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Maxime Lucu Is Still The Boss
It was no coincidence that Union Bordeaux Begles dispatched Bayonne with their most complete performance of the season at the Matmut Atlantique, with their captain and talisman Maxime Lucu appearing for the first time this season following an injury layoff. His control, kicking and speed of distribution have been sorely missed in a season in which UBB have been a touch inconsistent, but in conjunction with the sublime Mathieu Jalibert produced a performance that will have delighted UBB fans. And whilst Jalibert’s withdrawal has put him out of the international reckoning for the Autumn, for Fabian Galthie it’s arguably the instant return to form of Lucu that’s most impactful for his squad, with the Springboks on the horizon.
Fijian Flair Will Challenge France in Bordeaux
The Matmut Atlantique will also be the venue for France’s test match against Fiji, and Fiji’s Top 14 contingent continue to show that Les Bleus will need to take them seriously. Salesi Rayasi was on the scoresheet for Bordeaux, as was Jiuta Wainiqolo who produced another astonishing solo effort in Lyon’s loss to La Rochelle. Josua Tuisova and Selestino Ravutaumada were defensively excellent in Racing’s gritty win over Pau, whilst arguably the performance of the round came from former All Black Pita Gus Sowakula in Clermont’s hammering of Castres. Throw in Sireli Maqala, recently pipped to Top 14 player of the season by Jack Willis, and it's familiar faces who may well cause France the biggest headaches come 15th November.
Unassuming Ugo The Man For Racing 92
Following the ultimately doomed signing of Owen Farrell last year, much had been made of Racing 92’s recruitment at No.10 this season. For a side that has in the last decade secured the services of luminaries such as Farrell, Johnny Sexton, Dan Carter and Finn Russell, the signing of Ugo Seunes from Aurillac in Pro D2 as playmaker was eye-catching in its unflashiness.
Whilst not exhibiting the ball playing skills he showcased so brilliantly when Racing hammered UBB a few weeks back, his quiet confidence off the kicking tee sealed an important 15-10 win in Creteil against previous league leaders Pau. Seunes’ unexpected call up into the France 42-man squad to replace the injured Jalibert is an extraordinary journey for a player who in June played in the Access Match to third tier Nationale - a league he was playing in as recently as 2024. Racing’s left-field bet is starting to look like a master stroke.
Perpignan Plunge Further
Montauban were so unfancied coming into this season, you could be forgiven for thinking that they would do well to pick up more than a couple of wins. You could perhaps have lined up the home game against Perpignan in Round 8 as one of those wins and a possible first victory. What was unthinkable, though, is that win would push them 7 points clear of a team below them.
Perpignan have the unenviable record of being the first Top14 side ever to not have registered a league point after 8 rounds. Even in Agen’s 26 game losing streak in 2020/21, they had troubled the scorers by this point. The axe has been swung and it looks like Laurent Labit will be taking on the Head Coach vacated by Franck Azema. For a side with so much current international quality and a fearsome home record, their 8 game losing run to start the season remains extraordinary. They will be desperate for a new-coach bounce for their trip to Pau this weekend. Few sides have needed it more.
Stade Français Starting To Shine
At various points over the last few weekends, Stade Français have been top of the table. As French rugby’s second-most successful side, and with the third biggest operating budget this season, it is not that strange in itself for Stade to be near the upper reaches of the league.
It does feel odd though given their 12th place finish last year with largely the same squad. To their credit, they are playing some fantastic rugby and played an insipid Montpellier team off the park at Stade Jean-Bouin on Saturday. Stade played their best rugby last season with former All Black Brad Weber and Louis Carbonel in the half-backs - a partnership ended by a horror injury to the Kiwi. Unsurprisingly, the signing of another former All Black Tawera Kerr-Barlow has been transformative, allowing Stade to play with much more pace in attack, no doubt contributing to the return to form of Carbonel and Yoan Tanga. Elsewhere, 21yo dynamo Noah Néné is starting to benefit from more game time at inside centre - his two tries at the weekend showed his class and his explosive power.
As feels often the case in French rugby, a true test of form is just around the corner: Stade Français travel to Toulouse for ‘Le Clasico’ on Saturday evening. With the champions missing plenty due to international duty, can the ‘Pink Soldiers’ take the top spot to end the first block?
Round 8 Fun Fact: Four of the seven fixtures in Round 8 were played at current football grounds, while the Stade Marcel Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand hosted a French Cup game last season between lowly Espaly-Saint-Marcel and PSG, and the Stade de Gerland in Lyon was the home of Olympique Lyonnais until 2015. Of the seven home grounds this weekend, only Montauban’s Stade Sapiac hasn’t seen top level football in the past decade.
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