Top 8: Lille lead into the New Year
Lille have opened up an three point lead at the top of the French Top 8 after a weekend of more surprise and drama.
Published by John Birch, December 23rd, 2015
3 minute read
Shannon Izar and Lille were too stong for Toulouse on Sunday. Photo Stéphane Mortagne
Toulouse travelled to Lille for the first time on Sunday. The surprise team of the year, they had been in second place at the end of November but had no real answer to the challenge posed by their hosts as they recorded a five-try 27-0 win.
For the first half hour Lille had nothing to show for their dominance of the game against solid Toulousain resistance. However a change of tactics saw them up the pace and the scores began to come, first with a try from Yanna Rivoalen after 31 minutes and then a second from Marine Manager just before the break.
"We ended up cracking against a team much stronger than us, the pace was too fast," acknowledged Toulouse coach Philippe Gleyze after the game.
League leaders travelled to Paris to meet Bobigny. A closer game was expected than the 42-3 drubbing they gave to their hosts in September, but not perhaps the eventual outcome. The champions scored first after 12 minutes and, though the conversion was missed, it was a score that seemed in accordance with the script. However Bobigny were proving a far tougher opponents than the last meeting, and shortly before the break levelled the score before adding what was to be a crucial conversion.
Bobigny repeated this soon after the break – though this time the kick was missed – opening up a 12-5 lead. A well taken try from wing Noemie Sanch reduced the deficit to two points, but this was quickly followed by a trip to the sinbin for replacement scrumhalf Manon Toupin (who had been on the field for barely ten minutes) and then a try for the home team, putting them 17-10 ahead as the game entered the final quarter, which intensified into the final ten minutes when Montpellier were returned to fifteen players. But the home team defence held until the final play when at last Montpellier broke through to score, leaving a very tricky kick for Claire Sarfati to tie the scores… which she could not make, signalling joy for the home team who, with Toulouse losing, now slip into the final play-off spot.
Finally, Caen’s awful season continued with a 33-7 defeat at home to the team one place above them in the table, Rennes.
P
W
D
L
F
A
PD
Pts
1
Lille Métropole
9
7
1
1
228
53
175
37
2
Montpellier
9
6
1
2
231
64
167
34
3
Blagnac St Orens
9
7
0
2
211
123
88
32
4
Bobigny
9
5
1
3
200
149
51
28
5
Stade Toulousain
9
5
1
3
180
132
48
25
6
Stade Rennais
9
3
0
6
137
171
-34
17
7
Caen
9
1
0
8
65
335
-270
5
8
USAP
9
0
0
9
0
225
-225
-8