Ward, Staniforth, a surprise No. 10… Discover our typical XV of the Top 14 season

The time has come to take stock the day after the Top 14 final brilliantly won by Toulouse. With some sure values ​​like Tom Staniforth and Jeremy Ward, the rebirth of Judicaël Cancoriet, the crazy year of Baptiste Couilloud and a wild card at the opening, here is the XV of the Top 14 season of Act Rugby.

- Rugby’s Top 14 XV of the season

The debates were heated, and some posts changed managers several times in order to decide on a XV of the Top 14 season that satisfied the entire editorial team. Where big names are inevitably missing, since we have notably given priority to the number of match sheets in Top 14.

15. Romain Buros (Bordeaux-Bègles)

With 21 Top 14 matches this season, including 19 as a starter, and a level of performance that will inevitably make him an international one day, Romain Buros largely participated in Bordeaux-Bègles’ very good season.

14. Théo Attissogbé (Pau)

Hatching, explosion, Théo Attissogbé’s season in Top 14 with Pau was dazzling, and also earned him a tour in Argentina with the French XV. On the wing or at the back, the U20 world champion proved elusive in 24 starts out of his 24 outings (7 tries).

A quick mention all the same to Damian Penaud and his 14 tries in 16 matches.

13. Jeremy Ward (French Stadium)

For his second season under the colors of Stade Français, the South African Jeremy Ward has clearly become one of the bosses, even picking up the captain’s stripes on occasion. All the same 22 appearances for him without ever touching the sidelines except to rest at the end of the match, and 9 tries scored.

12. Pita Ahki (Toulouse)

A central cog in the Stade Toulousain line, Pita Ahki, when fit, is almost never a substitute (starting 15 times in 16 Top 14 matches). A fierce defender, a marshalling yard in attack, almost impossible to catch out, the Tongan is obviously no stranger to the great season of the Red and Black.

11. David Veredamu (Perpignan)

Despite a slight loss of speed at the end of the championship, we cannot fail to salute Perpignan’s very good season in the Top 14. Tavite Veredamu’s 21 starts in 22 matches and his 12 tries naturally make him an essential choice for our team. XV of the season.

10. Juan Cruz Mallía (Toulouse)

As no fly-half has really dominated the proceedings during the Top 14 season, we decided to use our wild card to salute the very good performances of the Argentinian Juan Cruz Mallía. Used almost everywhere by Toulouse, he still started 6 times at fly-half in his 15 Top 14 matches, with a double against Castres to the key.

9. Baptiste Couilloud (Lyon)

It’s hard to make a XV of the Top 14 season without including the best try scorer during the exercise in question. Sure, Lyon struggled collectively, but with 17 goals in 22 matches, Baptiste Couilloud shone.

Let us also salute the great season of another Baptiste, Serin, whose presence with Toulon is crucial in the team’s performance.

8. Tevita Tatafu (Bordeaux-Bègles)

The Bordeaux-Bègles pack has suffered all season from comparison with its three-quarter line, in particular by its relative lack of power. A criticism that we will not make of the overpowering Japanese international Tevita Tatafu who pushed his team forward during his 23 championship matches.

7. Mickaël Guillard (Lyon)

Probably not the flashiest name in this XV of the Top 14 season, but more than honorable statistics for Mickaël Guillard who finished 2nd^e best scratcher and 3^e best tackler this year.

6. Judicaël Cancoriet (La Rochelle)

The flanker had “put himself in danger” by deciding to sign for the double European champions at the Titanic 3^e line, and he has undoubtedly succeeded in his bet by offering himself a nice rebirth on an individual level. In total, Judicaël Cancoriet will have participated in 26 Top 14 matches and displayed good consistency. Without doubt one of the best players at Stade Rochelais this year.

5. Tom Staniforth (Castres)

Tom Staniforth is perhaps the most reliable of the Top 14, finishing once again as the competition’s top tackler. One of those famous shadow workers dear to rugby and perhaps even more so to Castres Olympique (22 times a starter out of 23 matches played), and who this XV of the season could not do without.

4. Richie Arnold (Toulouse)

Control tower of the Stade Toulouse lineup, both aerial and rough, Richie Arnold has again played a lot this season in a position where the absences of one or the other could have penalized the Rouge et Noir. He finished with 14 starts in 18 league matches.

3. Avoid Tatafu (Bayonne)

This is the second Tevita Tatafu of this XV of the season, and his power has left as strong an impression as that of his namesake. No less than 25 match sheets in Top 14 for the young right pillar (21 years old) of Bayonne, and a future in blue which begins to be written in the wake of remarkable and noted performances.

2. Teddy Baubigny (Toulon)

Despite injuries, Teddy Baubigny will have played 19 Top 14 matches with Toulon this season, including only one coming off the bench. This shows the importance that the former Racingman has taken on in the Var locker room. Pierre Mignoni made no mistake in making the hooker one of his captains.

1. Sergo Abramishvili (Stade Francais)

New prize for youth among the pillars! For his first real season in the pros with Stade Français, Georgian Sergo Abramishvili showed great promise on the left of the Parisian scrum. Seventeen appearances in the Top 14 as a pillar at the age of 20, that’s already strong!

We would obviously have liked to place David Ribbans, Mathis Castro-Ferreira, Alexandre Roumat, Martin Lamothe or even Esteban Abadie in this XV of the Top 14 season, but we had to make choices…

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