Top 14 Round-Up

Toulouse, as ever, lead the Top 14 by 5 points from Clermont. Their recruitment policy has been outstanding with Beauxis and McAlister dominating every midfield (not to mention Fritz, Jauzion et. al.) with Fijian youngster Timoci Matanavou leading the try scoring league with 6. Clermont's recruitment has been equally effective if less headline making. Nathan Hines, Gerhard Vosloo and Benjamin Kayser are forming a formidable pack that Parra effortlessly controls. The top of the league, therefore, is actually quite boring compared to the rest. The Midi Olympique highlights 6 teams that are be owing separated from the rest without the resources (financial or otherwise) to suggest they will catch up. They are: Bordeaux, Perpignan, Brive, Bayonne, Lyon and Biarritz - who lie bottom and fighting for their existence at the top table. The mighty have indeed fallen. It's not all doom and gloom, however, as smaller clubs like Agen seem to be holding their own with the bigger spenders and this is absolutely welcomed.