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Dewi Morris looks at the continued growth of the French domestic league

Image: Jonathan Wisniewski: Grenoble's star fly-half

Sky Sports pundit Dewi Morris says the Top 14 is getting better each year, and looks ahead to the games being shown live on Sky this weekend.

I'm covering two Top 14 games this weekend and I have to say that I really am enjoying the league immensely. One of the best rules they’ve included is the three-try bonus point system, whereby you only get a bonus point if you score three or more tries than your opponents in a victory.

Losing bonus points are earned by losing within five points of your opponents, rather than the traditional seven. Both of these rules ensure that teams keep playing right up until the final whistle which makes for very intriguing viewing.

If you’ve scored three tries and there are five minutes left and the other team scores a try you suddenly have an incentive to throw everything back at them, even if the result is assured. Add to that the fact that two teams are relegated every season instead of just one and for me you have the recipe for an incredibly exciting league.

Now they have players of the calibre of Dan Carter and Adam Ashley-Cooper signing up for Top 14 action after the World Cup has ended, so it only stands to get better.

The way they celebrated after the win you’d be forgiven for thinking they’d won the whole tournament.
Dewi Morris on Grenoble

However therein lies the problem I have with England’s selection policy when it comes to foreign-based players. I’ve spoken at length about how I feel Steffon Armitage is deserving of an England place and I think it’s unwise to avoid picking him just because he plays outside the country, but it’s not just him that this policy affects.

There are a host of talented international rugby players in France with thousands of international caps between them, and learning the game by playing alongside them could only benefit young English players coming through the system.

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I’m not saying that they can’t learn from experienced players in England, but there should be exceptions made so that England rugby can tap into the wealth of expertise across the Channel. I certainly wish I’d had a chance to play a couple of years for a French club at the end of my career.

Image: Dan Carter: will add to an already intriguing Top 14

This year’s Top 14 has been very closely contested. There are only nine points that separate last-place Castres from sixth-placed Bordeaux-Begles – that’s nine points between a team that will play in the European Champions Cup and a team that will be relegated to Pro D2.

One of the teams that came up from the ProD2 in recent times is Grenoble, who have been the find of this year’s Top 14. Last year they narrowly avoided relegation but this year they’re sitting in fifth position. Their live game on Sky Sports on Friday night is against a very strong Stade Francais side who will be all over them, but I expect Grenoble to push the Parisians all the way through to the final minute.

In the last round of the Top 14 they won an incredible match away from home against Toulouse. The standard of law application from the referee on the day was terrible, resulting in two yellow cards for Grenoble, but still they held out long enough to allow their fly-half a kick for poles from the half-way line to win the game. The way they celebrated after the win you’d be forgiven for thinking they’d won the whole tournament. The unity and passion shown by the players showed that they will be a real force to contend with.

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This game against Stade Francais is potentially a season-defining game for them. After this weekend their next three fixtures are against La Rochelle, Oyonnax and Bordeaux-Begles – all of which are games that Grenoble are capable of winning.

Should they win the next four games they’d be in a very strong position for the second half of the season. Toulouse are proof that in this competition you’re never down and out – they put a string of results together and they’re right back up there in the standings.

The second game from the Top 14 that I’m covering is the Clermont game against Castres. Castres have a myriad of talent but have struggled so far this season for reasons unknown. Some people are saying that they will get relegated this season but I can’t see that happening, though they need to start winning games soon.

Trying to get a win at Clermont as a player is a tough ask, but as a fan you can't go wrong. If I can give any rugby fan one piece of advice, it would be to go watch a game at Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin. The atmosphere is unbeatable!

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