The Top 14, Part Two: A Look at the Clubs

We continue our look at the Top 14, looking at the clubs involved.

SCA Albi

Home ground: Stadium Municipal d'Albi (capacity 12,000)

Last year: Third in the Pro D2

The club; founded in 1907, was promoted back to the Top 14 after winning the Pro D2 play off final.  After beating Oyonnax in that match, Albi, based in the Midi-Pyrénées, returns to the top flight.  Anthony Pujol, Florent Fourcade, Lucas Borges and Stade Francais prop Pierre Correia are their notable player acquisitions.

Bayonne

Home ground: Stade Jean Dauger (capacity 12,000)

Last year: Seventh in the Top 14

Aviron Bayonnais, the three-time champions will look to mount a challenge to the top half of the table this season, with acquisitions including All Black lock Ross Filipo, Samoan internationals Gavin Williams and Ace Tiatia as well as highly rated Toulouse prop Salvatore Perugini. 

However, they have lost 11 players to transfers and retirements.

Biarritz

Home ground: Parc Des Sports Aguiléra (capacity 13,500)

Last year: Fifth in the Top 14

Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque, five-time champions, including three in the last few years (2002, 2005, 2006) and runners up in the 2006 Heineken Cup, will look to mount their usual strong challenge. 

They have acquired and lost a huge amount of players, gaining England back Iain Balshaw and a host of young French players including Fabien Alexandre, Raphael Lakafia, and Charles Gimenez.

Bourgoin

Home ground: Stade Pierre Rajon (capacity 9,400)

Last year: 11thy in the Top 14

CS Bourgoin-Jallieu has never won the French title, losing to Toulouse in the 1997 final.  Having lost players such as Les Bleus half Morgan Parra, the club based in the Rhone-Alpes of France is one that will benefit from having the controls and caps expected in the next couple of years to allow it to close the gap on the “giants” of the French clubs. 

Notable player acquisitions include Piet van Zyl, the Nambian centre, and Albert Vuli Vuli from the Queensland Reds.

Brive

Home ground: Stade Amédée-Domenech (capacity 15,000)

Last year: Sixth in the Top 14

The famous Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin has never won a French championship, but has held aloft the symbol of European supremacy, having won the Heineken Cup in 1997 after beating the Tigers.  After struggling in recent years, they will look to re-emerge this year as a contender, having signed Riki Flutey, Jamie Noon and Shaun Perry from England, as well as flying Waikato Chiefs winger Viliame 'Vili' Wagaseduadua.

Castres

Home ground: Stade Pierre-Antoine (capacity 11,500)

Last year: 12th in the Top 14

Castres only narrowly avoided relegation last year, by virtue of drawing two more matches than their counterparts Dax. 

Founded in 1898, the three-time French champions will look to arrest their recent poor fortunes despite losing Lionel Nallet, Florian Faure and Coach Mark McCall. 

New coaches Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit will have ten new acquisitions to try to pull themselves up the Top 14 table.

Clermont Auvergne

Home ground: Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin (capacity 16,000)

Last year: Third in regular season, championship runners up

Still regarded by many as Montferrand, the club Association Sportive Montferrandaise Clermont Auvergne’s first origins were as “AS Michelin” after being founded by Marcel Michelin, son of the famous founder of the tyre company.  They still wear the colours of the famous institution. 

Having acquired Morgan Parra, Lionel Faure and Tasesa Lavea, Clermont will look to arrest their heartbreaking Top 14 record: Ten time runners up, including the last three championships, seven times losing by less than 7 points, and have never won the major title.

Montauban

Home ground: Stade Sapiac (capacity 11,500)

Last year: Eighth in the Top 14

After being promoted in 2006 after winning the Pro D2, the 104 year old club had a solid season last year, and played in the last Heineken Cup.  With new coach Sébastien Calvet on board, they will look to add to their solitary French title won in 1967.

Montpelier

Home Ground: Stade Yves-du-Manoir (capacity 13,000)

Last year: 10th in the top 14

One of the newest French clubs, creating in 1986 with a merger of Stade Montpelliérain and MUC Rugby, they are still to win a French Top 14 title, but did win the Pro D2 in 2003. 

Despite losing the outstanding flanker Louis Picamoles to Toulouse, they have made five acquisitions and still have Francois Trinh-Duc, arguably France's best No. 10, to dictate play for the Languedoc-Roussillon based team.

Perpignan

Home ground: Stade aimé giral (capacity 13,000)

Last year: Champions

Seven-time and current title holders Perpignan made headlines last year when acquiring All Black number ten Dan Carter, who injured himself early into his sojourn with the club, but was not needed as Perpignan claimed top spot after the regular season and then defeated Clermont in the final. 

Have lost Carter and Chris Cusiter this season, and acquired just the three players, but have the most stable squad of any team.

Racing-Métro 92

Home ground: Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir (capacity 6,500)

Last year: Promoted as champions of the Pro D2

Formed in 2001 with the amalgamation of the Racing Club de France and US Metro, the almost eccentric club has won five championships in its former guise, and rivals Toulon as the big spender of world rugby. 

French internationals Sébastien Chabal and Lionel Nallet, along with Springbok Francois Steyn combine with ten more players who will buttress the ambitious club. 

Stade Francais

Home ground: Stade Jean-Bouin (capacity 12,000)

Last year: Fourth in Top 14

Second only to Toulouse as the most decorated club in the French championship; former Waratahs boss Ewen Mackenzie’s team set the early pace in the Top 14 last year, before being overhauled by Perpignan and Toulouse. 

They have lost 16 players from last year, including Puma’s legend Agustin Pichot, but have recruited well, gaining English due James Haskell and Tom Palmer, as well as Scotsman Hugo Southwell and outstanding French scrum half Julien Dupuy.

Toulon

Home ground: Stade Mayol (capacity 13,700)

Last year: 9^th in Top 14

RC Toulonnais almost were relegated last year, after having a horror opening to the season.  Despite carrying all before them in 2007/08 in the Pro D2, the big spending glamour side struggled, winning only nine matches and having the fourth worst attacking record of any team. 

While they have completed their traditional seasonal turnstile of players, with no less than 14 men leaving the club, they have recruited some astonishing talent. 

As well as Jonny Wilkinson, they have attracted Puma Felipe Contepomi and a further 13 players to boost their squad.  Their demanding president will have higher hopes this year.

Toulouse

Home ground: Stade Ernest-Wallon (19,500)

Last year: Second in regular season Top 14

Arguably the most decorated club in Europe will look to mount a fearsome charge on the title this year, after Stade Toulousain would have failed to meet the requirements of what would be, with such a star studded squad, almost a minimum goal to reach the final of either the Top 14 or Heineken Cup.

While they have lost 10 players, including former French captain Fabien Pelous, they have gained players such as Louis Picamoles and Census Johnston.  Meet champions Perpignan in the third round in the early “match of the year.”