Top 14 round-up: Antoine Dupont strikes again, La Rochelle lay down marker and relegation ‘dogfight’ takes shape

Louis Chapman Coombe
Top 14

La Rochelle, Toulouse and Clermont were the big winners in the Top 14 this weekend.

Round Seven of the Top 14 season is now behind us and once again there was some brilliant rugby played out across the Channel. 

There was a mammoth clash at the top of the table, as La Rochelle faced Bordeaux, and as always the stars were out in force over the weekend.

Here is a full round-up of all the action in the Top 14.

Antoine Dupont strikes again for Toulouse

After his sensational cameo off the bench last weekend, Antoine Dupont was thrust back into the Toulouse starting XV for the clash with Pau; and was on hand to provide yet ANOTHER piece of magic as he threw a sensational no-look behind-the-back pass to send Guillaume Cramont over for a try in the corner.

This moment of brilliance from the best player in the world helped Toulouse cement a clean 22-14 win against Pau, with Jack Willis and Julian Marchand also getting their names on the scoresheet. Fellow Brits Blair Kinghorn and Joe Simmonds were also busy from the tee too, with Simmonds knocking over a conversation and Scotland ace Kinghorn adding two conversions and a penalty.

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The win also sends Toulouse to the top of the table, but they can thank rivals La Rochelle for that favour.

La Rochelle end brilliant Bordeaux run with statement win

La Rochelle’s favour to rivals Toulouse was their statement 36-22 win over fellow title-chasers Bordeaux. Braces from Teddy Thomas and Brice Dulin, alongside three conversions and two penalties from Antoine Hastoy were enough to steer Ronan O’Gara’s side to victory.

That triumph also pulls the two-time European champions back into third in the table, just one point behind Bordeaux and two behind Toulouse.

The defeat also came at a cost for Bordeaux, and potentially France too, as centre Yoram Moefana copped a red card for a dangerous tackle.

Elsewhere at the top of the table, dark horses Clermont Auvergne secured a thumping 55-33 win over newly-promoted Vannes. Les Jaune et Bleu recorded nine tries in the win at the Marcel Michelin, including a brace for French international Killian Tixeront. Not to be outdone, Toulon also secured a solid 30-17 win over struggling Montpellier.

The three-time European champions ran in four tries on the way to victory, including a brilliant solo effort from Fijian winger Jiuta Wainiqolo.

Rounding off the top six, Castres also notched a 35-13 win over Stade Francais. The former Top 14 champions notched four tries in the win, including one from former Harlequins and England prop Will Collier.

Dogfight at the bottom taking shape

The quality across the Top 14 makes it an ultra-competitive league, however, the dogfight at the foot of the table is already beginning to take shape.

Racing 92’s tough start to the season continued, as they fell to a 32-15 loss to Manu Tuilagi’s Bayonne, and this was later compounded as fellow basement dwellers Perpignan pulled level on points with the Parisians thanks to a gutsy 29-26 win over Lyon.

As mentioned earlier, Vannes, Stade Francais and Montpellier all lost their Round Seven ties, and they take up the bottom three spots in the table (Vannes 14th, Stade Francais 13th, Montpellier 12th); however only seven points now separate Vannes from 10th place Racing. It’s getting tasty at the bottom!

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