The 2021–22 Top 14 competition was the 123rd French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).
| 2021–22 Top 14 | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  France |
| Date | 4 September 2021 - 5 June 2022 |
| Champions | Montpellier (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Castres |
| Relegated | Biarritz |
| Matches played | 182 |
| Tries scored | 831 (average 4.6 per match) |
| Top point scorer | Léo Berdeu (251 points) |
| Top try scorer | Baptiste Couilloud (11 tries) |
| Official website | |
| www | |
Teams
edit
Number of teams by region
edit| Teams | Region or country | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 |  Nouvelle-Aquitaine | Biarritz, Bordeaux Bègles, Brive, La Rochelle, Pau |
| 4 |  Occitanie | Castres, Montpellier, Perpignan, Toulouse |
| 2 |  Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | Clermont, Lyon |
 Île-de-France | Racing, Stade Français | |
| 1 |  Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | Toulon |
Competition format
editThe top six teams at the end of the regular season (after all the teams played one another twice, once at home, once away) enter a knockout stage to decide the Champions of France. This consists of three rounds: the teams finishing third to sixth in the table play quarter-finals (hosted by the third and fourth placed teams). The winners then face the top two teams in the semi-finals, with the winners meeting in the final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
The LNR uses a slightly different bonus points system from that used in most other rugby competitions. It trialled a new system in 2007–08 explicitly designed to prevent a losing team from earning more than one bonus point in a match,[1] a system that also made it impossible for either team to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. LNR chose to continue with this system for subsequent seasons.[2]
France's bonus point system operates as follows:[2]
- 4 points for a win.
- 2 points for a draw.
- 1 bonus point for scoring at least 3 more tries than the opponent. This replaces the standard bonus point for scoring 4 tries regardless of the opponent scoring.
- 1 bonus point for losing by 5 points (or fewer). The margin had been 7 points until being changed prior to the 2014–15 season.
Table
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Castres (F) | 26 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 565 | 529 | +36 | 5 | 1 | 76 | Semi-final play-off places and qualified for the Champions Cup |
| 2 | Montpellier (C) | 26 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 619 | 503 | +116 | 4 | 6 | 74 | |
| 3 | Bordeaux Bègles (SF) | 26 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 610 | 484 | +126 | 5 | 5 | 72 | Quarter-final play-off places and qualified for the Champions Cup |
| 4 | Toulouse (SF) | 26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 638 | 432 | +206 | 6 | 5 | 71 | |
| 5 | La Rochelle (QF) | 26 | 15 | 0 | 11 | 640 | 466 | +174 | 6 | 5 | 71 | |
| 6 | Racing (QF) | 26 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 661 | 568 | +93 | 4 | 2 | 70 | |
| 7 | Clermont | 26 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 649 | 557 | +92 | 6 | 4 | 66 | Qualified for the Champions Cup |
| 8 | Toulon | 26 | 13 | 2 | 11 | 572 | 504 | +68 | 4 | 5 | 65 | |
| 9 | Lyon[a] | 26 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 637 | 558 | +79 | 6 | 6 | 64 | Qualified for the Champions Cup |
| 10 | Pau | 26 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 568 | 664 | −96 | 1 | 3 | 50 | |
| 11 | Stade Français | 26 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 544 | 651 | −107 | 2 | 4 | 50 | |
| 12 | Brive | 26 | 9 | 1 | 16 | 453 | 631 | −178 | 4 | 4 | 46 | |
| 13 | Perpignan | 26 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 491 | 664 | −173 | 2 | 5 | 43 | Relegation play-off[b] |
| 14 | Biarritz (R) | 26 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 449 | 885 | −436 | 1 | 3 | 24 | Relegated to Rugby Pro D2 |
Source: Top 14
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
Rules for classification: If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
- Competition points earned in head-to-head matches
- Points difference in head-to-head matches
- Try differential in head-to-head matches
- Points difference in all matches
- Try differential in all matches
- Points scored in all matches
- Tries scored in all matches
- Fewer matches forfeited
- Classification in the previous Top 14 season
Notes:
- ↑ Lyon received a berth for winning the 2021–22 European Rugby Challenge Cup
- ↑ Contest a play-off with the runners-up of the 2020–21 Rugby Pro D2 season for a place in the 2022–23 Top 14 season
Relegation
editFixtures and results
editRound 1
edit| 4 September 2021 14:00 |
| Biarritz | 27–15 | Bordeaux Bègles |
| Report |
| Parc des Sports Aguiléra Referee: Mathieu Raynal |
| 5 September 2021 21:05 |
| (1 BP) La Rochelle | 16–20 | Toulouse |
| Report |
| Stade Marcel-Deflandre Referee: Jonathan Dufort |
Round 2
edit| 11 September 2021 15:15 |
| (1 BP) Bordeaux Bègles | 37–10 | Stade Français |
| Report |
| Stade Chaban-Delmas Referee: Maxime Chalon |
Round 3
edit| 18 September 2021 15:00 |
| (1 BP) Lyon | 47–3 | Perpignan |
| Report |
| Matmut Stadium de Gerland Referee: Sebastien Minery |
| 18 September 2021 21:05 |
| Clermont | 23–22 | La Rochelle (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Stade Marcel-Michelin Referee: Pierre Brousset |
Round 4
edit| 25 September 2021 15:00 |
| (1 BP) La Rochelle | 59–17 | Biarritz |
| Report |
| Stade Marcel-Deflandre Referee: Vincent Blasco Basque |
Round 5
edit| 2 October 2021 15:00 |
| (1 BP) Lyon | 15–20 | Bordeaux Bègles |
| Report |
| Matmut Stadium de Gerland Referee: Vivien Praderie |
| 2 October 2021 17:00 |
| Biarritz | 11–17 | Toulouse |
| Report |
| Parc des Sports Aguiléra Referee: Pierre Baptiste Nuchy |
Round 6
edit| 9 October 2021 15:00 |
| Bordeaux Bègles | 27–23 | Montpellier (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Stade Chaban-Delmas Referee: Pierre Brousset |
| 9 October 2021 15:00 |
| Racing | 17–14 | Perpignan (1 BP) |
| Report |
| Paris La Défense Arena Referee: Pierre Baptiste Nuchy |
Round 7
edit| 16 October 2021 15:00 |
| (1 BP) Perpignan | 22–23 | Stade Français |
| Report |
| Stade Aimé Giral Referee: Laurent Cordona |
Round 8
edit| 23 October 2021 15:00 |
| (1 BP) Bordeaux Bègles | 39–13 | Perpignan |
| Report |
| Stade Chaban-Delmas Referee: Benoit Rousselet |
| 24 October 2021 21:05 |
| (1 BP) La Rochelle | 39–6 | Toulon |
| Report |
| Stade Marcel-Deflandre Referee: Pierre Brousset |
Round 9
edit| 30 October 2021 21:00 |
| (1 BP) Bordeaux Bègles | 25–9 | Clermont |
| Report |
| Stade Chaban-Delmas Referee: Jonathan Dufort |
Round 10
edit| 5 November 2021 21:00 |
| La Rochelle | 26–3 | Bordeaux Bègles |
| Report |
| Stade Marcel-Deflandre Referee: Adrien Descottes |
| 6 November 2021 14:45 |
| (1 BP) Stade Français | 27–31 | Montpellier |
| Report |
| Stade Jean-Bouin Referee: Pierre Baptiste Nuchy |
Relegation playoff
editThe team finishing in 13th place faces the runner-up of the Pro D2, with the winner of this match playing in the 2022–23 Top 14 and the loser in the 2022–23 Pro D2.
| 12 June 2022 17:45 |
| Mont-de-Marsan | 16–41 | Perpignan |
| Try: Laousse Azpiazu 4' c Con: Coly (1/1) 4' Pen: Coly (3/3) 11', 31', 40+2' | Report | Try: Jaminet 18' c de la Fuente 56' c Dubois 68' c Tedder 75' m Con: Jaminet (3/4) 18', 56', 68' Pen: Jaminet (5/5) 8', 22', 36', 51', 54' |
| Stade Guy Boniface, Mont-de-Marsan Referee: Thomas Charabas |
Perpignan won and therefore both clubs remained in their respective leagues.
Playoffs
edit| Semi-final Qualifiers | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Castres | 24 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Toulouse | 33 | 4 | Toulouse | 18 | |||||||||
| 5 | La Rochelle | 28 | 1 | Castres | 10 | |||||||||
| 2 | Montpellier | 29 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Montpellier | 19 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Bordeaux Bègles | 36 | 3 | Bordeaux Bègles | 10 | |||||||||
| 6 | Racing 92 | 16 | ||||||||||||
Semi-final Qualifiers
edit| 11 June 2022 21:05 |
| Toulouse (4) | 33–28 | La Rochelle (5) |
| Try: Fouyssac 9' c Dupont 13' m Mallía 62' m Ntamack 69' c Con: Ramos (2/4) 8', 70' Pen: Ramos (3/3) 18', 29', 36' | Report | Try: Liebenberg 25' c Alldritt 56' c Bourgarit 79' c Favre 80' c Con: West (4/4) 26', 57', 80', 80+1' |
| Stade Ernest-Wallon, Toulouse Attendance: 18,784 Referee: Romain Poite |
| 12 June 2022 21:05 |
| Bordeaux Bègles (3) | 36–16 | Racing 92 (6) |
| Try: Cordero (2) 20' m, 54' c Seuteni 47' c Woki 58' c Lam 80' c Con: Lucu (3/4) 48', 55', 60' Trinh-Duc (1/1) 80+1' Pen: Lucu (1/2) 5' | Report | Try: Spring 39' c Con: Le Garrec (1/1) 40' Pen: Le Garrec (2/3) 7', 43' Machenaud (1/1) 57' |
| Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux Attendance: 27,279[4] Referee: Mathieu Raynal |
Semi-finals
edit| 17 June 2022 21:05 |
| Castres (1) | 24–18 | Toulouse (4) |
| Try: Arata 43' c Dumora 77' m Con: Urdapilleta (1/2) 44' Pen: Urdapilleta (4/4) 21', 27', 40+1', 70' | Report | Try: Lebel 2' c Ntamack 47' m Con: Ramos (1/2) 3' Pen: Ramos (2/4) 17', 60' |
| Allianz Riviera, Nice Attendance: 35,114[5] Referee: Ludovic Cayre |
| 18 June 2022 21:05 |
| Montpellier (2) | 19–10 | Bordeaux Bègles (3) |
| Try: Rattez 6' c Con: Paillaugue (1/1) 7' Pen: Aprasidze (2/2) 70', 79' Drop: Garbisi (1/1) 13' Bouthier (1/1) 40' | Report | Try: Jalibert 16' c Con: Lucu (1/1) 17' Pen: Lucu (1/1) 6' |
| Allianz Riviera, Nice Attendance: 34,844[6] Referee: Pierre Brousset |
Final
edit| 24 June 2022 20:45 |
| Castres (1) | 10–29 | Montpellier (2) |
| Try: Botitu 75' c Con: Dumora (1/1) 75' Pen: Dumora (1/2) 34' | Report | Try: Vincent 6' m Verhaeghe 10' c Bouthier 12' m Con: Paillaugue (1/3) 10' Pen: Paillaugue (2/2) 21', 39' Garbisi (1/1) 68' Pollard (1/1) 77' |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 78,245 Referee: Tual Trainini |
See also
editNotes
edit- ↑ In recent years, Bordeaux Bègles has taken occasional home matches to Matmut Atlantique.
- ↑ In recent years, Toulon has taken occasional home matches to Stade Vélodrome in Marseille and Allianz Riviera in Nice.
- ↑ Toulouse often takes high-demand home matches to the city's largest sporting venue, Stadium de Toulouse.
References
edit- ↑ "French try out new bonus point system". Planet-rugby.com. 27 June 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
- 1 2 "Article 330, Section 3.2. Points "terrain"" (PDF). Règlements de la Ligue Nationale de Rugby 2008/2009, Chapitre 2 : Règlement sportif du Championnat de France Professionnel (in French). LNR. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
- ↑ Mortimer, Gavin (18 August 2016). "French rugby enjoys a popularity boom as it looks to the future". Rugby World. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ↑ "Résultat et résumé Bordeaux-Bègles - Racing 92, match en direct - Top 14 2021-2022, Barrages, dimanche 12 juin 2022".
- ↑ "Résultat et résumé Castres - Toulouse, match en direct - Top 14 2021-2022, Demi-finales, vendredi 17 juin 2022".
- ↑ "Résultat et résumé Montpellier - Bordeaux-Bègles, match en direct - Top 14 2021-2022, Demi-finales, samedi 18 juin 2022".