Pennod 23 Top 14: Rygbi Ffrainc

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-The rugby season in Wales

-may be drawing to an end.

-However, there's still

-plenty to play for in France.

-The biggest game this weekend

-was between Racing 92...

-..who have reached

-the European Grand Final...

-..for the first time this season...

-..and the league leaders,

-Clermont Auvergne.

-We'll have coverage

-of that game tonight...

-..as well as Oyonnax's

-continuing struggle to survive.

-They took on La Rochelle.

-But we start

-with two former European champions.

-Toulon welcomed Toulouse

-to the Allianz Riviera in Nice.

-The home team haven't reached

-their expected heights this season.

-However, they could still field...

-..star names like Quade Cooper,

-Nonu and Giteau.

-Toulouse on the other hand

-are still relying on...

-..home-grown stars like

-Harinordoquy, Picamoles and Clerc.

-When you opt to play away from

-your normal home, the Stade Mayol...

-..you must all be wide awake.

-The big guns need to fire

-this afternoon against Toulouse.

-They have the best defence

-in the championship.

-They are displaying their attacking

-skills here. It's an advantage.

-It went to Jean-Marc Doussain

-but Jerome Garces brings them back.

-Toulon went off their feet

-and this is easy for Sebastien Bezy.

-The first points of the game.

-Toulon haven't shown much adventure

-in their play so far.

-The crowd

-is signalling its frustration...

-..as the penalty is indicated.

-Giteau whips the pass out

-to Menini, the loose-head prop.

-Nonu, the Kiwi world champion,

-was there too.

-Matt Giteau is coming back

-from a series of injuries.

-He hasn't been at his best

-since the World Cup.

-What about that hit by Ma'a Nonu?

-Eric Escande to tie the scores

-after 20 minutes.

-It wasn't that well struck

-but it's crept over.

-It's 3-3.

-The Toulon scrum

-has struggled today.

-Look at this.

-Toulouse have mangled

-the Toulon scrum there.

-That's why they failed in the

-European Champions Cup this year.

-That's the best bit of scrummaging

-I've seen from Toulouse this year.

-Bezy from distance this time.

-He's on target again.

-That's no surprise. Chiocci

-and Chilachava are coming on.

-Will the Toulon scrum improve

-after Laporte's changes?

-The front rows have gone down.

-Jerome Garces is playing

-another advantage after an offside.

-Out to Giteau. That's better

-from the international fly half.

-Mermoz was in there on the ball.

-Back they come.

-Fernandez Lobbe and

-Guilhem Guirado are having a chat.

-Eric Escande

-doesn't look very confident.

-That was a poor kick.

-He'd have kicked that one

-with his eyes closed.

-SECOND HALF

-A chance to run the ball.

-Toulouse have their sights set

-on the top four.

-Toulon were second this morning.

-Gregory Lamboley has it.

-Look at Guilhem Guirado.

-He was the only Toulon player...

-..in Guy Noves' France squad

-for the Six Nations.

-You can see why.

-Escande once again.

-He must have been shocked to miss

-earlier. This is to tie the scores.

-It's not bad.

-He's getting closer.

-PIcamoles gets Toulouse running.

-There were runners out wide

-but Tuisova got in the way.

-It was pretty close,

-but that sums up Toulon's afternoon.

-Picamoles spotted the chance

-to counter-attack...

-..but Tuisova poked in a hand

-to frustrate them.

-There's a lot of backchat

-and arguing going on here.

-It's advantage to Toulouse again.

-The big lad is Iosefa Tekori.

-More changes to come it appears.

-Florian Fritz is the captain today

-and he's taken the decision.

-That long-distance effort

-shows Eric Escande how it's done.

-The lead is six points.

-It also wipes out Toulon's losing

-bonus point, for now at least.

-A clean catch by Harinordoquy.

-Had the maul been formed? Jerome

-Garces will supply the answer now.

-It had formed.

-Florian Fritz will step up again.

-Steffon Armitage was penalized.

-Fritz with a tougher kick

-from a more acute angle.

-He's given it a real bash.

-He's taking the game

-away from Toulon.

-The subs are delighted.

-Toulon only have a couple of minutes

-to do something.

-This is 90 dull minutes

-that I won't get back.

-Fernandez Lobbe

-gets a quick ball out to Juan Smith.

-The referee wants to know if there's

-any reason he can't award the try.

-Toulon have regained

-that bonus point.

-Toulon pay the price again

-for deserting their stronghold.

-They lost to Clermont in Marseilles.

-The gap between them and Clermont

-grows at the top of the league.

-Hardly a classic, but a famous win

-for Toulouse on the Mediterranean.

-Next, Oyonnax against La Rochelle

-from Stade Charles Mathon.

-With five rounds left, the home side

-were one off the bottom.

-They had a large gap to close

-on the next team, Stade Francais.

-Only a win would do

-for them on Saturday.

-Back inside to Gourdon.

-He's a busy No.8.

-Back to Audy, the scrum half.

-Roudil, the wing, cuts back inside.

-They spread it out to Zack Holmes.

-Pierre Berard with space

-and he offloads to Aguillon.

-Ma'afu makes the tackle

-but Aguillon dives over.

-A try for the centre.

-He wasn't held in the tackle.

-Aguillon gives the visitors

-the lead.

-He kept going.

-Trailing by eight, Oyonnax need

-a score as Etienne launches one.

-Berard makes a hash of it.

-Pune pops it

-into Fabbri's rampaging path.

-This is Oyonnax's first chance.

-Blanc to Maurouard and Clerc.

-La Rochelle pushed back

-with Gunther charging.

-It's there for Blanc

-and the home side has woken up.

-Ma'afu takes it on and every phase

-gets closer to the line.

-Blanc, the scrum half, spins over.

-Oyonnax are on the scoreboard.

-At last, they got something going

-and the scrum half scores.

-They should close the gap

-to a point.

-SECOND HALF

-No score in the second half

-after 12 minutes of play.

-The subs, Fuertes and Amosa,

-make an impression.

-There's no gap for Audy.

-It's there for Qovu Nailiko.

-Amosa with another powerful run.

-Out to Thomas Synaeghel.

-Plenty of flow to this move.

-Audy to Atonio, the prop.

-He thinks about a pass

-but keeps going.

-Amosa was looking for more work.

-The scrum half takes the kick.

-Audy takes full advantage

-of no-one being at home on the wing.

-A try for the scrum half.

-A second try for La Rochelle, thanks

-to quick thinking by the scrum half.

-The gap is six points.

-Chouvet, the scrum half,

-spins it wide.

-They are looking for a weakness

-and Tawalo bursts through.

-It takes three men to stop him.

-Cibray. Oyonnax need

-to make something of this chance.

-Out to Taufa.

-Thomas Bordes picks up. They need to

-be patient and the wall will crack.

-Cibray to Ma'afu.

-There are gaps further out.

-Cibray for a fourth time.

-Etienne and Tawalo for the corner.

-It's a try. The winger wasn't sure

-but he has scored.

-Great play by Oyonnax.

-The best period of the game.

-They deserve the try.

-The scrum has gone

-from strength to strength.

-La Rochelle are under pressure.

-It's a penalty.

-The Oyonnax subs are playing well.

-A chance to extend the lead

-to four points.

-The responsibility falls to Chouvet.

-The substitute has struck it well.

-That might be enough to keep

-Oyonnax's survival hopes alive.

-A crucial win to give

-the Oyonnax boys some hope.

-After the break,

-the biggest game of the weekend.

-Racing 92 welcome Clermont Auvergne

-to the capital city.

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-Clermont Auvergne were unbeaten

-in their previous eight games...

-..before their visit

-to Racing 92 in Paris on Sunday.

-Their confidence would be high

-at Stade Yves Du Manoir.

-The home side were confident too...

-..a week

-after overcoming Leicester...

-..to reach

-the European Champions Cup final.

-All the ingredients

-for a Parisian classic.

-The sun is shining.

-Kayser carries the ball forward.

-We've had no score in the first

-nine minutes of the game.

-Clermont's forwards carry strongly.

-Parra over the ball once more.

-Fofana feeds Rougerie.

-Will he return the favour?

-No, he won't. He's gone all the way.

-That partnership has paid dividends

-for Clermont over the years.

-Fofana to Rougerie.

-It's a beautiful angle to cut

-through the Racing 92 centres.

-Rougerie had the gas to cross.

-We've seen this

-countless times over the years.

-That's the first try.

-Racing have had plenty of ball

-in this first 15 minutes.

-Carizza takes it up.

-The tackler has to roll away or...

-there it is, a penalty.

-Van der Merwe was the guilty party.

-He has to make some kind of effort.

-I'm not sure

-how he was supposed to move.

-It's the first chance

-of the afternoon for Machenaud.

-His right foot is successful.

-His right foot is

-keeping Mike Phillips on the bench.

-It's 7-3 to the visitors.

-Racing 92 are pressing once again.

-Machenaud through the gap.

-The referee plays advantage.

-There's no advantage so this'll

-be another chance to go for goal.

-It's a warm day.

-Kayser sweats.

-Will Machenaud maintain his cool?

-Yes, he will.

-It's 7-6 to Clermont.

-Here's the offence.

-Kayser was offside.

-Claassen.

-He's played well all season.

-The referee plays advantage again.

-They're looking to run the ball.

-Vulivuli was in the centre.

-Eddy Ben Arous

-with some great footwork there.

-Great hands too.

-There's no advantage coming.

-Dubarry threw that last pass.

-There's going to be

-a yellow card here.

-The referee

-has his hand in his pocket.

-He's doing

-some kind of moonwalk too!

-Lapandry is being sent to the bin

-for tackling a man without the ball.

-Let's see the replay.

-Yes, it's obvious.

-Claassen had the ball.

-Lapandry with the illegal tackle.

-He's still in the bin.

-Abendanon is on the wing today,

-back inside to Chouly.

-Who's on his shoulder?

-He doesn't need anyone!

-The ball in one hand and he crosses

-for the visitors' second try.

-Spedding is playing fullback

-for Clermont.

-Abendanon is on the left wing.

-He got past his man

-and broke the first tackle.

-The basketball pass

-came back to Chouly.

-Brice Dulin won't want to see

-that attempted tackle again.

-It's 14-9 to the visitors, Clermont.

-The first half is over.

-We're in the final play now.

-Clermont are looking for something.

-Imhoff out to Tales...

-..to Eddy Ben Arous.

-The referee plays advantage.

-There will be another chance

-for three points before half-time...

-..for Racing 92.

-Machenaud

-cuts the gap to two points.

-It's 12-14 at half-time.

-Dan Carter looks quite happy.

-It was spilt forward.

-It's a penalty, however.

-Tameifuna was stretching out.

-He lost the ball.

-It's another chance for Machenaud.

-He is keeping Racing 92

-in this game.

-It's 15-17

-and Jonny Fox is on the field.

-Machenaud.

-He is the general

-in charge of the team.

-He's bringing his forwards into it.

-Tales with the little chip.

-Jonathan Davies collects it.

-The whistle's gone here.

-Surely

-there wasn't anything in that one?

-He's only just come on.

-He's going to sit down

-for ten minutes.

-Tales with the chip.

-There's nothing in that. Tales

-must think he's playing for PSG.

-Machenaud's kick puts Racing 92

-in the lead for the first time.

-They lead 18-17.

-Jonathan Davies

-is still in the sin bin.

-Dulin's been caught. Has he held on

-to that on the floor?

-Yes, he has.

-It's a penalty for Clermont.

-This is a chance for them to retake

-the lead with 20 minutes left.

-Camille Lopez is successful.

-Clermont 20-18 Racing 92.

-The referee is playing advantage.

-Tales feeds Claassen again.

-No advantage so we'll come back.

-It's a penalty.

-Jonathan Davies is waiting to

-come back on. He has a minute left.

-Maybe Clermont will be behind

-when he returns.

-It depends on Machenaud's

-right foot.

-It's straight down the middle.

-Racing 21-20 Clermont.

-There are three minutes left.

-Clermont need to go

-the length of the field.

-Jonathan Davies is back on.

-He chips through.

-It's hit Rokocoko

-and bounces kindly for Vulivuli.

-He crosses.

-Will this try stand?

-Was he in front of Rokocoko

-when the ball was kicked?

-It hits Rokocoko's heel.

-Deliberately or not, I don't decide.

-This try is going to stand.

-I don't think there's a way back

-for Clermont now.

-26-20, there isn't much time left.

-It was a see-saw match.

-The visitors' infringements

-were punished severely...

-..by Maxime Machenaud's kicking.

-To maintain the pressure on

-the top six and a play-off place...

-..Castres got an important victory

-against Pau on Saturday.

-Before this weekend...

-..Agen had won only one match

-in all competitions since October.

-Their home victory against Brive

-was unexpected to say the least.

-Montpellier have the momentum

-in the league at the moment.

-The pasting they gave Grenoble...

-..helps them close the gap

-on leaders Clermont Auvergne.

-Bordeaux-Begles' play-off hopes

-are still alive...

-..thanks to their win

-against Stade Francais.

-Clermont Auvergne are still top.

-The gap between them and Montpellier

-has closed to two points.

-Toulon are third with the same

-number of points as Racing 92.

-Toulouse, Castres

-and Bordeaux-Begles...

-..are battling

-for the final two play-off spots.

-One swallow doesn't make a summer.

-One win won't change the season...

-..but Agen and Oyonnax

-can take some inspiration...

-..from their results

-over the weekend.

-Stade Francais will be starting

-to look over their shoulder.

-Oyonnax are the visitors to Paris

-next weekend.

-The last four rounds of the regular

-season promise to be interesting.

-Join us on Sunday for the first

-of them. Until then, goodnight.

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