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The RugbyPass 'Top 14 team of the Season'

Chris Ashton

Almost 11 months after it kicked off, Castres Olympique were crowned Top 14 champions as the final whistle blew on French rugby’s epicly long season at Stade de France. So, without any further ado, here is the Rugby Pass Top 14 team of the season.

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15 Julien Dumora (Castres) – Once, Dumora was regarded among opposition sides as a costly error waiting to happen. No more. Solid and brave in defence, and liquid danger in attack, he scored 12 times for his club this season – including the opener in the Top 14 final against Montpellier. Deserves his call-up to the French Barbarians.

14 Chris Ashton (Toulon) – A record-breaking 24 Top 14 tries in a single season, selected here in his preferred position rather than at fullback where he has also been pretty decent. It was far from a bad opening-campaign effort from the rookie. Have you been watching Eddie Jones?

13 Henry Chavancy (Racing 92) – Rugby purists will frown on having two battering rams in midfield, and rightly so as the game needs silk to go with the steel, but Chavancy and Bastareaud both have subtlety to go with their brute force, and the Racing man rarely has a bad game

12 Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon) – Since taking the captain’s armband from Duane Vermeulen, Bastareaud has done nothing wrong and almost everything very right. His recall to the French squad was utterly justified and grabbed with both hands. Set to captain France on their tour of New Zealand.

11 Semi Radradra (Toulon) – While he prefers a central role, the Fijian is more than capable of doing a job on the wing, and is so hungry for work, he will pop up just about anywhere, frequently providing the break and offload for Ashton to score. No doubt Alivereti Raka would be challenging for this spot, if he’d stayed fit.

10 Ben Botica (Oyonnax) – Finished top of the Top 14 points-scorers’ list with 311 – 55% of his side’s season total of 566, and almost but not quite nearly single-handedly saved Oyonnax from relegation. Not all heroes are winners. Castres’ Benjamin Urdapilleta close to stealing Botica’s spotlight with a near-perfect second-half to the season and a personal 19-point haul in the final.

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9 Baptiste Couilloud (Lyon) – A tough position to call in France right now, with Parra, Machenaud, Dupont and Serin all serious challengers for the international shirt when fit, with the likes of Coville and Meric hard on their heels. But the young Lyon 9 shades it for a fantastic breakthrough season. In the France Barbarians squad for the June tour, but must have been close to the main series in New Zealand.

7 Mathieu Babillot (Castres) – The Castres backrower, vice-captain of his club at just 24, is equally comfortable on either side of the scrum and will do what needs to be done from first whistle to last.

8 Victor Vito (La Rochelle) – Mr Consistent in an inconsistent season of two halves for the Rochelais. He was brilliant when the club was brilliant in the opening months, as they raced to the Champions Cup quarter-finals at the first time of asking. And he remained brilliant when they stuttered in the second half of the season.

6 Liam Gill (Lyon) – Although he can play 7, the abrasive Gill, a player who never knowingly takes a backward step has impressed most on the other side of the backrow since joining Lyon from Toulon. Mourad Boudjellal must regret letting him go.

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5 Leone Nakarawa (Racing 92) – European player of the year. The gamechangers’ gamechanger. Ludicrously talented and immensely powerful, with an engine that will run all day.

4 Felix Lambey (Lyon) – A player who is still trekking along the foothills of his mountainous potential. If he stays fit, he could be a big part of the answer to a long-running engine-room problem in French rugby.

3 Rabah Slimani (Clermont) – Some referees and opposition loosies may not like him, but it’s hard to imagine there’s a more destructive tighthead in world rugby.

2 Adrien Pélissié (Bordeaux) – Jacques Brunel looked way down the established hooker pecking order when he plucked Pélissié from relative obscurity as injury cover during the Six Nations. The Bordeaux man did not let his former club boss down – and he’s done enough to get a seat on the plane to New Zealand.

1 Dany Priso (La Rochelle) – A mere 1.82 and 110kg, Priso is a streamlined prop with a razor-sharp beard who’s solid in the scrums and rapid and useful in the loose – a by-product of his youth when he played either in the backrow or at centre.

Coach – Christophe Urios (Castres) Urios took Castres from sixth at the end of the regular season to champions in the space of three post-season weeks, beating third-placed Toulouse at Toulouse, second-placed Racing in the semi-final in Lyon, and near-permanent table-toppers Montpellier in Paris to lift the Bouclier du Brennus. He’s a coach whose star has long been on the rise in France – and, now, he’s heading to New Zealand to coach the France Barbarians – before returning to Castres for the final year of a four-year contract … and major interest from bigger clubs.

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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TRENDING Marcus Smith on that substitution and his England plea Marcus Smith on that substitution and his England plea
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