France: Champions open with big win

The second week of the Top 10 opened with the news that the French Union remain unwilling to reconsider on the redesign of the French championship. Appearing onFrance 3's Rugby MagazineGeorges Duzan - vice-president of the FFR, responsible for club competitions - was not in any mood to compromise. The pool and play-off system will go ahead as planned.

For the clubs finishing bottom of each pool this means that they have less than three months rugby ahead of them - and in Pool 1 this looks like being Bordeaux. Well beaten at home in week 1, on late summer's day they travelled for their second match to champions Montpellier - and suffered a nine-try 65-0 defeat. Montpellier's French national team stars were to the fore with Koumiba Djossouvi scoring a hat-trick of tries, Safi N'diaye and Gaëlle Mignot each adding two more, and Aurelie Bailon kicking 13 points.

Also in Pool 1 Bobigny travelled to Caen. Eighth last season, the Parisians look like a different team this season. After last week's win against Perpignan they nearly pulled off a second surprise, pushing Caen all the way, only going down 27-22. However, the losing bonus keeps them in second place behond Caen.

Lille, runners-up to Montpellier in last year's championship, also opened their season. Their opponents, newly-promoted La Valette, had beaten Lons in their opening game last week and began strongly. However, they failed to take full advantage of their early chances - and Lille did not. Shannon Izar and Alexandra Pertus both converted early penalties, and the leads was then extended first with a try from scrum-half Yanna Rivoalen on 20 minutes, and then five minutes before the break another from Izar. However, Emilie Driguez and Clarisse Fell pulled two tries back for the visitors and at half-time the score was only 20-12.

However, in the second half Lille raised their game and dominated the match. Four more tries, from Izar, Chloe Pelle, Stéphanie Ricart and Helene Tissez with conversions from Izar saw Lille home comfortably with a bonus-point win. CoachDamien Couvreur was pleased with the performance:"We lacked pace in the first half, but the second was very positive, We dominated the scrum, indeed all all areas of the game actually. It's good that we have been able to negotiate this first game against a team that we did not know. They held out longer I had thought - and they fought hard".

Lons lost to La Valette in one of the surprise results of week one. However, back at home opponents Blagnac St Orens should not have been a problem, and they were soon ahead with a Laetitia Grand try after onlly three minutes.However, BSORF came back hard and dominated much of the possession, only solid defence and missed penalties kept the score to 7-3 at half time. A second Lons try on 52 minutes,largely against the run of play, extended the lead to 14-3, But they were soon back on the defensive, and on 65 minutes finally BSORF broke through with a try from Lauren Cazalot. 14-8

The lead was now cut to just six points setting up a dramatic final quarter. With eight minutes left Laura Escande pulled St Orens to within one point, 14-13... but Laura could not convert her own try. Four minutes later she had another chance to win the game - but again the penalty went wide. As a result Lons took the points, but were very lucky to do so. BSORF, on the other hand, may rue the lost points. The now lie bottom on the Pool 2 table.

Pool 1: 1, Caen 2 games, 9 points; 2, Bobigny 2-5; 3, Montpellier 1-5; 4, Perpignan 1-0; 5, Bordeaux 2-0.

Pool 2: 1. Lille 1-5; 2, Rennes 1-4; 3, Lons 2-4; 4, La Valette 2-4; 5, Blagnac St Orens 2-1.