Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Best tries of the Top 14

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Best tries of the Top 14 - Round 22

It's been a while, but we've got another one of these great top ten tries of the French Top 14 compilation videos for you today. This one is from last weekend, Round 22 of the fascinating competition that continues to entertain each week.

As has been stated in the past, often tracking down these clips is dependant on contributions from regular site users. They're played on Canal+ in France at halftime of certain games usually, always a week after the tries were scored. So while you might see them here on the site, they're usually a week after the latest round that has taken place.

Often that isn't really an issue though, as good tries are good tries, no matter when you see them. I'd like to think so anyway, and if comments and video views are anything to go by, you probably feel the same way.

In this compilation there's quite a variety of tries, some of which were shown as part of featured games here on the site recently. That includes the Julien Saubade and Sebastien Chabal tries from the Racing Metro vs Toulouse game.

Other good ones to look out for are a powerful hooker charge through a maul from Perpignan's Guilhem Guirado, Imanol Harinordoquy's try from a masterfully executed chip over the defence by Dimitri Yachvili, and the try scored by Opeti Fonua, that comes in at second on this list but probably should have been number one. Brilliant handling, offloading, and support play. Enjoy.

Time: 04:50

Nice try from Chabal!

By Anonymous, at April 06, 2011 3:46 pm
Great offload from tuilagi. Last try scrum half should have dummied it and gone himself off the lineout.

By cp85, at April 06, 2011 3:47 pm
chabal's try doesn't deserve to be number 2, especially when you watch number 3, i mean agen, are battling against relegation and yet the play open running free flowing rugby like that

chapeau

By Luxi, at April 06, 2011 3:56 pm
Don't agree with the order of the try indeed!
Both Agen's tries are really great, as well as Harinordoquy and Coetzee ones...

By Seb, at April 06, 2011 4:26 pm
Chabal's try wasn't good. It was just poor defending. The only thing you have to remember when going against Chabal is tackle low. It's why he is a shit player and got his ass kicked vs. Leinster where he cried off the field and all the international sides he played this year.

By Anonymous, at April 06, 2011 4:42 pm
I think the thing with Chabal's try is that it's Dussatoir he goes through.

Rivals for the back row spots in Les Bleus, point to make. Point made!

By rinsure, at April 06, 2011 5:22 pm
Harinordoquy's try was brilliant. A fantastic and audacious box kick and a superb pick up...

By Anonymous, at April 06, 2011 5:49 pm
@rinsure

yeah but who in their right mind would have chabal over dussatoir?

By Russell, at April 06, 2011 6:50 pm
Sorry I am going to be critical/cynical....

With the exception of try N#1 and n#3....most tries are on first intention or based on turnover ball + 1 offload (I believed).

Basically, just as pale reminder of French international rugby standard nowadays (remember the 6 nations?????).

That hurt a bit for the dear (lost?) French Flair.....(and even more when I see highlights of the Super 15)

PS: I still support unconditionally France....and remain an optimistic fool hoping to see some nice rugby in France.....

By Flipje, at April 06, 2011 8:22 pm
chabal's definitely doesn't deserve to be number 2. how was his try better than the hooker's who ran through the same amount of players but from a further distance?

By Anonymous, at April 06, 2011 8:24 pm
@Russell

Not me, I rate Dussatoir. Just commenting on the merit of the try.

Regarding the other tries, the one the Agen #8 scored after they went the length was pretty special.

By rinsure, at April 06, 2011 8:49 pm
Hari's one is absolutelety the best, for scrum-half kick invention. Chabal's one is awesome too. Also a mention for Agen team

By Andrea, tuscany (IT), at April 06, 2011 9:01 pm
In my opinion, Ngwenya's try is the #1. Really amazing !
Of course I'm Biarritz'fan...

By Anonymous, at April 06, 2011 9:31 pm
The Chabal try is truly awesome! He just lifts Dusautoir over the line with him! Brilliant.

By SmellyNerfherder, at April 06, 2011 10:07 pm
SmellyNerfherder said...

The Chabal try is truly awesome! He just lifts Dusautoir over the line with him! Brilliant.

AGREED.

In my opinion #3 should be #1, that is an amazing clip to show youths the effectiveness of offloading in the game.

By Link, at April 07, 2011 3:13 am
holy shit! did Chabal's fend send that No. 7 up with both feet off the ground?

By Anonymous, at April 07, 2011 8:49 am
Both those Agen tries were great.

I liked the hooker scoring as well, gave the sidestep a little go and then had the realisation that head down, brute force was going to be the best option.

By Nick, at April 07, 2011 4:07 pm
@ Flipje

i think you're very harsh on the Top14, yet you're right about the French team, I would just not put them in the same bag.
Lets see what the French clubs do in this weekend Heineken Cup games.

Also it's very difficult to compare Top14 with Super15, no? You see more tries in Super15 and it makes it nicer to watch, i am impressed by the rythme of the game, the physicality but it seems it's more a one dimension type of rugby (?). Defense and scrums don't seem to take an important part compared to Top14.

I always prefer the tries built by a team effort rather than an individual 'performance'. In this spirit i think try #3 by Agen is quiet amazing. Very happy to see my club coming back in the competition; it's one of the smallest budget in Top14.

By Frenchy, at April 07, 2011 7:23 pm
the chabal try was probably the worst!!

only made it into the list because chabal is a high profile player.

By Chris Boy, at April 07, 2011 9:41 pm
Frenchy, Defence is massive in S15.
Scrums not as much as T14. Counter attacking, skill, attacking play, all much higher.

The French players who make up the national team are known for their lazy defence.

It feeds thru from T14.

By Anonymous, at April 08, 2011 4:13 am
To Anonymous:

i totally agree when you mention the skills + attacking of southern hemisphere rugby. The France vs. Australia autumn test is a clear proof: watching the young Aussies play that game was a feast, great pace, great hands, great running! A lesson i wish our big wigs at the federation would remember...

Unfortunately i can't watch much of S15 games where i live now. The intensity of the games there is indeed much higher.

By Frenchy, at April 09, 2011 1:24 am
@ Frenchy,

Fair enough I am a bit harsh on this one....but still the pace of the game in the SH and most importantly the number of phases on certain actions is just a mile off what you currently see in the Top 14 (end I am not talking about Pick and Go ;-)).

I just find currently the Top 14 lacking a lot of creativity in the back rows), even Toulouse struggles with it. Montpellier is may be the only exception so far (but they don't have any strenght up front to one exception).... I love a good forward game, absolutely, but not at the cost of losing our back row game.
And this is currently what is happening in the Top 14....

As you correctly mentioned by yourself, if you want to see some "relatively" nice french rugby....just watched the Hcup....ironic no????

Hope for a nice rugby WE.....;-)

By Flipje, at April 09, 2011 3:09 pm