French Elite league

As we near halfway, four big wins in the French Top 8 last weekend seem have crystallised the title challenge down to two main challengers.

Week 5 in French Top 8 saw leaders Lille extend their lead at the top, while La Valette begin to lose touch at the bottom – but elsewhere unpredictability was the order of the day.

A big away win for Lille sees them extend their lead at the top of French championship (“Top 8”), while Rennes win a vital all-northern encounter with Cannes.

Power seems to be moving north in France as Bobigny and Lille put in impressive performances to share poll position in the Top 8 after week 2.

Its a straight North v South battle in the newly designed French "Top 8" Championship as it pits the best four teams from the the north of the country against the best four from the south.

It was finals day in France last weekend, with not only the national championship being decided, but also places from third to eighth - with eighth place have a special significance all of its own.

French women’s rugby returns close to its roots on Sunday when the 42nd final of the national championship takes place in Arnas - close to Bourg-en-Bresse, where the modern women’s game began 50 years ago. 2013 champions Montpellier will take on Bobigny, the only team to beat them in the regular season, and the first team from the capital to play in the national final since Chilly-Mazarin 18 years ago.

After a three month gap the French Top 10, the remaining eight teams returned to battle last weekend with a series of games that were a close as any in a season of tight finishes.

The second legs of the quarter-finals largely followed the pattern of the first, but the results show a national move in power. The south of France may be the traditional home of French rugby, but three of the four semi-finalists this year will be from Paris and the north.

Controversial though the new French championship format may have been, there is no doubt that the approach of the quarter-finals has been marked by much excitement and anticipation. Whereas in years past teams who had performed poorly in the first half of the season might have only had relegation in mind found the slate wiped clean with still a chance of title glory.

The final round of the Top 10 pool stage was completed last weekend. Eight teams remain in contention – but there is just one clear favourite.

There is only one week to go in the pool stage of the French Top 10 – but there’s still plenty to play for with three teams fighting to avoid relegation. Cruel though the new format of the Top 10 may be, it has resulted in a incredibly tense and exciting competition with – in one of the two pools – the drama likely to go down to the final kick of the final game.