Sobering start for Irish powerhouses
Principal amongst that is the assault being put down by three of the French sides — Toulouse, the nearly men of Clermont Auvergne and the money men of Toulon. In general, French rugby is going through a bit of a crisis at the moment with serious concerns surrounding the number of overseas players plying their trade in the French championship. Last season there was a noticeable shift in playing style, with the majority of the top sides playing a very conservative brand of rugby with question marks over the skill levels of some of their leading international players. The true extent of this narrow vision was seen to a worrying degree when the semi-finals and final of the Top 14 failed to produce a single try despite the fact that Toulouse, Castres, Clermont Auvergne and Toulon were all represented.
Clermont and Toulouse look the most likely to change that approach this season and the former’s five-try demolition of the Scarlets, who admittedly were at a major disadvantage with the dismissal of Morgan Stoddard after 38 minutes which negated a very promising start. Toulouse, too, looked in complete control against a very strong Leicester Tigers side and have unearthed another midfield gem in 18-year-old Gael Fickou, who was called into the France squad for the November internationals and already looks destined for great things. Toulon, despite their galaxy of stars, still rely on a more structured game plan but have the resources in terms of power, pace and international experience to be a real handful.
