French rugby's powers-that-be want to make the JIFF regulations stricter to stop the flood of foreign players into the Top 14
Clermont Auvergne
Rugby World tours Clermont Auvergne’s cutting-edge training facility
After a quick bout of wrestling with team-mate Jamie Cudmore, just before he grabs his gear and heads home, Clermont Auvergne legend Aurelien Rougerie wanders up to Rugby World for…
The Clubhouse Podcast: The French foreign legion
With the Top 14 final ending in the favour of Stade Francais – a 12-6 win over bad luck magnets Clermont Auvergne giving the Paris outfit the title – we…
European Champions Cup analysis: Maro Itoje, Saracens
The re-signing of a 20 year-old academy graduate rarely registers on the public consciousness. When news of Maro itoje’s “long-term” deal at Saracens broke a week ago though, there was…
European Champions Cup semi-finals: A statistical preview
Ahead of this weekend's Champions Cup semi-finals, Jack D'Arcy takes a look at the key statistics from the tournament to date
Tackle by tackle: How Jacques Burger stopped Clermont
If Saracens are the comic villains of European rugby – and one prominent Irish blog has rather wittily christened them Globo Gym after the muscly-but-dumb badguys in Ben Stiller’s boisterous movie…
French great Julien Bonnaire has one final swansong
Few players in the world game today are as respected and as experienced as Clermont flanker Julien Bonnaire. Capped 75 times by France, the 36-year-old played in the 2011 World…
Have France sorted out their half-back issues?
UNLUCKY 13? Philippe Saint-Andre will be hoping not. Since he became coach of France after the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Saint-Andre has gone through 12 half-back pairings in his quest…
Top 14: French rugby reaches crescendo
What a day we have in store this Saturday in the Top 14. It’s the last day of the regular season yet after 25 rounds of competition only two clubs…
Heineken Cup: Clermont ready for the Red Army
MUNSTER SHOULD be afraid. Very afraid. On Saturday evening in the semi-final of the Heineken Cup they will encounter a Clermont side at the top of their game. So what…