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Watch: The bonkers two-balls-on-pitch Top 14 finish at Biarritz
The Top 14 has a habit of throwing up some of the most bizarre sights you will ever see anywhere in rugby and what unfolded with the clock in the red late on Sunday night at Biarritz was the latest incredibly bonkers bit of theatre to happen there. La Rochelle were leading 24-20 with the match awaiting its final play, a lineout five metres out from the try line for the relegation-threatened hosts.
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What happened next was priceless. While a Biarritz forward jumped to gather possession and set up a maul after the ball was thrown in by the hooker, a second ball was thrown lineout-style from the darkness of an outside-the-pitch area a few metres behind where the hooker threw in.
Biarritz’ Francois da Ros broke off the maul to touch down in the corner and celebrate what he thought was the match-winning Top 14 score but at the same time that this happened, ex-All Blacks scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow had gotten his hands on the rogue second ball that had been thrown in and he kicked it dead behind the goals and started celebrating what he thought was the win for La Rochelle.
Even the official Top 14 Twitter account struggled to make sense of what had just happened in Biarritz, tweeting: “Mind-blowing scenario in Aguilera.”
In the end, the referee decided that the lineout should be retaken and when the full-time whistle blew it was Biarritz who were celebrating for real as they scored a converted try from the restarted play to win the match 27-24.
#TOP14 – L'image de la J17bis
Deux ballons pour deux fins de matchs possibles… ?L'essai de la victoire pour les uns et le dégagement de la gagne pour les autres… ? Scénario hallucinant à Aguiléra qui toutefois n'a pas empêché le @BOPBweb de s'imposer ?? pic.twitter.com/ruq5vIFNPj— TOP 14 Rugby (@top14rugby) February 6, 2022
It was the latest setback for La Rochelle in an inconsistent season where they are struggling to close out tight matches. “At really critical moments in matches, we just let our concentration slip for one second and then we make uncharacteristic errors,” reckoned Kerr-Barlow in an in-depth interview published last weekend on RugbyPass.
“It’s not a system thing or it’s nothing to do with effort. It’s one thing that is fixable and when you look at it in that context, it is quite positive because you cut that out, you have good concentration in important moments and you are away laughing. We have still got a fantastic team of blokes who are very motivated to succeed. It is fixable and that is a positive. When we fix it we will be in a much stronger position.”
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The loss was the ninth defeat in 16 league matches for seventh-place La Rochelle in a campaign that has caused frustration compared to last year’s success where the ‘KBA – Keep Ball Alive’ philosophy impressively qualified them for domestic and European finals.
Comments on RugbyPass
Absolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
5 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
4 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
5 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to comments