What does this picture tell us...
07.06.26, 16:06 Updated 25.08.26, 15:07
Richard Dixon
The final round of the Top 14 regular season was played last night, with seven fixtures kicking off at 9.05 pm. Endless permutations were possible, but after a night of see-sawing, it finished like this (the right hand side of the graphic).
The European champions of this season, since last Saturday’s overrunning of Leinster in Bilbao, finished 8th in the Top 14, and have failed to qualify for the knockout stages. Losing four times at home, including last night to Clermont, did not help their cause. Despite last night’s victory, Clermont also failed to repeat last season’s top 6 qualification, not helped by a home defeat to Racing the previous week. The left hand side of the graphic shows where we were 12 months ago, at the end of the regular season. UBB and Clermont have already been discussed.
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Richard Dixon Richard's fascination with French rugby is deep and longstanding. University tours were followed by a spell playing for Bergerac. Once his playing days were over, he began coaching and attended the legendary Pierre Villepreux's residential coaching camps. Richard now lives in Toulouse, and coaches young people at both Stade Toulousain and TOEC.