Toby’s back at last, but can’t save Toulouse
“Steffon Armitage and All-Blacks Colin Slade and Conrad Smith starred for Pau in a 23-6 victory over Stade Francais”
Toby Flood, one-time star of England and Leicester, has spent a lot of time watching his Toulouse team for months. From the bench and often from the stand. So he was out to make an impact when making only his second start of the season at promoted Lyon yesterday, the first having been a thankless task at champions Racing.
Perhaps too much so because he was sent back to the bench by the referee within half an hour after being yellowcarded for a faulty tackle.
And, if things are getting not much better for Flood, they are getting a lot worse for Toulouse, whose 25-20 defeat was their third in a row.
It means that the most-titled team in France are now below Lyon in the nether reaches of the Top 14.
A situation which is almost certain to provoke an internal crisis with serious rumblings over the imminent election of a new president.
Rene Bouscatel, who has supervised two decades of Toulouse dominance, hopes to remain for two more years to accompany his choice of former France captain Fabien Pelous for the top post.
Not sure he will get his way if Toulouse continue like this. It will have been not much fun for either man watching Frederic Michalak, who first made his considerable name in their colours, putting them to the sword with six penalties and a conversion.
That latter kick rewarded an early try from Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga which helped to give Lyon a 193 half-time lead.
Toulouse, who had made the most passes in the division with only four tries to show for it this season, came back out more effectively with tries from wingers Sofiane Guitoune and Samoan Paul Perez.
That brought Toulouse to within five points with 20 minutes to play, but the same indiscipline that cost Flood struck again when Toulouse went down to 13 men.
Quickfire yellow cards for forwards Census Johnston and Edwin Maka left them powerless to pursue the comeback.
Full-back Delon Armitage will be out for Lyon until the end of the month with a sprained right ankle, but there is no holding brother Steffon with Pau.
Pau had just one win to their name before Armitage and All-Blacks Colin Slade and Conrad Smith starred in a 23-6 victory over Stade Francais, who host Toulouse this week.
Armitage, in fact, was at the heart of the action, battling effectively in the rucks and even scoring a try, himself. The move was started by an astute kick from former Stade star Julien Tomas. Smith was hauled down close to the line and found Armitage behind him to touch down.
Stade were handicapped by the absence of their two fly-halves, Morne Steyn in South Africa and Jules Plisson suspended.
South African scrum-half Meyer Bosman, who played fly-half as a kid, stepped in but missed two of his first four kicks at goal.
His cause was not helped by a yellow card for compatriot flanker Jono Ross for a tackle without the ball in the first half.
There was another for substitute hooker Craig Burden towards the close, but the game had long gone by then.
Like Pau, La Rochelle have not been back long in the top flight. Long enough, however, to have created the shock team who have looked down on the rest from the summit.
This time, they were obliged to surrender 28-29 to a Brive team, but not before having led by 12 points at the break thanks to three tries from centre Steeve Barry, Fijian full-back Kini Murimirivalu and winger Vincent Rattez.
Brive, though, have the most potent kicker in the Top 14. That’s full-back Germain Gaetan, touted for France by the country’s president Francois Hollande, a fan.
Hard to argue with the stats which see him regularly among the best and now once again unrivalled, extending his lead by another 19 points. Aided and abetted by tries from winger Benjamon Lapeyre and centre Arnaud Mignardi.
Montpellier boss Jake White had a policy last season of largely sticking to the same players who had brought him success. It did not survive the long grind of the Top 14. Now he has decided to introduce a turnover of talent to retain freshness for the climax.
Montpellier won their third game in a row 21-9 at Bayonne who recorded their third defeat on the trot.
There was litte room for spectacle as South African fly-half Demetri Catrakalis kicked seven penalties with his compatriot and counterpart Willie Du Plessis replying with three.
Toulon, who avoided a crisis with a win at Toulouse last time out, face another big game at champions Racing today with the grapevine saying manager Diego Dominguez is still not safe from the sack.
What is more, they have to confront Chris Masoe, the influential forward they, perhaps unwisely, let go to Racing with whom he won the title.
Masoe simply says: “I really don’t care what happens at Toulon.”
Two tries from David Strettle helped Clermont beat Bordeaux-Begles 40-16.