Northampton Saints
News: Relegation, Promotion & Play-offs - French style
By Tim Blakemore aka Skybluesaint
October 8 2015
Tim takes a look at how the league is conducted in France, provoking thoughts on changes in the English league perhaps?
Saints supporters are renowned for being cosmopolitan and fond of foreign travel, and nothing gets the blood surging in the veins like the prospect of a journey to la Belle France. Unfortunately, although there was the initial excitement of seven French towns queueing up to receive us in next year’s Champions Cup, the draw was not favourable from the travel point of view. We only have the rather underwhelming prospect of another trip to the desolate wastes of north-west Paris for another tilt at Racing 92 (who have now dropped the “Metro” element), missing out on the delights of Bordeaux or Toulouse, or even the enigma that is Oyonnax. Perhaps next year, so I hope that this piece will interest you as, although not an expert on French rugby (as will soon become painfully clear), I’ve lived in France for two years now and so have developed a fascination with the French league structure. It has certainly been an extremely interesting year for French rugby, even ignoring the 6 Nations and the European Champions Cup. In addition, events in France may have some bearing on the current preoccupation in England with issues such as promotion and relegation, and the recurring concern over the play-offs system.
You will probably know by now that Stade Francais won the Top 14, and possibly that Bayonne and Lyon were relegated. The top six all qualified for the Champions Cup, and they included not only the usual suspects – Toulon, Clermont, Toulouse, Stade Francais and Racing – but also the gatecrashers of Oyonnax, with Tiny as a regular member of the first-team squad. Furthermore, having just missed out, Bordeaux-Begles (where BruceBruceBruce is still involved) won the play-off against Gloucester and so have joined them. The big story at the top is that Toulon did not make the final, knocked out by the fourth-placed club, Stade Francais. So Saints are in good company there, but it was a close finish to the season at the bottom of the table, as Brive, Castres, Bayonne and Grenoble all went into the final game in danger of joining Lyon in Pro 2 next season. Bonus points were vital – both offensive and defensive – and Brive scrambled to safety by virtue of a try-scoring bonus against Stade Francais, Grenoble by getting a losing bonus point against Lyon, who were already doomed. Bayonne were thus relegated despite thrashing La Rochelle, and with the result that both Basque teams will be in Pro 2 next season, as Biarritz failed to get promoted. The play-off structure is different to the Aviva Premiership in many ways. The top two clubs automatically qualify for the semi-finals, while the third and fourth-placed clubs have home advantage in a play-off with those clubs placed fifth and sixth. But the semi-finals are both held on neutral territory over the same week-end, so there is little additional benefit between being placed top or second. The advantages of this structure are perhaps two-fold: probably over half the Top 14 will be in the mix for the play-offs until the end of the season, and the semi-finals are not weighted in favour of one team. But on the other hand, perhaps it diminishes the value of the play-off system by having too many clubs safely in the mix well before the season’s end.
At the bottom, two teams are relegated. In all the debate within the English game, nobody seems willing to counter the argument of the wealthy owners that there should be no relegation at all, by proposing instead an increase to two teams. It would have made this season much more interesting! Yes, I know that it will happen when the Cobblers win the Premiership, but France offers legitimate backing to the argument, and attack is often the best form of defence. After all, why should the “no relegation” proponents be allowed to set the terms of the debate? The benefits are also shown by the situation in Pro 2. The top team is automatically promoted, while those placed second to fifth play off for the other promotion spot. Due credit for the club that came top (Bristol eat your heart out), while giving a goodly number of the others something to play for, often right up to the last game of the season. Second and third have home advantage for the semi-finals, but the final is played on neutral territory. This season another unfashionable club, Pau (“Section Paloise”), were the stand-out team in Pro 2, securing promotion with three matches still to play. Although a medium sized town of 150,00, deep in the south-west about 100 km east of Biarritz, they have already signed two All Blacks – Conrad Smith and Colin Slade - French international Julien Pierre from Clermont, and ex-Saint Euan Murray. Perhaps surprisingly, Perpignan were beaten in the play-offs (by Agen, after extra time and only on tries scored), while Biarritz finished sixth and so didn’t even make them. Agen went on to win the final and so will join Pau in the Top 14. Agen have been there a few times before – the Worcester of French rugby perhaps – but Pau, coached by Simon Mannix, might well cause some surprises next season with their ambitious recruitment. On the other hand, they might turn out to be the London Welsh of French rugby, but they have a lot more preparation time because of the French system and so should do well. Next season in Pro 2 will be interesting as well, as not only will Biarritz and Perpignan be desperate to get back into the Top 14, but Lyon have also recruited strongly, signing Napolioni Nalaga and Julien Bonnaire from Clermont, among others.
So there we have it, a structure which is much more settled than in England, and which has a robust system of promotion and relegation which stretches right down into grass-roots club rugby. Les Anglais could follow that pattern, or go for ring-fencing. Or stay just as they are. I have little confidence that the decision-makers will act purely for the good of the game in choosing which option to follow, let alone try to give weight to the wishes of the majority of ordinary supporters, but perhaps I’m just an old cynic.
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Tetleys Block F E143
Quote:tedge
You mention about the system stretching down to the depths of grass root rugby and I wonder whether the French are as concerned as our league organisers are about the ability of relatively junior clubs to have sufficient resources and facilities to be viable at the higher levels - ie Top 14 ?
They seem to be happy with a robust system of promotion and relegation and accept that some clubs make it but others don't/can't unless they pick up a sugar daddy. But Bordeaux-Begles and Oyonnax have done well since promotion, and Brive (my local club) are hanging on! But some are yo-yo teams - Agen have been up and down and are bottom after being promoted via the play-offs last year. The main concern is whether foreign imports are affecting the national team - a big spread in one of the sports papers a few months ago compared the French Top 14 situation unfavourably with the English Premiership. Opinions might have changed post-World Cup, of course!
Quote:SaintED
Do you know is the money generated in the TOP14 dispersed into the PRO2? It feels a bit like making the Championship more competitive would be a good thing for English rugby but that would need financing beyond the Brizzle sugar-daddy.
Finances are beyond me I'm afraid! Many clubs use a ground owned by the local authority and so are probably supported in effect, and certainly attendances are good. I don't know if there is any financial support via a levy on the Top 14 clubs, but then the Top 14 clubs themselves are hardly viable businesses (oddly, Toulon and Brive seem to be the exceptions!).
I hate their play off structure, but their try bonus point regime is much better than ours.
What the Super 12/14/15/ is showing is that you can find ways to expand the league if you can show competitive teams exist to make it worthwhile. Super12/14/15 is not a closed shop, is it?
Take a look at my idea though: [rugbyrumble.tumblr.com]
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