20 - 17

20 - 52

Tomorrow

15:10

Saturday

08:30

Saturday

10:10

Saturday

10:30

Saturday

10:30

Saturday

10:30

Saturday

10:30

Saturday

12:40

Saturday

15:05

Saturday

15:10

Sunday

08:40

Sunday

10:00

Sunday

11:10

Sunday

15:05

TOP 14

English trio continue to dominate in Top 14

By Josh Raisey

58 days ago

Jack Willis of Toulouse after the Investec Champions Cup Pool 2 Round 3 match between Ulster and Toulouse at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast. (Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

French publication Midi Olympique have included for the second week running the English trio of Mako Vunipola, Kyle Sinckler and Jack Willis in their Top 14 team of the week.

Props Vunipola and Sinckler have continued to take the French top division by storm in their debut seasons, with both registering wins over the weekend.

The former Saracens loosehead played an hour at the Stade de la Rabine of Vannes’ first-ever win in the league, a 30-20 victory over Lyon. The Bretagne club finished the match with 100 per scrum success, which the retired England prop would have played a huge part in.

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Sinckler enjoyed a similar level of scrum dominance in the French capital, finishing with 91 per cent scrum success as his Toulon side defeated Stade Francais at the Stade Jean-Bouin. The 31-year-old made the second-most tackles of the match, with 13, and the joint-most dominant tackles, with two.

The two England props will go head-to-head on Saturday at the Stade Mayol.

Fixture

Top 14

Toulon

54 - 19

Full-time

Vannes

All Stats and Data

Reigning champions Toulouse maintained their unbeaten start to the season on Saturday, the only side to do so, with an 11-20 victory over Montpellier at the GGL Stadium. Jack Willis was at the heart of proceedings again for the French giants, as he has been for the past twelve months, which must be agonising viewing for England head coach Steve Borthwick, who cannot pick him.

Vannes’ victory left the Top 14 newcomers in ninth place in the division, while Toulon are in sixth after three rounds. Toulouse, of course, sit at the top after their undefeated start ahead of a repeat of last season’s final against Bordeaux-Begles Sunday.

😎 Il y a du beau monde dans notre XV de la semaine. Deux Vannetais sont présents pour leur première victoire en Top 14. Les Clermontois sont en force avec trois représentants.
⭐️ Le Rochelais Dillyn Leyds est l’Oscar de la semaine avec son triplé face à Pau ! pic.twitter.com/zsaaqlly07
— RUGBYRAMA (@RugbyramaFR) September 23, 2024

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Comments on RugbyPass

Bull Shark 9 minutes ago

'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

You're outta here!

289 Go to comments

Bull Shark 9 minutes ago

'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Yellow for you. Timeout.

Low risk of danger, so there won't be a bunker review.

289 Go to comments

Bull Shark 14 minutes ago

Sadness pervades as Gatland stands on the brink of Welsh exit

LOL. Tinfoil meet head.

17 Go to comments

Bull Shark 22 minutes ago

Sadness pervades as Gatland stands on the brink of Welsh exit

Not true. I'm a South African and I absolutely loved seeing the Wallabies beating England. And miss the Wallabies of old who were a devastating force with some of the greatest players of all time.

I hear quite regularly that Australians prefer Aussie rules, league, and cricket over rugby.

So again, seems like Australians are to blame for the state of the game in Australia?

17 Go to comments

Bull Shark 30 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

I find Ben Smith to be an emotionally driven hysteric. So I question everything he writes.

He launched into the year about the ABs being back this year. For a "journalist" his opinions are based on the flavour of the month.

He's at least gone quiet about how sh1t the boks actually are. Although I suspect he's working on an outrageous article to that effect as we speak, to drive engagement after the end of the Autumn series, as we'll all be taking a break until the 6N. Reading his drivel in between extended periods of alcohol and mince pie consumption, and low grade depression related to the lack of international rugby. Leading to more alcohol and mince pies.

22 Go to comments

Chesterfield 33 minutes ago

Michael Hooper reacts to Scott Barrett’s controversial late-game call

The dominant pack should be enforcing their superiority with maximum points and the psychological advantage of taking the lead.

You don’t get that by saying we’ll settle for three and try again you get it by scoring seven and trying again. Doesn’t come off every time?

No.

But if you’ve asserted dominance letting the opposition off and not trying to build a double score difference is wrong minded.

All blacks have traditionally played to build the unassailable lead not meekly win a single point victory.

11 Go to comments

Arnold 35 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

Aaah. Ben Smith. Ever the unbiased, objective rugby scribe......NOT.

Unable to give credit where it's due, other than for the ABs, especially when it comes to the Boks. His contempt for them is tangible. If you want to " Get Real" about these ABs Ben, consider when they last beat the Boks??? For us Bok fans, beating the ABs is the only true measure.

22 Go to comments

Reader76 54 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

"they [All Blacks] are nuggety and resourceful and don’t wilt. They are prepared to win the hard way, accumulating points by any means necessary."

Sounds like you're describing your arch-nemesis Ben 😁

22 Go to comments

CM 57 minutes ago

'Steve Borthwick hung his troops out to dry - he should take some blame'

This article only shows a part of SBs failings as England Coach. Firstly his reputation st Leicester was false, his SA and Welsh players won the matches not his coaching prowess. He has Wigglesworth as attack coach, someone who rarely attacked when playing. His player selection is awful, ignoring form players and sticking with failed internationals. He picks players that he knows and will be easy to manage for him. What on earth is Slade doing when even for Exeter he does not make line breaks with steppping, pace or guile, why on earth are Cole,George,Steward,Ford,Iseweke and a few other anywhere near the Team. Borthwick is awful as Head Coach of England.

1 Go to comments

Mzilikazi 58 minutes ago

Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold

Good to be writing about a WB team that has beaten two 6 N sides in successive weeks, Brett.

Lolesio indeed is looking very comfortable under Schmidt coaching. He must feel as confident now as he was feeling in his spell at Toulon last year. It will be interesting to see how he does against Finn Russell.

30 Go to comments

J Marc 1 hour ago

'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Your unterstanding of the relation FFR LNR, is far better than the one in the article. For Meafou, there is an article on Skelton saying he is totally indispensable in the australian game.

In France they are often compared, and french game is often, but not always ,based on this kind of number 5. But , there are a lot of kind of play in France and in the world, and it's a blessing, because otherwise, the game would be boring.

On my other post ,which you replied, my intention was to explain with some historics facts the main importance, in France, of the championship.

But ,once again, I would prefer 3 games in NZ , with the better french players.

289 Go to comments

Ninjin 1 hour ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

I said before the November tests that the AB's should go smash some Nh teams to find their feet and it seems that is just what they did bar France. Could have should have always sucks. Better to look to the future.

22 Go to comments