Top 14 – Yacouba Camara as “dad”, Andy Bordelai overwhelmed… The notes from Montpellier – Bayonne

The tops

The emblematic Montpellier player is definitely evolving at a very high level at the moment. Still leading by his exemplarity in the fight, the one considered one of the most underrated players in French rugby still snatched balls and recovered balls in the rucks.

The ex-Castrais hosted an evening room with Bayonnais Andy Bordelai, whom he copiously dominated. The debates were rebalanced with the good entry of the Basque left-hander Swan Cormenier, but throughout the game, there was no picture: the Montpellier residents dominated the Basques, like Forletta and Japaridze who signed a good starter too.

Also read:
Top 14 – Montpellier enters the top 6 by improving against Bayonne

Let's be clear: the Scotsman did not deliver a perfect match, with several points left to chance and touches not found. However, in the game, the opening half gave Montpellier's game a real boost. A good facilitator and precise passer, Hogg brings undeniable added value to the MHR. And his solo attempt at the end of the match shows that he still has his 20-year-old canes…

The English center three-quarter was one of the rare satisfactions for the Ciel et Blanc this Saturday on the Montpellier lawn. Always sharp in his shots and capable of putting Bayonne in the direction of movement, Tuilagi was interesting in every way. The former Leicester player did not lack desire and initiative, but he was nevertheless too lonely. He made fourteen carries for six broken tackles.

The flops

It's an afternoon and a match to forget for the young Bayonne pillar. Penalized for participating in an illegal ruck (12'), then in a scrum two minutes later (14'), Bordelai spent a first period in hell. In the 21st minute, the former Vannes player goes on the bench for ten minutes for a head-to-head against Billy Vunipola. Some time after his return, he will leave the field for a concussion protocol and will be replaced by Swan Cormenier. Substitute of choice, who made a rather interesting entrance.

He was the most hidden back. So far, when we see his teammates, we can understand it. But at GGL Stadium, we didn't see Tom Spring make any significant moves. We can put this discretion on the weather, the pitch but not on the Bayonne desires to produce rugby. The other problem is that his Argentinian counterpart Carreras distinguished himself several times in this meeting with restarts, kicking games, a certain activity. He left the pitch at the break replaced by Erbinartegaray.

The nomination may seem harsh as the second line had a good match: valuable in the air, we saw him capture all the touches during the first half and disrupt the opposing shots. He was also valuable in the fight, thanks to his constant commitment. The problem is that the second line is too undisciplined. With three penalties conceded alone, Verhaeghe penalized his team. But once he corrects this problem, he will once again become the formidable player who was French champion in 2022.

Separate case:

NB : Esteban Capilla was the best Bayonne player but his red card at the end of the match cannot legitimately leave him in the top ranks.

Stephen Capilla
What a match from Rowing’s third row! He was the strong man of the Basque team in several sectors of play. First, he was very agile on the touchline and dominated his duels in the corridor. Then, he could have opened his counter on a pass to the foot of Lopez but went offside. Without doubt, here he is again in sight. With his original one-handed ball hold and especially his fiery supports, he puts the Hérault defense in doubt. As a reward, it is he who marks the attempt of the Ciel et Blanc revolt upon returning from the locker room. He steals a ball into touch, giving his team a penalty. His red card for an uncontrolled gesture tarnishes his performance.