We finally pulled our finger out and got to a game in the French Top 14 Rugby Union competition on the weekend. Our local team (Stade Francais) had just sacked former NSW coach Ewan McKenzie, as they were languishing down the bottom of the table after 5 rounds. This is despite (as the French gentleman who sat in front of us kept reiterating to us) that the team is packed with current and former French internationals, as well as a smattering from other countries.
The former international I was most interested in seeing was Mark Gasnier (albeit from Rugby League). No suprises however when we checked the team listings and discovered he was not playing. It turns out he has brought his St George Illawarra, injury machine form with him to Paris, and is currently out for 4 games with another busted ankle. So alas no Gaz to be seen.
After a tight first half, Stade lead 16 - 15 at half time. The new coach must have given the
players a massive spray over their oranges in the sheds. Stade came out and put on 28 points in
the 2nd half. The best that Castres could manage in the same 40 minutes was a solitary penalty goal. Final score, the pink men from Stade Francais 44, Castres, 18.
According to the newspaper is was attended by 13,000 odd fans, most of them wearing the
delightful pink of Stade Francais, a slightly strange sight for big manly football players that is for sure.
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