Top 14 wrap: Round 26
In crushing Dax on Saturday, Clermont finished the regular season at the summit of the Top 14 table, a first for the club from the Auvergne.
In crushing Dax on Saturday, Clermont finished the regular season at the summit of the Top 14 table, a first for the club from the Auvergne.
A bonus point for losing by less than seven in Perpignan saw Stade Fran̤ais finish third Рmeaning they will face Toulouse in the semi-finals in Bordeaux on Sunday while Clermont will play Perpignan in Marseilles on Saturday.
Montauban struggled to get the better of Albi, but did enough to book their place in the Heineken Cup where they will be joined by the top four, Castres and Biarritz.
A place in Europe will be stank consolation for Biarritz who rounded off a very sad day that saw the departure of their coach and longest-serving player, Serge Betsen, end in defeat.
Results:
Clermont 95-7 Dax
Toulouse 35-28 Bayonne
Perpignan 23-19 Stade Français
Biarritz 30-34 Castres
Montauban 24-17 Albi
Auch 13-23 Montpellier
Bourgoin 22-19 Brive
Final table:
1. Clermont 96
2. Toulouse 91
3. Stade Français 80
4. Perpignan 79
5. Castres 69
6. Biarritz 66
7. Montauban 63
8. Montpellier 61
9. Bayonne 55
10. Bourgoin 52
11. Brive 51
12. Albi 48
13. Dax 35
14. Auch 19
Clermont 95-7 Dax
Clermont brought the curtain down on the regular season in style, pulverising Dax in a 15-try blitz to finish at the top of the table, with the top try-scorer, Napolioni Nalaga, and the top points-scorer, Brock James.
In a season that has seen them break all kinds of records (95 points in game was another), all that remains to be won is their first championship title.
After two successive defeats Clermont showed their class, scoring four tries in the first half-an-hour to kill off any suspense their might have been. Last year's losing finalists sent a message out loud and clear to all their doubters, this year could just be theirs.
Perpignan had better have all their ducks in a row if they wish to stand a chance in next weekend's first semi-final.
Nalaga scored three tries for the home side, bringing his total for the season to 16. That's three better than last year's top try scorer Рhis club captain Aur̩lien Rougerie.
The only good news for Dax was the announcement that Agustin Pichot's successor behind the Argentine scrum, Nicolas Vergallo, has signed a two year contract with the Landais club.
Toulouse 35-28 Bayonne
True to the ethos in la Ville Rose, Toulouse came out to play exciting rugby to repay their loyal fans and duly won an entertaining encounter by five tries to three.
Without most of their top players, the home side would have been happy with the performance of young scrum-half Nicolas Bézy.
It was an emotional day for Bayonne captain Richard Dourthe would played his last game before taking up a role amongst the club's management. His early departure from the field was greeted with a rousing round of applause from the Ernest Wallon crowd.
Perpignan 23-19 Stade Français
Stade Français might have left a large number of their best players at home, but they nearly avenged the 23-12 loss they suffered at the hands of Perpignan in Paris earlier this year.
Only a 76th minute try from Henry Tuilagi saved the Catalans' undefeated record at home.
Clermont and Toulouse might as well throw the match video away Рit will serve them no purpose ahead of their respective semi-finals as neither team wanted to reveal anything. Stade Fran̤ais went as far as lining up loose forward Antoine Burban Рon the wing!
The first half was of such a poor standard that the teams were whistled off the field at half time with the visitors leading 16-3 thanks to the boot of Lionel Beauxis and a try from Guillaume Boussès.
Perpignan coach Jacques Brunel changed his front row for the second half and the home side duly raised the tempo. Gavin Hume crossed for their first try to turn the tide. The last 20 minutes were all Perpignan but the Catalans seemed reluctant to drive home their advantage and change the identity of their semi-final opponents.
Biarritz 30-34 Castres
It's hard to imagine that Aguiléra has seen a sadder day. Biarritz coach Patrice Lagisquet officially quit the day before and was no where to be seen. After leading the club to three French championship titles (2002, 2005 and 2006) and a European Cup Final (in 2006), the Basques' dismal season just became too much for the burnt-out Lagisquet.
But the real tears were for Serge Betsen. After 17 years at the club, the 34-year-old was welcomed onto a field by a cordon of friends. With tears streaming down his face the former French international started his last game for the club before heading to London to join Wasps.
It was a rare occasion to see entertaining rugby from the usually defensively minded Basques who came off second best in a nine try festival.
It couldn't have ended in a worse way as Castres centre Lionel Mazars scored his team's fifth try in the 80th minute to snatch the game and fifth place on the table from Biarritz's grasps.
Montauban 24-17 Albi
Perfectly placed for European qualification, Montauban nearly threw it all away at Sapiac. Against a courageous Albi side they needed a late comeback to end Montpellier's dreams.
After a hopeless first half, and down 14-0 at the pause, the home side came out of the change rooms charging and literally bashed their visitors into submission.
Three tries, from Phillippe Viard, Matthias Rolland, and Yohann Audrin in the 73rd minute, secured an historic win.
Auch 13-23 Montpellier
So near so far for Montpellier who missed out on European Cup qualification by just two points. The Héraultais will rue France's unique bonus points system as the ended the season with more wins than Montauban, but only managed five bonus points compared to Montauban's eleven.
Auch's catastrophic season finally came to an end. Having scored only three wins and nineteen points this season, they equalled Toulon's 'record' for the worst ever season in the top flight.
Bourgoin 22-19 Brive
Bourgoin ended their very disappointing season with an home win at Pierre-Rajon with the sides scoring three tries a piece. Bad news however for fly-half Benjamin Boyet who suffered an ankle injury that could rule him out of France's tour to Australia.