The
Top 14 – ‘Who cares who wins?’
The
Top14’s gilded juggernaut finally reaches its terminus in the palatial Stade de
France on Saturday. The season that began in the heat of August comes to a halt
in mid-June, ten months later. For the players it has been nearly a year of
battles of attrition, survival and no doubt big paydays. The final will be
played in a febrile partisan atmosphere generated by two sets of the most
passionate fans in French rugby. Yet their pleasure must be tempered by the
fare that they have had to watch through this interminable season. The
semi-finals that were played last weekend in a wonderful stadium in Bordeaux
were often turgid, unimaginative and dominated by forwards trying to physically
overpower each other before the game would burst into life. The élan of French rugby
is not dead but much of the play in the Top14 is inhibited by the absolute need
to avoid losing, avoid relegation and losing the vital transfusion of money
that comes from the enormous TV deal the Top14 enjoys.
The
first semi-final between Toulouse and La Rochelle at least had the likes of
Dupont and Koble on the field. Both of these are players that can bring
spectators to their feet in an instant, a constant threat to the opposition,
for that ability they are destined to be marked closely. At times Toulouse were
able to play with shackles off; there were some sublime offloads, thoughtful lines
of support and when required the backs passed the ball superbly. But, sadly at
times the game slowed down, as both packs appeared happy to knock each other
senseless. Here though La Rochelle got little change out of a determined and
motivated Toulouse pack of forwards. Toulouse fronted up and when La Rochelle did
move the ball wide they found the Toulouse scramble defence committed and
clever. The score of 20-6 to Toulouse was a fair reflection of Toulouse’s
dominance but it was a game for the connoisseurs, there was not much to set the
heart racing and Toulouse won comfortably.
Clermont
played Lyon the next day at the same venue on a sunny afternoon. The atmosphere
was superb with both sets of fans doing their best to make it a thunderous and
passionate occasion and the players did their best to live up to the fans’
expectations. There was as to be expected a great deal of endeavour, bravery
but there were only a few moments that brought the crowd to its feet. Kiwis
George Moala and Isaia Toeava along with the accurate kicking of Greg Laidlaw
saw Clermont over the line.
This
was after a period of strength sapping as the packs faced up to each other and
attempted to bulldoze their way through this was to last for twenty minutes, before a game of
rugby was allowed to break out and Clermont showed that if they got the ball
and a bit of space they had the pace to score tries. Lyon responded by trying to tighten the game
up even further but this led to penalties and a yellow card. This indiscipline
was to let them down badly as Clermont took full advantage of their extra man.
Clermont have enjoyed a good season, with an European trophy already in the
cabinet and if they get space to play they can be deadly and Fofana is
beginning to look like he is finding some form.
It
will be a heavyweight clash on Saturday both these sides deserve to be there
and have shown they are the best two sides in the competition. But, the players
are tired, smashed about by the limitations of the game teams are required to
play. Where avoiding defeat inhibits players and owners respond by spending
money not on local talent but by looking to the South Seas or Southern
Hemisphere.
The
players will not know what to look forward to more, the final or the final
whistle!
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