French rugby climbs off the floor
One of the most humiliating weeks in the history of French rugby ends with a sliver of salvation as leaders Clermont head to last season’s beaten finalists Montpellier to kick start round 11 of the Top 14 on Saturday.
It is a golden chance for the cream of the French game to show that last weekend’s horror show at the Stade de France when Les Bleus stumbled to defeat against Fiji was a mere aberration. Three members of the French squad Louis Picamoles, Benjamin Fall and Kelian Galletier are likely to feature in Vern Cotter’s Montpellier side alongside their two returning Georgians, Misha Nariashvili and Levan Chilachava. They will have to wait until next season for French captain Guilhem Guirado who confirmed his move from Toulon earlier on Thursday but they may have the bonus of Johan Goosen coming back after six weeks out with an ankle injury.
Goosen who retired from the sport in 2016 before joining the Top 14 runners up this summer was carried off the field on a stretcher in October’s victory over Toulon.
But the 13-time Springbok has made a good recovery and could face Clermont.montpellier, who are currently ninth just four points behind fourthplaced La Rochelle, face a Clermont who put four tries past Lyon in a 31-11 win last week without their
internationals.