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TOP 14

Racing seal Top 14 semi-final spot, Lyon and Castres in playoffs

Juan Imhoff scored twice for Racing

Racing 92 thrashed Agen 42-13 to ensure they claimed second place in Top 14 and an automatic place in the semi-finals, while Castres thrashed Oyonnax to seal the last spot in the play-offs.

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The European Champions Cup finalists ran in six tries, including a double from Juan Imhoff, and scored 21 unanswered points to pull away from the visitors, who had initially kept things tight.

Ole Avei, Manuel Carizza, Edwin Maka and So’otala Fa’aso’o also crossed for rampant Racing, with Benjamin Dambielle nailing every conversion as they joined Montpellier as confirmed participants in the last four.

Toulouse had been hoping to get into the top two, but they were beaten 36-26 by last season’s champions Clermont Auvergne, who paid tribute to retiring captain Aurelien Rougerie with a guard of honour.

Castres came into Saturday in possession of the sixth and final play-off spot and made sure they held on to it with an emphatic 54-3 win over Oyonnax.

Five of the hosts’ seven tries came inside the final 19 minutes, with Steve Mafi scoring twice as Castres booked a quarter-final contest against Toulouse.

The defeat means Oyonnax will contest the relegation play-offs and ensured Stade Francais avoid that fate despite losing 31-7 at La Rochelle, a result that was not enough to get the victors into the top six.

Lyon also made certain of their own progression to the play-offs, the fifth-place side beating top leaders Montpellier 32-24 after coming from behind with 10 points in the final nine minutes, Xavier Mignot’s try clinching the victory.

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They will meet Toulon, who suffered a 38-26 loss to Pau that was proved insufficient to keep the hosts’ top-six aspirations alive.

Relegated Brive ended their stay in the top flight on a high, beating 14-man Bordeaux-Begles 22-20 courtesy of a penalty try after regulation time had expired.

In other news:

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Comments on RugbyPass

C
Carlos 21 minutes ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

He was also a YC magnet.

32 Go to comments
C
Carlos 23 minutes ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Windsor-Faulkner-Price. 😊

32 Go to comments
S
Solenn Bonnet 23 minutes ago
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M
Mzilikazi 30 minutes ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Ah, the Pooler front row ! Most legendary in the history of the , I would think. Max Boyce helped…”Here we. here we, here we go, with the Pontypool front row.”

32 Go to comments
M
Mzilikazi 34 minutes ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Would not go as far as whole house in our family, but for me, yes, W1. Loved playing in the scrum, love watching now😀

32 Go to comments
M
Mzilikazi 37 minutes ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Yes, I see that article here on RP, Nick. That is good news that Schmidt is going to look at the o’seas players.


Yes, I would think you are right that LAR will qualify. On the same points as MP, but surely they are too good not to win this crunch game….could be tEnse for ROG in the stands though.

32 Go to comments
B
BC 41 minutes ago
Who would make it into a Women's British and Irish Lions starting XV?

I would pick Oifa Wafer at 6, put Aldcroft in the second row with Ward. I think Wafer is one of the few non-England players mentioned that would contend for a Red Rose shirt, the others being King and possibly Neve Jones. Conversely there are two English players mentioned, Sing and Venner, that probably won’t even make the Red Rose WC squad, let alone a Lions Tour. Still a lot can change in two years, watch out for Millie David.

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O
Otagoman II 42 minutes ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Great article NB, thanks. I would like to know what is the reasoning why so many things are penalties in the scrum. Is it to do with safety or something else?

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N
NB 1 hour ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

👍

32 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Always the same at the other place. Some of those perceptions of him at the Tahs - lazy, overweight and slow - were impossible to shift!

32 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Hang on to Miz Carlos!

32 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

They will prob want him for the Lions and maybe sacrifice the Novemeber tour window in order to do so. You could add that Skelton is prob more important to the WB cause than any of the French based to the Lions?

32 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

😁

32 Go to comments
N
NB 1 hour ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Brought up on the exploits of the Pooler front row, so cannot disagree!

32 Go to comments
P
PR 1 hour ago
As the balance of power shifts away from Ireland, has Andy Farrell got his Lions calls right?

Depends on gameplan and conditions. LBB and Penaud behind a retreating pack won’t be as effective. True, Lowe is not the fastest, but almost unstoppable close to the line, has a booming boot for exists and, like most Kiwi backs, reads the game extremely well. If my team was being dragged into the gutters on a rainy night, I would easily pick Lowe over LBB and Penaud. If my backline had constent front-foot ball then, sure, LBB and Penaud. If Kolbe and KLA wasn’t available of course.

196 Go to comments
G
GS 1 hour ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

Will LAR be prepared to release him to the Wallabies outside the international window?


Interesting that Blair Kinghorn is the only player selected for the Lions playing in France, which gives some idea of the difficulty in introducing a player into the squad, whilst training and some games have/are been played.

32 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 1 hour ago
As the balance of power shifts away from Ireland, has Andy Farrell got his Lions calls right?

Hmmmm Kolbe I can go with but Lowe ahead of LBB or Penaud? Nah, you’ve lost me on that one. A coach like Joe Schmidt will have a plan to stitch up Lowe like a kipper, faster oil tankers out there these days!

196 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 1 hour ago
As the balance of power shifts away from Ireland, has Andy Farrell got his Lions calls right?

Yes, I struggle to have an opinion as you can see…🤣

196 Go to comments
f
frandinand 2 hours ago
'Whisper it, but the Wallabies could out-scrum the British and Irish Lions this summer'

I'm constantly amazed at the negative comments both on here and more so at the other place re Skelton.

In my opinion it says more about the poster than Skelton.

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B
Brent Dolby 2 hours ago
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HIRE RUDER CYBER TECH SLEUTH--- BITCOIN-USDT RECOVERY EXPERT TO RECLAIM LOST CRYPTO ASSET.

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