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Despite the French summer far from being over the country’s rugby season is set to start. Just 57 days after last season’s final Week 1 of the 2016-2017 Top 14 season gets underway on Saturday. With players have briefly rested before returning to training they are now set to play for the right to be French champions.
The competition has come to be the leading domestic league on the planet. With huge financial backing and world class athletes the competition continues to grow. This season’s edition is to continue with the importance of Americas players. Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay and the USA are all represented.
Week 1 will open with six Saturday evening matches. 2015 champions Stade Français will host Grenoble in one such fixture. The Gonzalo Quesada coached Parisians are looking to recover from a disappointing campaign last season. Captaining the side will be Sergio Parisse. The Italian leader is deemed to be the biggest loss to Argentine rugby in the professional era.
Last season’s Pro d2 champions Lyon are looking to start with a bang. They host Brive at Matmut Stadium. Three of the Lyon starting XV are from the Americas. At tighthead prop will be Francisco Gomez Kodela who moved from Bordeaux this past season. Fellow former Puma Agustín Figuerola will play scrum half while in his first appearance for the club the Trinidad & Tobago born Delon Armitage will play fullback.
Starting away to Bordeaux will be Manuel Carizza. The 2016 Top 14 champion has been named in the second-row for Racing 92. Juan Imhoff misses out due to the winger having earned time off following his involvement in the Olympic Games.
Over at the Stade Pierre Antoine Castres will welcome Pau. Captaining the side will be Uruguayan Rodrigo Capó Ortega. He is to be joined by Argentine Benjamin Urdapilleta in the starting lineup. The Rio de la Plata duo will play second-row and fly half respectively. On the bench for Pau will be Steffon Armitage who, like his brother, has said goodbye to Toulon.
Opening against Clermont is a stiff task but at home La Rochelle have proven to be extremely competitive. In their favor tomorrow will be the presence of Brock James. The now-former Clermont fly half will start against his former club. Argentine-Italian Leandro Cedaro has been named on La Rochelle’s bench while Patricio Fernández will be a replacement for Clermont.
The final match of week 1 will be in Basque territory on Sunday. Bayonne will play host to Toulon. Lineup for the respective clubs will be named on Saturday.
