1
Top 14 2020/21 club-by-club season preview: Brive
Brive put more than one Top 14 big gun to shame on their return to the top flight after a one-campaign spell in the Pro D2. Here’s why we can expect Fortress Amedee Domenech to be even stronger this season.
ADVERTISEMENT
Key signing
Italian Pietro Ceccarelli is a smart catch from Edinburgh. At 28, he is the oldest of the club’s five new arrivals. A mention, too, for Samoan lock Brandon Nansen, joining after two injury-plagued seasons at Dragons and looking for better times. The new names prove one key thing – it’s evolution, not a revolution that head coach Jeremy Davidson is plotting.
Key departure
Joe Snyman: A long-running injury forced the 33-year-old South African lock to call time on his career in December, a couple of years earlier than he – and, no doubt, the club – would have hoped.
#TOP14
Depuis 6 mois, beaucoup de choses nous ont manqué, mais ce qui nous manque le plus… pic.twitter.com/Xjgv3OdIJV— TOP 14 Rugby (@top14rugby) August 25, 2020
They say
“Our policy is primarily to trust young people. We want to give them the opportunity, so we haven’t recruited much. Overall, we have continued to rejuvenate the workforce – the rest of the group is maturing. Above all, they are attentive, motivated and enthusiastic.”
– Coach Jeremy Davidson, Rugbyrama
We say
Brive were eleventh in the Top 14, level on points with Bayonne and Castres, and out of Europe when last season came to a pandemic-induced early end. But don’t be fooled – there is plenty to be optimistic about after a solid return to the Top 14 following a season in the Pro D2.
Without the star names of other sides in the French top flight, Brive bettered Clermont, Toulon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lyon, Pau, and Stade Francais at Stade Amedee Domenech and, frankly, looked good doing it.
ADVERTISEMENT
The targeted recruitments of Ceccarelli, Florian Dufour, Valentin Tirefort, Wesley Douglas and Setariki Tuicuvu bring a touch of freshness, but Brive are building carefully, cannily and slowly around a cohort of young players.
Mix of youth and experience
Make no mistake though, despite their self-proclaimed accent on youth, there is plenty of experience in Brive’s ranks. Thomas Laranjeira, at 28, is a natural-born leader – as is captain Said Hireche. He may be 35 now, but he has signed on for one more year of hitting rucks and mauls like a 20-year-old. It will be a bittersweet day in the Correze when the hugely and justifiably popular Hireche finally hangs up his boots – hopefully, to the ringing applause of the fans that he deserves.
Brive don’t have the riches of many of the clubs they face on a weekly basis and after the obligatory post-promotion season of survival, they will be looking for the obligatory second-season consolidation performance.
ADVERTISEMENT
They aren’t likely to trouble the very top of the table next season and, in spite of their coach’s clear and present ambitions, they wouldn’t expect to. But more wins under their belt and a higher finish – that is the very least Brive deserve.
Arrivals
Pietro Ceccarelli, Florian Dufour, Brandon Nansen, Wesley Douglas, Valentin Tirefort, Setariki Tuicuvu
Departures
James Johnston, Karlen Asieshvili, Francois da Ros, Joe Snyman, Dan Malafosse, Richard Fourcade, Jan Uys, Alex Dunbar, Franck Romanet, Guillaume Namy, Rory Scholes
? CA Brive vs @Racing92 devant 5 000 spectateurs,
un test grandeur nature avant la reprise du Top 14????Le club se réjouit de retrouver enfin son public au Stadium après tant d’attente ??? https://t.co/9cKmPhVixi pic.twitter.com/Xq76ANczIg
— CA Brive Rugby (@CABCLRUGBY) August 24, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Fiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
33 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
33 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to comments