RugbyRebels

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Thu Jun 12, 2025 5:16 pm

francoisfou wrote: ↑Thu Jun 12, 2025 4:56 pm Yes, difficult to be enthusiastic, innit, except maybe for a few diehard Sarries' fans.

Sarries have fans?

Convex hull

Saturday evening's playoff teams:

Toulon - 6 Lewis Ludlam, 5 Dave Ribbans, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 21 Ben White
Castres - 3 Will Collier


Saturday afternoon's Top14/ProD2 do or die game:

Grenoble - 10 Sam Davies
Perpignan - 3 Kieran Brookes

The Top14 semi-final weekend kicks off tomorrow (Friday) evening with Toulouse v Bayonne in Lyon.

For Toulouse, Blair Kinghorn returns fron injury and will wear 11 and Jack Willis at 7.
For Bayonne, sadly no Tuilagi who's not recovered from a rib injury, but Alex Moon, who's now established himself in the starting XV wears 5.

Toulon v UBB will be on Saturday evening, also in Lyon.

Toulon v UBB

Toulon - 3 Kyle Sinckler, 5 Dave Ribbans (c), 6 Lewis Ludlam, 21 Ben White
UBB - Jonny Gray on the bench

Yesterday evening, Toulouse had a hard time getting the better of Bayonne, eventually winning 32-25.They're evidently missing Antoine Dupont but their discipline isn't nearly good enough and the Bayonne fly half, Joris Segonds, kicked 6/6 penalties and a conversion too.
Another hard time awaits Toulouse next Saturday evening at the Stade de France.

Dave Ribbans, Will Collier and Joe Marchant are France-based Brits invited into the Barbarians’ squad to play South Africa in Cape Town next Saturday the 28th.

The Grand Final of the Top14 takes place this evening at the S de F, between Toulouse and UBB.
Blair Kinghorn and Jack Willis start for Toulouse and Jonny Gray’s on the bench for UBB.
It’s the same final as last year when Toulouse ran away with the game 55-3. Can’t see a similar result this evening, particularly as Saint Antoine will be absent.

Zach Mercer has begun pre-season training with his new club Toulon.
I wonder if he'll have the same impact with Toulon as he had with Montpellier who were Top14 Champions and he was player of the season?
I can't help thinking that he's a player who slipped through the net when he left Montpellier to come back to push for an England place.
Would he have had and more of a chance by joining clubs like Bath or Tigers instead of Gloucester, where he struggles to hit the heights?
Unfortunately, we'll never know.

francoisfou wrote: ↑Tue Jul 29, 2025 2:19 pm Zach Mercer has begun pre-season training with his new club Toulon.
I wonder if he'll have the same impact with Toulon as he had with Montpellier who were Top14 Champions and he was player of the season?
I can't help thinking that he's a player who slipped through the net when he left Montpellier to come back to push for an England place.
Would he have had and more of a chance by joining clubs like Bath or Tigers instead of Gloucester, where he struggles to hit the heights?
Unfortunately, we'll never know.

Dunno, doubt Tigers would have gone for him. Seemed a bit unenthusiastic in defence and liked to attack slightly wider out letting the Glaws flankers carry hard in the tight. Just don't think he'd have ever fit with what Borthwick wants in his backrow though then again Dombrandt is still lingering around the squad so who knows.

Here are the Brits (and a few faux Brits!) who are named in Top14 squads for the forthcoming season:

Bayonne: Alex Moon, Ewan Johnson, Gareth Anscombe, Manu Tuilagi
Castres: Will Collier
Bordeaux/Bègles: Jonny Grey
Stade Français: Zach Henry, Joe Marchant
Montauban: Lewis Bean (ex Saints and Glasgow 2nd row), Karl Wilkins (ex Saints and Bedford back row)
Perpignan: Kieran Brookes, Ali Crossdale, Jamie Ritchie
Pau: Joël Kpoku, Dan Robson, Joe Simmonds
Lyon: Sam Simmonds, Paddy Jackson
Racing: Jonny Hill, Nathan Hughes (back from Japan), Sam James, Jr Kpoku, Will Rowlands
Montpellier: Adam Beard, Billy Vunipola, Ali Price, Lennox Anyanwu, Stuart Hogg
Toulon: Kyle Sinckler, Dave Ribbans, Lewis Ludlam, Zack Mercer, Ben White
La Rochelle: Jack Nowell
Toulouse: Jack Willis, Blair Kinghorn
Clermont: none

And ProD2:

Biarritz: Charlie Matthews, Levi Douglas (ex Bath and Wasps 2nd row), Tyler Morgan, Zach Kibirige, Jonathan Joseph (tbc, cos I thought he has a career-ending injury)
Angoulême: Jonny May
Provence: Tomas Francis, Teimana Harrison, George North (I've not heard where Jimmy Gopperth has gone to - does anyone know?)
Carcassonne: Gary Graham, Jonny McPhillips
Colomiers: Myles Edwards (ex Wasps 2nd row)
Nevers: George Smith (ex Saints and Bedford 2nd row)
Agen: John Madigan, Jack Maunder, Craig Willis (ex Falcons and Ealing fly half)
Valence Romans: Gareth Milasinovich (ex Sarries prop)
Dax: Owen Lane (ex Cardiff winger)
Oyonnax: Will Cotterill (ex Saints centre)
Grenoble: Sam Davies
Brive: Irné Herbst, Courtney Lawes, John Cooney, Stuart Olding, Jamie Shillcock
Vannes: Mako Vunipola, Nick Schonert, Dave Cherry, Sione Kalamafoni, Ben Stevenson

And Nationale:

Nice: Owen Williams, Haydn Thomson-Stringer
Bourg-en-Bresse: Joel Matavesi
Rouen: Pierce Phillips, jack Metcalf
Suresnes: Harry Glynn
Rennes: Louis Hillman-Cooper

There's also Solomon Shand at Montpellier and Finn Newton at Toulon. Both signed terms post school in the summer of 2024, moving from Gloucester and Saracens respectively.

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Mon Aug 11, 2025 1:51 pm There's also Solomon Shand at Montpellier and Finn Newton at Toulon. Both signed terms post school in the summer of 2024, moving from Gloucester and Saracens respectively.

Thanks!

all-rugby.com tells me that Finn Newton is at the end of his contract with Toulon and that Solomon Shand is indeed listed with Montpellier.

Amazed that Manu and Billy are still going tbh

Gopperth was very shakily linked to Worcester in an article a couple of months back but I've seen nothing else about him

Gopperth is a free agent loitering for a medical joker contract

Jamie Ritchie has moved from Edinburgh to Perpignan.

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Tue Aug 12, 2025 11:19 am Jamie Ritchie has moved from Edinburgh to Perpignan.

Cheers, BP.
Original post amended.

Hasn't Ali Crossdale left Perpignan? Saw something about them looking at a Kiwi sevens player in the NPC as his replacement. Don't know where Crossdale is headed. Perhaps another for the Red Bull revolution...

FKAS wrote: ↑Thu Aug 14, 2025 8:23 am Hasn't Ali Crossdale left Perpignan? Saw something about them looking at a Kiwi sevens player in the NPC as his replacement. Don't know where Crossdale is headed. Perhaps another for the Red Bull revolution...

Just checked on the AllRugby site and you're right, but no indication where. Newcastle? Why not!
https://www.allrugby.com/dossiers/transferts-usap.html

Round 2 of ProD2 this evening and here are some of the Brits (and honorary Brits) selected:

Dax - 4 Charlie Matthews
Brive - 7 Courtney Lawes, 9 John Cooney, 10 Jamie Shillcock (his début)

Carcassonne - 10 Jonny McPhilips, Gary Graham on bench
Oyonnax

Béziers - 3 Christian Judge
Nevers

Provence - 13 George North, 8 Tiemana Harrison, Albert Tuisue on bench
Valence Romans

Vannes - 11 Ben Stevenson, 2 Dave Cherry, 1 Mako Vunipola, Nick Schonert on bench
Angoulême - no Jonny May (injured?)

francoisfou wrote: ↑Fri Sep 05, 2025 4:03 pm Round 2 of ProD2 this evening and here are some of the Brits (and honorary Brits) selected:

Dax - 4 Charlie Matthews
Brive - 7 Courtney Lawes, 9 John Cooney, 10 Jamie Shillcock (his début)

Carcassonne - 10 Jonny McPhilips, Gary Graham on bench
Oyonnax

Béziers - 3 Christian Judge
Nevers

Provence - 13 George North, 8 Tiemana Harrison, Albert Tuisue on bench
Valence Romans

Vannes - 11 Ben Stevenson, 2 Dave Cherry, 1 Mako Vunipola, Nick Schonert on bench
Angoulême - no Jonny May (injured?)

Has Alexander Masibaka returned to Montpellier from Soyaux Angoulême?

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Fri Sep 05, 2025 4:09 pm

francoisfou wrote: ↑Fri Sep 05, 2025 4:03 pm Round 2 of ProD2 this evening and here are some of the Brits (and honorary Brits) selected:

Dax - 4 Charlie Matthews
Brive - 7 Courtney Lawes, 9 John Cooney, 10 Jamie Shillcock (his début)

Carcassonne - 10 Jonny McPhilips, Gary Graham on bench
Oyonnax

Béziers - 3 Christian Judge
Nevers

Provence - 13 George North, 8 Tiemana Harrison, Albert Tuisue on bench
Valence Romans

Vannes - 11 Ben Stevenson, 2 Dave Cherry, 1 Mako Vunipola, Nick Schonert on bench
Angoulême - no Jonny May (injured?)

Has Alexander Masibaka returned to Montpellier from Soyaux Angoulême?

According to @allrugby, yes.

https://www.allrugby.com/dossiers/trans ... llier.html

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Fri Sep 05, 2025 4:09 pm

francoisfou wrote: ↑Fri Sep 05, 2025 4:03 pm Round 2 of ProD2 this evening and here are some of the Brits (and honorary Brits) selected:

Dax - 4 Charlie Matthews
Brive - 7 Courtney Lawes, 9 John Cooney, 10 Jamie Shillcock (his début)

Carcassonne - 10 Jonny McPhilips, Gary Graham on bench
Oyonnax

Béziers - 3 Christian Judge
Nevers

Provence - 13 George North, 8 Tiemana Harrison, Albert Tuisue on bench
Valence Romans

Vannes - 11 Ben Stevenson, 2 Dave Cherry, 1 Mako Vunipola, Nick Schonert on bench
Angoulême - no Jonny May (injured?)

Has Alexander Masibaka returned to Montpellier from Soyaux Angoulême?

Why, has he been convicted of something?

FKAS wrote: ↑Fri Sep 05, 2025 6:47 pm

BaldiePete wrote: ↑Fri Sep 05, 2025 4:09 pm

francoisfou wrote: ↑Fri Sep 05, 2025 4:03 pm Round 2 of ProD2 this evening and here are some of the Brits (and honorary Brits) selected:

Dax - 4 Charlie Matthews
Brive - 7 Courtney Lawes, 9 John Cooney, 10 Jamie Shillcock (his début)

Carcassonne - 10 Jonny McPhilips, Gary Graham on bench
Oyonnax

Béziers - 3 Christian Judge
Nevers

Provence - 13 George North, 8 Tiemana Harrison, Albert Tuisue on bench
Valence Romans

Vannes - 11 Ben Stevenson, 2 Dave Cherry, 1 Mako Vunipola, Nick Schonert on bench
Angoulême - no Jonny May (injured?)

Has Alexander Masibaka returned to Montpellier from Soyaux Angoulême?

Why, has he been convicted of something?

Ha!

The new Top14 season begins today and tomorrow:

Stade Français - 13 Joe Marchant, 21 Zach Henry
Montauban - 8 Karl Wilkins (ex Saints)

Perpignan - 3 Kieran Brookes, 5 Poso Tuilagi (Manu's giant nephew)
Bayonne - 4 Alex Moon, 12 Manu Tuilagi

Castres - no Will Collier for the moment
Pau - 9 Dan Robson, 10 Joe Simmonds

Lyon - 8 Sam Simmonds (début match), 21 Paddy Jackson
Racing - 4 Jonny Hill, 10 Sam James, 18 Will Rowlands

Montpellier - 9 Ali Price, 19 Billy Vunipola
Toulon - 5 Dave Ribbans, 7 Lewis Ludlam, 8 Zach Mercer (début match), (Italian centre Ignacio Brex makes his début)

UBB - 18 Jonny Grey
La Rochelle

Clermont play Toulouse on Sunday evening and neither Jack Willis nor Blair Kinghorn are available.

francoisfou wrote: ↑Sat Sep 06, 2025 8:05 am The new Top14 season begins today and tomorrow:

Stade Français - 13 Joe Marchant, 21 Zach Henry
Montauban - 8 Karl Wilkins (ex Saints)

Perpignan - 3 Kieran Brookes, 5 Poso Tuilagi (Manu's giant nephew)
Bayonne - 4 Alex Moon, 12 Manu Tuilagi

Castres - no Will Collier for the moment
Pau - 9 Dan Robson, 10 Joe Simmonds

Lyon - 8 Sam Simmonds (début match), 21 Paddy Jackson
Racing - 4 Jonny Hill, 10 Sam James, 18 Will Rowlands

Montpellier - 9 Ali Price, 19 Billy Vunipola
Toulon - 5 Dave Ribbans, 7 Lewis Ludlam, 8 Zach Mercer (début match), (Italian centre Ignacio Brex makes his début)

UBB - 18 Jonny Grey
La Rochelle

Clermont play Toulouse on Sunday evening and neither Jack Willis nor Blair Kinghorn are available.

Edit! I missed Nathan Hughes at 8 for Racing.