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Le French Rugby Podcast · Le French Rugby Podcast

Castres' Champion & Super Saturday

·54 min·5 clips
Ex-Scotland international Johnny Beattie and Tim Groves preview the frantic final weekend of the Top 14 season, where dreams are made or broken.
The episode opens with hosts Tim Groves and Johnny Beattie setting the scene for the final weekend of the Top 14 regular season, emphasizing the high stakes of promotion, relegation, and playoff qualification. They reflect on the previous round's results, noting all home wins and how teams like Racing, Perpignan, and Castres secured crucial victories. The hosts discuss Antoine Dupont's success in sevens, winning the World Series and showcasing his exceptional skills. They analyze specific matches, including Perpignan's gutsy win over Bordeaux and Toulon's dominant 50-point victory over Clermont. A detailed breakdown of the La Rochelle vs. Toulouse draw highlights a last-minute try and impressive performances from both sides. The interview with Castres back-rower Nick Champion de Crespigny covers his French surname origins, Castres' playoff ambitions, and his journey from Sydney University rugby to the Top 14. Nick discusses the family atmosphere at Castres, including social events like raclette dinners and golf competitions. He shares insights on coaches Pierre-Henry Broncan and Jérémy Davidson, and his aspirations to play for the Wallabies. The hosts explore recruitment rumors, such as Stuart Hogg possibly joining Montpellier and Rabah Slimani linked to La Rochelle. They preview the upcoming Pro D2 final between Vannes and Grenoble, noting the significance for promotion. The episode concludes with a look ahead to Super Saturday, where all Top 14 games kick off simultaneously, creating a dramatic finale to the regular season.

As heard by us

End-of-season French rugby talk with playoff tension, promotion chatter, and a vivid Castres perspective.

The episode tracks the last stretch of the Top 14 regular season with playoff and promotion stakes in clear view, and Tim Groves and Johnny Beattie frame that context well before turning to Nick Champion de Crespigny.

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Why you'd press play

For the week when Top 14 pressure turns into playoff math.

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