Top 14: La Rochelle rebound against Pau but flaws remain

Jack Nowell scored his first try in his 20th outing for the Rochelais

Sat, 18 May, 2024 - 22:10

James Harrington

Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle worked their way to a 25-23 win over Pau at Stade Marcel Deflandre on a decisive day in France’s Top 14, that saw Oyonnax officially relegated and Montpellier condemned to a survival play-off at the home of the losing ProD2 finalists next month.

Jack Nowell scored his first try in this 20th outing for the Rochelais in the first half, while a penalty try just before the hour and a Jules Favre try in the 72nd minute sealed the win as they set out to consolidate their top six place and prove that last week’s abject performance against a rampant Bordeaux was an anomaly.

They only partially succeeded. They conceded two tries in the closing five minutes as determined Pau drew a losing bonus from nowhere. Time is, just, still on La Rochelle’s side, but O’Gara will know his side need to up their performances if they are to mount a serious challenge for the Bouclier de Brennus this season.

“We won't be playing for a title, but to maintain an institution in Top 14,” Montpellier’s head coach Patrice Collazo said, after his side lost 22-29 at home to a heavily rotated Toulouse side in the opening match of the weekend and results elsewhere went firmly against them. “We’ve got four weeks to try and stop playing against ourselves.”

Toulouse coach Ugo Mola had both eyes firmly on next weekend’s Champions Cup final against Leinster in London when he selected a young and inexperienced squad for Saturday’s afternoon’s trip to the GGL.

Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack – who both part of the Olympic Flame relay in Toulouse on Friday – were among those notably absent from the Toulouse teamsheet, as were Emmanuel Meafou, Thibaud Flament, Francois Cros, Peato Mauvaka, Julien Marchand, Cyril Baille, Dorian Aldigheri, Pita Ahki, Paul Costes, Alexandre Roumat and Thomas Ramos.

Not that their absence was really missed, as Mola’s Babes gifted their coach the first guaranteed play-off place in the league. Twenty-year-old Mathis Castro-Ferreira scored twice as Mola’s Babes raced into a 26-7 lead inside 30 minutes. The backrow was one of three in the 23 – alongside Clément Sentubery and Benjamin Bertrand – who had been excused training in the week to prepare for important exams on a day before the match.

Cobus Reinach scored a double of his own late in the first half to make a game of it – but Toulouse hung tough in the second period to claim the points.

Montpellier’s woe was compounded as both Bayonne and Lyon won at home against Perpignan and Racing 92 respectively to move out of reach of the 2022 champions with two rounds of the regular season remaining, and force them into the dreaded relegation play-off game.

Two tries from Reece Hodge put Bayonne on the road to a 23-20 win over the Catalans, while Lyon withstood a late siege on their line to beat Racing 20-14 at Stade Gerland, after Baptiste Couilloud had scored his 15th try of the season.

Stuart Lancaster’s side remain in the top six – for now – but there’s no denying the second half of their season has been a disaster. Only Oyonnax have had a worse record since the 14th round of the season in February.

Clermont climbed into the Champions Cup places with a 36-20 bonus-point win over Castres at Stade Marcel Michelin.

Pierre Mignoni’s Toulon, meanwhile, consolidated their place in the top six, with a 27-17 win at Oyonnax – a result that consigned the home side to an immediate return to the ProD2 after one season the top flight, and maintained their own challenge for a first post-season Bouclier de Brennus challenge since 2018.

On Sunday, long-time Top 14 leaders Stade Francais host third-placed Bordeaux at Stade Jean Bouin. Karim Ghezal’s side will be determined to return to winning ways after two defeats on the bounce, and keep hold of second place – with its automatic pass to the post-season semi-finals.

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