OPENING NIGHT OF the Top 14 throws up a fascinating fixture.
Bordeaux, last year’s beaten finalists, host La Rochelle, who are bidding to bounce back from a poor season in which they failed to make the play-offs.
This should be a spicy Saturday night contest [KO 8.05pm Irish time, Premier Sports 1] to top off an intriguing first day of the 2025/26 campaign
La Rochelle boss Ronan O’Gara admitted in his Irish Examiner column yesterday that most coaches would have been sacked during La Rochelle’s dire run of form in the second half of last season. He had major credit in the bank thanks to two Champions Cup titles in 2022 and 2023. But he knows that this needs to be a much better season.
Summer signing Nolann le Garrec, the delightfully talented scrum-half, is set to become the main man for La Rochelle, who are unfortunately missing another exciting new signing in Georgian fullback Davit Niniashvili due to injury.
That does at least mean that the extremely promising 20-year-old Ugo Pacome, a new addition from Colomiers in the Pro D2, makes his debut at fullback tonight. He’s one to watch out for.
There’s no Will Skelton as he gets a rest after his efforts with the Wallabies in recent months, but La Rochelle understand that they need to make an early statement of their intent at Stade Chaban Delmas.
Nolann le Garrec playing for France against New Zealand during the summer. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
They won’t have it easy away to Bordeaux, who claimed their first Champions Cup title last season but came up short against Toulouse in the Top 14 decider.
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UBB have lost a few fine players since last season, including Pumas lock Guido Petti and Aussie back row Pete Samu, but France international Cameron Woki has returned to the club where he first made his name, and Bordeaux have also signed other good squad players like Italy scrum-half Martin Page-Relo and newly-capped Fiji wing Salesi Rayasi.
Maxime Lucu and Yoram Moefana are sidelined for the opening months of the season, but with the highly-rated Noel McNamara continuing to be a big influence as attack coach, familiar figures like out-half Matthieu Jalibert and wing sensations Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey are aiming for a strong start tonight. Irishman Joey Carbery is on the bench.
Having ticked the Champions Cup off their bucket list, UBB are now hellbent on earning the club’s first Top 14 crown, all the more so having lost the last two finals.
Coveting the title is one thing. Ripping the Bouclier de Brennus from Toulouse’s greedy grasp is an entirely different thing.
Ugo Mola’s thrilling team are going after their fourth consecutive Top 14 crown as they also target a return to the peak in the Champions Cup. They are viewed as the strong favourites domestically again, particularly with Antoine Dupont due back from his ACL injury in November.
Antoine Dupont hopes to return in November. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Les Toulousains get their campaign underway on Sunday night away to Clermont [KO 8.05pm Irish time, Premier Sports 1], who Christophe Urios guided into the play-offs last season and who have brought in Kiwi out-half Harry Plummer to be their key figure at number 10 this season.
Toulouse have lots of players carrying injuries or still getting up to speed after busy international summers, but their squad remains enviably deep. They have recruited sparingly, with heavyweight tighthead prop George-Henri Colombe and centre/wing Teddy Thomas both joining from La Rochelle. They’re among the injured players set to miss out this weekend but 31-year-old Thomas’ season will be interesting to follow.
Before Bordeaux and La Rochelle lock horns tonight, there are five other openers to look forward to.
The new season begins with Stade Français, such a disappointment last season, hosting newcomers Montauban.
Union Sportive Montalbanaise shocked the heavily-fancied Brive in last season’s Pro D2 final to earn an utterly unexpected promotion. Montauban is a town of just over 60,000 people close to Toulouse and they are the ultimate minnows this season. They will have plenty of neutral support but boosted by the arrival of the experienced Tawera Kerr-Barlow from La Rochelle, there’s no doubt Stade Français are expecting a winning start.
Bayonne, who surprised everyone by reaching last season’s semi-finals, are away to Perpignan this afternoon, while Castres host Pau, who are looking forward to welcoming new Argentinian signing Julián Montoya back from the Rugby Championship.
Juan Ignacio Brex has joined Toulon. Matteo Ciambelli / INPHO
Matteo Ciambelli / INPHO / INPHO
Racing 92′s bid to get back among the contenders begins away to Lyon [KO 4pm Irish time, Premier Sports 2] and the Parisians’ refreshed side includes new faces like ex-England lock Jonny Hill and number eight Nathan Hughes, as well as rugby league convert Joey Manu in midfield. Wallabies tighthead Taniela Tupou will join after his international commitments.
Toulon’s visit to Montpellier [KO 6pm Irish time, Premier Sports 1] will be another battle, with the former having reached last season’s semi-finals and since added classy players like Italy centre Juan Ignacio Brex and English number eight Zach Mercer.
Scottish scrum-half Ali Price and Aussie fullback Tom Banks are among the fresh faces in the Montpellier team, with young Irish centre Karl Martin having returned to the senior squad after a strong season with Pro D2 club Aurillac.
It’s worth mentioning that the Top 14 will have a new orange card this season, which will signify a 20-minute red card, while referees are being encouraged to insist on straight feeds into scrums. Last weekend’s opening round of the Pro D2 showed that the latter could make for even more ferocious scrum battles.
There’s no doubt that Toulouse are the favourites again this season but the Top 14 is never anything other than absorbing, eventful, and high-quality. This promises to be another engaging season.
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Can anyone wrestle the Top 14 title from relentless Toulouse?
OPENING NIGHT OF the Top 14 throws up a fascinating fixture.
Bordeaux, last year’s beaten finalists, host La Rochelle, who are bidding to bounce back from a poor season in which they failed to make the play-offs.
This should be a spicy Saturday night contest [KO 8.05pm Irish time, Premier Sports 1] to top off an intriguing first day of the 2025/26 campaign
La Rochelle boss Ronan O’Gara admitted in his Irish Examiner column yesterday that most coaches would have been sacked during La Rochelle’s dire run of form in the second half of last season. He had major credit in the bank thanks to two Champions Cup titles in 2022 and 2023. But he knows that this needs to be a much better season.
Summer signing Nolann le Garrec, the delightfully talented scrum-half, is set to become the main man for La Rochelle, who are unfortunately missing another exciting new signing in Georgian fullback Davit Niniashvili due to injury.
That does at least mean that the extremely promising 20-year-old Ugo Pacome, a new addition from Colomiers in the Pro D2, makes his debut at fullback tonight. He’s one to watch out for.
There’s no Will Skelton as he gets a rest after his efforts with the Wallabies in recent months, but La Rochelle understand that they need to make an early statement of their intent at Stade Chaban Delmas.
They won’t have it easy away to Bordeaux, who claimed their first Champions Cup title last season but came up short against Toulouse in the Top 14 decider.
UBB have lost a few fine players since last season, including Pumas lock Guido Petti and Aussie back row Pete Samu, but France international Cameron Woki has returned to the club where he first made his name, and Bordeaux have also signed other good squad players like Italy scrum-half Martin Page-Relo and newly-capped Fiji wing Salesi Rayasi.
Maxime Lucu and Yoram Moefana are sidelined for the opening months of the season, but with the highly-rated Noel McNamara continuing to be a big influence as attack coach, familiar figures like out-half Matthieu Jalibert and wing sensations Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey are aiming for a strong start tonight. Irishman Joey Carbery is on the bench.
Having ticked the Champions Cup off their bucket list, UBB are now hellbent on earning the club’s first Top 14 crown, all the more so having lost the last two finals.
Coveting the title is one thing. Ripping the Bouclier de Brennus from Toulouse’s greedy grasp is an entirely different thing.
Ugo Mola’s thrilling team are going after their fourth consecutive Top 14 crown as they also target a return to the peak in the Champions Cup. They are viewed as the strong favourites domestically again, particularly with Antoine Dupont due back from his ACL injury in November.
Les Toulousains get their campaign underway on Sunday night away to Clermont [KO 8.05pm Irish time, Premier Sports 1], who Christophe Urios guided into the play-offs last season and who have brought in Kiwi out-half Harry Plummer to be their key figure at number 10 this season.
Toulouse have lots of players carrying injuries or still getting up to speed after busy international summers, but their squad remains enviably deep. They have recruited sparingly, with heavyweight tighthead prop George-Henri Colombe and centre/wing Teddy Thomas both joining from La Rochelle. They’re among the injured players set to miss out this weekend but 31-year-old Thomas’ season will be interesting to follow.
Before Bordeaux and La Rochelle lock horns tonight, there are five other openers to look forward to.
The new season begins with Stade Français, such a disappointment last season, hosting newcomers Montauban.
Union Sportive Montalbanaise shocked the heavily-fancied Brive in last season’s Pro D2 final to earn an utterly unexpected promotion. Montauban is a town of just over 60,000 people close to Toulouse and they are the ultimate minnows this season. They will have plenty of neutral support but boosted by the arrival of the experienced Tawera Kerr-Barlow from La Rochelle, there’s no doubt Stade Français are expecting a winning start.
Bayonne, who surprised everyone by reaching last season’s semi-finals, are away to Perpignan this afternoon, while Castres host Pau, who are looking forward to welcoming new Argentinian signing Julián Montoya back from the Rugby Championship.
Racing 92′s bid to get back among the contenders begins away to Lyon [KO 4pm Irish time, Premier Sports 2] and the Parisians’ refreshed side includes new faces like ex-England lock Jonny Hill and number eight Nathan Hughes, as well as rugby league convert Joey Manu in midfield. Wallabies tighthead Taniela Tupou will join after his international commitments.
Toulon’s visit to Montpellier [KO 6pm Irish time, Premier Sports 1] will be another battle, with the former having reached last season’s semi-finals and since added classy players like Italy centre Juan Ignacio Brex and English number eight Zach Mercer.
Scottish scrum-half Ali Price and Aussie fullback Tom Banks are among the fresh faces in the Montpellier team, with young Irish centre Karl Martin having returned to the senior squad after a strong season with Pro D2 club Aurillac.
It’s worth mentioning that the Top 14 will have a new orange card this season, which will signify a 20-minute red card, while referees are being encouraged to insist on straight feeds into scrums. Last weekend’s opening round of the Pro D2 showed that the latter could make for even more ferocious scrum battles.
There’s no doubt that Toulouse are the favourites again this season but the Top 14 is never anything other than absorbing, eventful, and high-quality. This promises to be another engaging season.
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