Europe WRap: By the Numbers On the Weekend

Europe WRap 3.15-3.17: Gallagher, Guinness and T14

3             try Montpellier kept its playoff fire burning with victory over Toulon at the Felix Mayol, 21-18; Boudjellal’s Bunch were in front, 18-14, when a grounding by 13, Yvan Reilhac, and its conversion by 10, Ben Paillaugue, made for the result; Toulon fair certain to be vacationing during extra time this season;

5             crucial points in a best-of-times/worst-of-times scenario in the hills: for Racing 92, slap-happy on the trot at Stade des Alpes, 34-16, and hosts, a disgruntled Grenoble, are looking at the stark reality of the Pit at D-Deux next season; 92 are in the last playoff slot now, as…

3             losses in a row now for La Rochelle, who dropped out of extra time frame with their plummet continuing at Agen; it was 16-nil at break for homeboys and it never really got better for the port side who didn’t count until ’74 and 19-7 the result for Agen victory;

21           for steamrolling Castres 10, Ben Urdapilleta, on a triple of 3 conversions, 1 penalty and 2 trys in the home, 36-17, 5-pointer past Perpignan, who are as good as on the chop and D-Deux bound;

16           for Bordeaux 10, 20 years old Matthieu Jalibert, on 2-and-4 from the floor and Bègles moved into the 4^th playoff slot, which would mean a home fixture in le barrage weekend, with the win, 26-12, over Stade Français;

4             penalties struck after the hour mark, with scores at 15-14 for home side, meant the favorable outcome for Clermont at the Michelin, 27-14, over a rowdy Stade Français;

7             try Toulouse flexed mighty muscles at the Wallon and 53-17 the result as the league leaders worked their pattern for a 46-7, midpoint margin, before closing out for victory over Lyon;

Top 3-of-14 Fortunes

#1 Toulouse are on the road for 4 of the last 7 rounds. Flashpoints on the schedule would be: versus Clermont on April 13 and at Castres April 27. If this were a horse race Toulousain are in front by a length and a half, and near four in front of the pack.  

#2 Clermont, too, are 3-4, home-away for the last 7 and their critical masses are the aforementioned April 13 at Ernest Wallon and prior to that they’ll be hosting Racing 92, a club on the rise right now; Clermont are hard charging after the frontrunner, but they've mised a step or two in the last furlong.

#3 Castres, the current titleholder, will host 4 of their remaining 7 fixtures and have a match at Bordeaux on April 13 which will signify, but they're on an abso collision course, hurtling towards the previously flagged April 27 date at home in the Pierre-Fabre against Toulouse. Were we at the track, we'd be observing the XV horse broken out of the pack and surging right now;

Guinness Pro14  and Gallagher Premiership were on the bye

Nothing like this in the Summer