will be questions over their mentality heading into the new campaign.

Player to watch: Johan Goosen

The South African international has had a strange and controversial couple of years having initially signed a new contract at previous club Racing 92, only to ‘retire’ from the sport in 2016. Some thought it was a ploy from Montpellier owner Mohed Altrad to get him out of a lengthy deal at the Parisians, but either way Goosen has ended up at Vern Cotter’s men. Considering he hasn’t played much rugby since 2016, the pressure is on for the 26-year-old to perform.

Pau

Head coach: Simon Mannix
Last season: 8th

Another club who are desperate to break into the highest echelons of the French game, Pau almost claimed a top-six place last season but just fell short.

They should be in with a shout of reaching the play-offs, despite the retirement of centre Conrad Smith. There is more than enough talent in the squad to put pressure on the likes of Toulon, Racing 92 and Montpellier, but they probably don’t quite have the depth of the other top teams.

They are still strong, however, and Simon Mannix’s task will no doubt be to take guide the squad into the end of season shake-up, but Pau may narrowly miss out once again.

Player to watch: Colin Slade

Steffon Armitage would have been in the equation but his nasty Achilles injury could sideline him for a large portion of the season. We therefore went for Slade, who is the team’s only recognised fly-half. While Benson Stanley and Tom Taylor can fill in there, and no doubt the scrum-halves will be able to play at 10, Slade is the out-and-out choice for pivot. He had a good season in the 2017/18 but the pressure is on to repeat those displays, otherwise Pau’s campaign could derail.

Perpignan

Head coach: Christian Lanta
Last season: Pro D2 – 1st (defeated Grenoble in Pro D2 promotion play-off)

Most would argue that Perpignan are finally back where they belong after a four-year absence from the Top 14. The Catalan outfit won the title as recently as 2009 and were defeated by Clermont Auvergne in the final a year later.

They are back, however, and re-energised after their time away, although a battle in the bottom half of the table surely awaits?

The squad appears stronger than fellow promoted outfit Grenoble and, by signing David Mele and controversial fly-half Paddy Jackson, they will have an experience half-back pairing.

Wandile Mjekevu and Afusipa Taumoepeau are also decent buys so they should be competitive and stave off relegation, but it is always difficult for the sides coming up from ProD2 to thrive.

Player to watch: Paddy Jackson

A good move for both parties with Perpignan signing an international fly-half and Jackson getting away from the media spotlight back in the UK, even if his actions were deplorable. The pivot has been given an opportunity to rebuild his career and this may be the ideal move for him.

Racing 92

Head coach: Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers
Last season: 2nd (play-off semi-finalists)

At one stage, Racing were in contention for the Champions Cup and Top 14 last season but they were undone in the latter stages of both. While their loss to Leinster in Europe wasn’t entirely surprising, they would have been hugely disappointed by the defeat to Castres in the domestic semis.

A potentially silverware-laden campaign therefore descended into frustration for the 2016 league winners. Still, the Parisians should very much be in contention once again after supplementing an already strong squad with the additions of Simon Zebo and Finn Russell.

Fabien Sanconnie and Dominic Bird have also arrived to further bolster a pretty fearsome forward pack, so the co-head coaches Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers have few excuses should they fail to at least match their performance from last year.

In fact, another season without a trophy may well be deemed unacceptable by the hierarchy at Racing, who have made them into one of the top European forces.

Player to watch: Finn Russell

Has been brought into replace Dan Carter, who ended his stint in France by moving to Japan at the end of the season. Interestingly, Pat Lambie was the player favoured at fly-half by the coaches during the previous campaign, but no doubt Russell will have large part to play in 2018/19. Logic dictates that the Scottish international should have plenty of fun behind the Parisians’ gargantuan forward eight, but Racing must be wary not to shackle his talents by being too structured.

Stade Francais

Head coach: Heyneke Meyer
Last season: 12th

Following a campaign which almost ended in disaster, Stade Francais will hope it won’t be repeated under new head coach Heyneke Meyer. There was plenty of positivity heading into 2017/18 with billionaire Hans-Peter Wild taking over and easing their financial concerns, but it never transferred onto the field.

They struggled throughout and only just avoided finishing in the bottom two, but matters should be much improved this time around.

The squad was reasonably strong last season, despite their issues, and they have only added to the depth with Malie Hingano, Yoann Maestri, Tala Gray and Gael Fickou looking excellent purchases.

Nicolas Sanchez has also agreed to join and is set to move to Paris in January 2019 so, providing that Meyer can get his ideas across successfully, Stade could be an outside bet for the top-six.

Player to watch: Arthur Coville

The scrum-half had plenty of game time last season but the exceedingly talented youngster may well be out-an-out first choice this year. Fresh from helping France claim the World Rugby U20 Championship, Coville has the capabilities of becoming a regular for the national team. Although Piet van Zyl has been brought in from London Irish to bolster the stocks at scrum-half, expect the 20-year-old to star for the Parisians.

Toulon

Head coach: Patrice Collazo
Last season: 4th (barrages)

The enigma that is Toulon. With the backing and the array of stars they have at their disposal, they really should have won more domestic titles, but nothing is every easy at the Stade Mayol.

With owner Mourad Boudjellal continuing his slightly petulant ways and, as a result, continually overhauling the coaching staff, they have never quite found a distinctive style.

When they were successful, particularly during the Jonny Wilkinson-Matt Giteau era, a lot of it felt player-driven, but perhaps Patrice Collazo is the man to change that?

Having arrived on the Med following his departure from La Rochelle, it will be interesting to see whether he takes the same approach.

With the departure of some key players, including Ma’a Nonu, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Semi Radradra, Duane Vermeulen and Chris Ashton, expectations might be lower this season, but they will still expect to compete at the top.

Rhys Webb is an excellent signing at half-half and, although there are still concerns around the pivot role, Anthony Belleau and Louis Carbonel have the talent to ease those worries.

Player to watch: Julian Savea

Quite simply, Savea has been mediocre by his high standards over the past couple of years and has deservedly not been near All Blacks selection in 2018. That pace, which accompanied his explosive power, seems to have disappeared somewhat, thus lessening his impact in contact. The wing was not particularly effective for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby and was outshone by team-mate Ben Lam, but Toulon will have high hopes for him nonetheless. When Joe Rokocoko, once a great of the game, departed New Zealand, he seemed like a busted flush but has ended up having a fine career in France – let’s hope the same happens with Savea.

Toulouse

Head coach: Ugo Mola
Last season: 3rd (barrages)

Toulouse endured an awful 2016/17, finishing in 12th, but showed a significant development last season by ending the campaign in third. They were unable to progress beyond the barrages, however, after succumbing to eventual champions Castres in the knockout stages.

In many ways, it was a strange season for Les Rouge et Noir, who displayed improved performances and were, on the league standings at least, the third best team, but there were still considerable weaknesses in their game.

It was not a surprise that they lose to Christophe Urios’ men and you would have backed the other top-six sides to beat them as well, even at the Stade Ernest-Wallon.

With Gael Fickou, Tala Gray and Yoann Maestri all departing for Stade Francais, it could be a tough year for Ugo Mola’s men. Jerome Kaino has bolstered their pack and Pierre Fouyssac is a good addition to the backline, but it appears to be a weaker squad than in 2017/18.

Player to watch: Pierre Fouyssac

Everyone knows about what Jerome Kaino can offer and also the rest of the Toulouse first XV, but a lesser name to many outside the Top 14 who may star is Fouyssac. The 23-year-old was excellent for Agen last season and, with long-time servants Yann David, Florian Fritz and Gael Fickou departing, Les Rouge et Noir need others to step up. Theo Belan has signed from Lyon and should impress but the ex-France U20 representative may well be crucial for the French giants this year.

by Colin Newboult

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Castres were last season’s surprise winners of the Top 14 but can they repeat the feat in Christophe Urios’ final year in charge of the team?

They produced a remarkable run to claim the title, defeating Montpellier in the final, but Vern Cotter’s men, alongside several other sides, will be even more determined over the coming campaign.

Cotter’s outfit should be up there once again but the rest of the top-six could be made up of any number of clubs, with Toulouse, Toulon, Racing 92, La Rochelle, Lyon, Pau and Bordeaux-Begles all potential challengers.

The relegation scrap is also difficult to call. Teams coming up tend to struggle and Grenoble will be favourites for the drop, but Perpignan have recruited fairly well and should have enough to survive.

Here’s part one of our season preview, covering from Agen to Lyon.

Agen

Head coach: Philippe Sella
Last season: 11th

The Stade Armandie-based outfit produced a minor miracle to survive last season, going on an excellent run towards the end of the campaign to stave off relegation, but they are likely to struggle once again.

Following the excellent performances of several individuals, some key players have departed, with Pierre Fouyssac joining Toulouse and star wing Filipo Nakosi signing for Toulon.

Agen have brought in Yohan Montes and Benito Masilevu from Castres and Brive respectively, but it may not be enough to keep them out of the bottom two this time around.

Philippe Sella will once again hope that Jake McIntyre can steer the ship successfully from fly-half and be supplemented by some of the young talent coming through. Back-rower Yoan Tanga-Mangene is a player with plenty of potential while it will be exciting to see how Fouad Yaha fares after signing from rugby league side Catalan Dragons.

Player to watch: Benito Masilevu

With Filipo Nakosi now at Toulon, Agen need someone to replace that Pacific Island brilliance and Masilevu will give them plenty of pace and power on the wing. While not quite as destructive as Nakosi, who could create something from nothing, Masilevu was a consistent performer for Brive and will score tries if given the service from the playmakers at half-back and in the midfield.

Bordeaux-Bègles

Head coach: Rory Teague
Last season: 10th

2017/18 was a bit of a disaster for a club with lofty ambitions and, as a result, there has been yet another overhaul in the playing staff. Bordeaux were reasonably well placed after a decent first half of the season but Jacques Brunel’s departure to the France national team saw them implode somewhat.

At one stage they were at risk of being dragged into a relegation battle but they did just enough to stay clear of danger. Englishman Rory Teague has taken over from Brunel and remains, despite their disappointing end to the previous campaign.

They have once again recruited well with Semi Radradra, Seta Tamanivalu, Kane Douglas, Afa Amosa and Viliamu Afatia all excellent additions.

Although Sebastien Taofifenua, Simon Hickey and Loann Goujon have departed, they have the quality to challenge. Could this be their year after flattering to deceive over the past couple of campaigns?

Player to watch: Semi Radradra

Cameron Woki is another to keep an eye on but it’s impossible to ignore the former rugby league star, who has easily taken to union. Bordeaux managed to convince him to join the club from Toulon where he was exceptional. Alongside Chris Ashton, they stood out amongst a sea of mediocrity as the Stade Mayol outfit succumbed to Lyon in the barrages and went out in the Champions Cup quarter-finals. Radradra has pace, power and a good off-loading game, as England can attest to following his performance for the Barbarians in May.

Castres

Head coach: Christophe Urios
Last season: 6th (champions)

June 2019 will mark the end of an era when Christophe Urios departs following a successful time in charge of the club.

They have never had the resources of their competitors in the top-six but they have plenty of spirit and, in Urios, they have a man who has been able to get the best out of his charges.

He took over in 2015 when the team had finished 12th and only just escaped relegation. Since then, the Stade Pierre-Fabre outfit have ended the Top 14 campaign in sixth, fifth and then sixth, with the latter seeing Castres remarkably claim the title after a superb run in the play-offs.

It would be a big ask for them to repeat the feat and the squad simply does not look as strong as the others who are expected to challenge, but that was the case last year. They have not lost too many players and also recruited wisely, with Yann David, Scott Spedding and Camille Gerondeau all very good signings. Top-six is on the cards but defending their title is highly unlikely.

Player to watch: Mathieu Babillot

Castres are traditionally strong up front and, in particular, seem to have a plethora of quality options in the back-row. Maama Vaipulu and Alex Tulou provide the explosiveness from number eight, and Babillot supplements that at flanker. The 24-year-old is an excellent ball-carrier and made his debut for France in the Six Nations, but it was in New Zealand where he particularly impressed. Despite being relatively young, he is regarded as a leader in the dressing room after taking the captain’s armband when Rodrigo Capo-Ortega was injured.

Clermont Auvergne

Head coach: Franck Azema
Last season: 9th

It is fair to say that Clermont endured a pretty torrid time last season. Hopes and expectations were higher than ever after Les Jaunards’ title success in 2017, but they went the same way as Stade Francais and Racing 92 before them.

Akin to Stade, Auvergne struggled the campaign following their Top 14 triumph and were drawn into a relegation scrap. They finally found the requisite performances to ease any concerns of ending the year in the bottom two, but it was a difficult period for Franck Azema.

Without the Champions Cup distraction, a trophy which Auvergne holds in high regard unlike many of their French counterparts, Azema’s charges should improve.

Transfer activity has been minimal but in Tim Nanai-Williams, George Moala and Apisai Naqalevu, they have brought in genuine quality. It is still one of the most talented squads in the country and, as a result, Clermont should be able to banish the memories of 2017/18 fairly quickly.

Player to watch: Alivereti Raka

The Fijian’s talent was well known before the 2017/18 campaign, but Raka particularly came to prominence when he ripped Saracens apart in the European Champions Cup at Allianz Park. Unfortunately, the wing suffered a serious injury in the reverse fixture which ruled him out for the rest of the season. However, the 25-year-old is now back fit and ready to dominate opposition defences in the Top 14.

Grenoble

Head coach: Stephane Glas and Dewald Senekal
Last season: Pro D2 – 2nd (defeated Oyonnax in Top 14 relegation play-off)

Grenoble returned to the top-flight at the first time of asking after defeating Oyonnax – the team that finished 13th in the Top 14 – in a play-off, but they are likely to be in for another tough season.

With most teams well-resourced at the highest echelon on the French game, they are already at a disadvantage, while the play-offs make it difficult for recruitment.

Although some talented players have joined in Ben Lucas, Davit Kubriashvili, JC Janse van Rensburg and Raymond Rhule, it may not be enough to stave off relegation.

Player to watch: Davit Kubriashvili

The Georgian may be 31 now but he still has plenty to offer after joining the club from Montpellier over the summer. To compete in the Top 14, you need a solid platform and Kubriashvili will certainly provide that after also anchoring the scrums at Toulon and Stade Francais during his career. If Grenoble are to survive then the 45-times capped international will be crucial.

La Rochelle

Head coach: Jono Gibbes (takes over in November)
Last season: 7th

After the joy of 2016/17 came the despair of last season. To an extent, that’s slightly harsh on a club who are still finding their feet at the top-tier of the French game, but they struggled to replicate their excellence from a year ago.

Playing Champions Cup rugby for the first time, and the stresses which accompanies it, no doubt hampered them, while injuries at fly-half often forced them to field Jeremy Sinzelle, who usually features at wing or full-back, at pivot.

The relative failure of finishing seventh did, however, result in the departure of Patrice Collazo and Jono Gibbes is set to take the reins soon. Questions will be asked as to whether the high tempo, off-loading game will remain or will Gibbes go for a more structured approach?

With the squad largely remaining similar, it might be a risk to overhaul the playing style but Gibbes will be helped by the arrival of Ihaia West, who should give them some direction in the playmaking position.

Player to watch: Pierre Bourgarit

Following Jeremie Maurouard’s departure, there will be more pressure on the talented youngster this season. The 20-year-old is a hugely promising front-rower who is a remarkable athlete, almost in the mould of Asafo Aumua. Quick, powerful and simply gifted in the loose, Bourgarit gave the world a glimpse of that on his debut for France against New Zealand. The set-piece, particularly the lineout, still needs work but all the tools are there for him to become a top class operator over the next year or two.

Lyon

Head coach: Pierre Mignoni
Last season: 5th (semi-finalists)

Following a successful season, which saw the ambitious outfit claim a place in the place in the play-offs for the first time in their history, Lyon will be looking to repeat the feat.

They reached the semi-finals after a superb victory over Toulon in the barrages but, against Montpellier in the last four, it was ultimately a step too far for Pierre Mignoni’s team.

On paper, Mignoni’s charges are well set for another title at the top-six and possibly even better. They have recruited well with the additions of Charlie Ngatai, Noa Nakaitaci, Loann Goujon and Jeremie Maurouard, which boosts an already strong squad.

Number eight Carl Fearns is also close to a return to action after a lengthy period out with injury, so Lyon should very much be in contention by the end of the campaign.

Player to watch: Charlie Ngatai

There are a few interesting subplots with the emergence of Baptiste Couilloud and the signing of Noa Nakaitaci, who will look to re-find his best at Lyon, but we’ve gone for the former Chiefs centre. Had it not been for his awful battle with concussion, the centre would have certainly added to his solitary All Blacks cap and, as a result, may not have signed for the French outfit. As it is, the New Zealand’s and Super Rugby’s loss is the Top 14’s gain and it will be no surprise if Ngatai proves to be the signing of the season.

by Colin Newboult

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