Cream rising to the top in France

Lille v Caen (Photo:Nordeclair)

Only four weeks into the Top 8, but it’s already clear who are likely to be in the play-offs.

Lillecontinued their great unbeaten start to the season, returning to the top of the table. Recovering well from their failure to beat Montpellier last week, they hammered Caen 37-0 on Sunday.

It was an impressive win, made even more so by an accumulation of injuries that left coach Damien Couvreur with a bare 22 fit players for the game. "In previous years, we had never been faced with such losses. Yet the medical supervision has been strengthened. It’s just bad luck. "

The first minutes Sunday did not go too well. "The girls had trouble concentrating. Too many inaccuracies, glaring absences in the rucks. I think the squad were nervous as this is not sort of rugby we play" admits Damien Couvreur.

Yet, despite the problems, Lille were able to score seven unanswered tries against a Caen who, while they have had a difficult start to the season, are no pushover.

Montpellieralso look to have another visit to the play-offs ironed on following a 46-7 win over Blagnac, who lead the league at the start of the day. Captain Gaelle Mignot began the scoring after barely more than five minutes. A penalty try on 25 minutes, after a five metre scrum, was followed a few minutes later by a more conventional score from Elodie Poublan. BSORF pulled a try back just before half time, but in the second half the champion’s pack increased their intensity with BSORF having little to offer in return. Another penalty try soon after the break increased the score to 29-7. A penalty and then a second well-taken try by Poublan extended the lead still further, before Laeticia Bobo rounded the game off with a sixth try in the final minutes.

Despite the defeatBSORFstill look strong, with their win away to rivalsBobignylast week looking all the more important as the Parisians moved into fifth place with a good 31-12 win away at Rennes.

FinallyToulouselook very likely to be in the running. The newcomers are now equal second after they picked up five points for Perpignan’s forfeit.

CLUB

P

W

D

L

F

PD

BP

PTS

1

LILLE METROPOLE RC VILLENEUVOIS

4

3

1

0

0

95

3

17

2

STADE TOULOUSAIN RUGBY FEMININ

4

3

0

1

0

90

1

14

2

BLAGNAC SAINT ORENS RUGBY FEMININ

4

3

0

1

0

13

2

14

3

MONTPELLIER R C

4

2

1

1

0

71

3

13

4

A C BOBIGNY 93 RUGBY

4

2

0

2

0

0

3

11

5

STADE RENNAIS RUGBY

4

2

0

2

0

-7

2

10

7

L OVALIE CAENNAISE

4

0

0

4

0

-137

0

0

8

U S A P XV FEMININ ROUSSILLON

4

0

0

4

4

-100

0

-8