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Montpellier secure top spot as Brive suffer relegation
By Rob Lancaster
Victorious Montpellier are certain to finish the Top 14 regular season on top of the table, while Stade Francais relegated Brive in Saturday's action.
Ruan Pienaar kicked 15 points as Montpellier cut loose in the second half to thrash Pau 45-13 and make it 13 straight league victories at home this term.
Toulon booked their place in the play-offs with a 59-13 victory over Castres that lifted them up to second, Josua Tuisova scoring two of their seven tries as they moved ahead of Toulouse and Racing 92, who both play on Sunday.
Lyon still sit fifth despite a 39-18 defeat away at Oyonnax, who remain in danger of featuring in a relegation play-off despite the impressive result in the penultimate round of fixtures.
Oyonnax are 13th in the standings, three points behind a Stade side who condemned Brive to the drop with a 30-22 triumph over the competition's bottom club.
Jules Plisson scored a try, kicked a conversion and also landed five penalties for the Paris heavyweights, though they are still not certain of retaining their top-flight status.
Agen, however, are safe thanks to a 27-17 win over Clermont Auvergne, who had Sebastien Vahaamahina sent off in the first half.
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Latest Comments
Agree with Wilson B- at best. And that is down to skilled individual players who know how to play the game - not a cohesive squad who know their roles and game plan. For those who claim that takes time to develop, the process is to keep the game plan simple at first and add layers as the squad gels and settles in to the new systems. Lack of progress against the rush D, lack of penetration and innovation in the mid-field, basic skill errors and loose forwards coming second in most big games all still evident in game 14 of the season. Hard to see significant measureable progress.
Go to commentsKeep telling yourself that. The time for a fresh broom is at the beginning - not some "balanced, incremental" (i.e. status quo) transition. All teams establish the way forward at the beginning. This coaching group lacked ideas and courage and the players showed it on the pitch. Backs are only average. Forwards are unbalanced and show good set piece but no domination in traditional AB open play. Unfortunately, Foster - Mark 2. You may be happy with those performances and have some belief in some "cunning plan" but I don't see any evidence of it. Rassie is miles ahead and increasing the gap.
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