Cockerill has eyes on another title bid
Richard Cockerill, winner of three Premiership titles with Leicester, has the unexpected vision of another lustrous trophy growing before his eyes. It is a little surreal to find Cockerill in charge of Toulon’s renewed tilt for fresh glory. After all, he was only hired in January after his sacking by Leicester as an assistant to Mike Ford, since fired himself.
Added to which he has already signed a contract to coach Edinburgh next season.
Amid all of these lightning career moves, Cockerill has the chance now of leaving an historic mark on the Top 14, even if his contribution has come somewhat late in the season.
Toulon’s 23-14 win yesterday over Castres, which came straight after Cockerill oversaw victory over Toulouse, ushers in the real prospect of a home tie in the play-off for the semis.
Their chances of winning the title may rest on the fitness of Fijian powerhouse winger Josua Tuisova, who has missed five months through injury during this campaign.
His enormous strength took him beyond the try-line after 20 minutes with two defenders clinging to his back in just his seventh match of the season.
And Cockerill acknowledges: “Tuisova is a phenomenon. He is unstoppable one on one. He is small, but so strong. He will become an exceptional player.”
With a visit to Bordeaux-Begles and a home game against Pau to come, Cockerill can envisage a thrilling conclusion to his brief, but possibly rewarding, reign.
Toulon, in fact, had the game wrapped up with a half-time score of 20-0 after South African winger Bryan Habana intercepted a pass from Castres centre Thomas Combezou to race clear.
Former Toulon winger David Smith and Tongan sub Sitiveni Mafi hit back with second-half tries, but the 13 points kicked by Leigh Halfpenny kept them at bay.
Castres will now be obliged to meet Stade Francais, 51-16 winners over Pau yesterday, on Wednesday to play a match originally postponed when Stade went on strike in protest against a proposed merger with derby rivals Racing.
After four defeats on the trot, Castres should be able to make up some lost ground since Stade, preparing for a Euro semi-final with Bath, are unlikely to provide significant opposition at such short notice.
That comes thanks to a major court verdict in favour of the League, who wanted the game replayed whereas the Federation’s case for a simple awarding of points was thrown out.
That’s a bonus for Stade, who were looking at a two-point deduction before the decision. The five points they took here from an injury-hit Pau gave them a third win in a row since the merger crisis and a chance of making the top six.
Their win was never in doubt with four tries from centre Geoffrey Doumayrou, winger Waisea Nayacalevu, the leading Top 14 try scorer, and a double from winger Julien Arias giving them a 30-6 half-time lead.
It was mainly one-way traffic in the second half, too, from an outfit flying high on relief and rediscovered belief. Strikes from captain Serge Parisse, Doumayrou once again and a penalty try came as a serious threat to Pau’s play-off dreams.
Not that Stade can have too much confidence that their recovery will have come in time. Beyond their unpromising visit this week to Castres, they face an emotional showdown with Racing and a trip to powerful Montpellier.
Clermont are getting serious with a Champions Cup semi-final with Saracens coming up. A shock home defeat by Brive last time out was their fourth reverse in five games and meant they are no longer sure to secure an automatic Top 14 semi-final by right.
Confirming the relegation of Grenoble was the least statement they wished to make in the 59-18 massacre they inflicted away from home.
Rather they wanted to find again the confidence that has often deserted them in the past when the big trophies are handed out at the end of the season.
Mission accomplished. Nine tries, six of them coming in the second half, flowed from what looked like the team to face Saracens. Flanker Alexandre Lapandry, back-rower Fritz Lee and centre Damian Penaud went over in the first half. Scrum-half Ludovic Radosavljevic, Aussie hooker John Ulugia, Fijian winger Alivereti Raka, Penaud again, English winger David Strettle and Setariki Tucuvu, who replaced Nick Abendanon at full-back after an hour, completed the rout.
Brive achieved scant reward for their win at Clermont when they succumbed at home 22-19 to Bordeaux-Begles.
They led narrowly after an hour thanks to a try from hooker Guillaume Ribes and the consistent kicking of Gaetan Germain, the Top 14’s leading points scorer.
But Bordeaux, who had already scored two first half tries through Kiwi stars Hugh Chalmers and Jayden Spence, edged the game with a third from winger Nans Ducuing 13 minutes from the close.