Top 8: Montpellier back in the hunt
Only a month ago, Montpellier, with three home defeats in the first half of the season, looked in danger of missing out of the playoffs altogether. But after a dramatic round of games to end 2016 all that has changed.
Published by John Birch, December 20th, 2016
4 minute read
Montpellier travelled north to meet champions Lille last weekend in a televised repeat of last year’s final. Ten points behind Lille at the start of play, Montpellier had also lost the first meeting of the two teams in September, and had run close by Caen only two weeks before. Lille, on the other hand, were unbeaten in the first nine rounds and seven points clear at the top. The northerners looked clear favourites. But in front of the cameras of Eurosport France, they froze.
After an even first quarter hour, a kick into the Montpellier 22 was recovered by Safi N’Diaye who then launched a passage of play that ended with a try from winger Caroline Boujard (0-5, 15th).
There were no more scores in the first half, but after failing to break down the Montpellier defence, increasing errors and ill-discipline allowed Montpellier to extend their lead thanks to three penalties from Amédée, which put Montpellier 14-0 ahead as the game entered the final quarter.
As Lille now tired the visitors added two more tries to lead 24-0. Only in the final minutes did Lille finally get onto the scoreboard, when Vernier’s last minute try deprived Montpellier of the offensive bonus point
"We wanted to prove that we could do something big," said Gaëlle Mignot after the game.
Second placed Stade Touloussian also travelled north to mist-shrouded Rennes. Two early penalties for the home team gave the home team a good start, the visitors gradually seemed to be taking command and after 30 minutes Marion Peyronnet crossed the line for Stade, completing a flowing started by Coralie Bertrand.
Unfortunately the revival was brought to a halt a few minutes later by a yellow card for Mailys Traoré, the loss made worse by the resulting penalty try putting Rennes 13-5 up at half-time.
Spanish international Berta Garcia came on for Toulouse early in the second half, and soon the lead was reduced by three points, but again the revival was short-lived as two quick tries extended Rennes lead. Laura Menetrier pulled a try back, but shortly after frayed tempers lead to red cards for players from both teams, the match then petering out to a 30-15 win for Rennes – a result that drops Toulouse to fourth, and brings Rennes to within two points of them in fifth.
Near neighbours BSORF were also on the road, this time to Clermont where Romagnat suffered another big defeat, this time 43-5, a result that pulls BSORF to within two points of Lille and leave Romagnat routed to the bottom of the table.
Their hope of retaining their Top 8 spot received a possibly terminal blow by events in Normandy where their rivals in the race to avoid the drop, Caen, recorded their second win of the season against and their first against a team placed above them – Bobigny in this case- since 2014. The fog in Rennes also covered the field in Caen to the game came closed to postponement. Perhaps better used to a little sea fret Caen raced to a 15-3 lead, Ophélie Gincourt crossing the line twice. Bobigny battled back in the second half, but the home team held on to win 15-13.
CLUB
P
W
D
L
PD
BP
PTS
1
LILLE METROPOLE RC VILLENEUVOIS
10
9
0
1
116
3
39
2
BLAGNAC SAINT ORENS RUGBY FEMININ
10
8
0
2
209
5
37
3
MONTPELLIER R C
10
7
0
3
178
6
34
4
STADE TOULOUSAIN RUGBY FEMININ
10
6
0
4
76
5
29
5
STADE RENNAIS RUGBY
10
6
0
4
4
3
27
6
A C BOBIGNY 93 RUGBY
10
2
0
8
-40
5
13
7
L OVALIE CAENNAISE
10
2
0
8
-228
2
10
8
A S M ROMAGNAT RUGBY FÉMININ
10
0
0
10
-315
1
1