News

Stade Français stopped in Montpellier

Friday 14th November 2008

Killer blow: Frikkie Welsh scored Montpellier's second try

Montpellier romped home to a 26-13 home win over Stade Français on Friday as the French giants slumped to their third consecutive loss.

Despite making a super start to the match, epitomised by a breath-aking try from Australian wing Marc Gasnier, the Parisians buckled under the constant attacking pressure of their hosts, who climb to a provisional fifth in the Top 14 standings.

Gasnier's try showed off all the skills that made him one of the biggest signings in the Top 14 this year. After Mathieu Bastareaud had broken the Montpellier defence, Gasnier beat two defenders before marching five metres with one of them dangling from his back. Pace, power, class!

South Africa scrum-half Falie Oelschig's conversion of Gasnier's try made the score 10-0 to the visitors after he had opened the scoring with a penalty.

Montpellier replied with two tries in an enthralling first half. The first was pure magic from scrum-half Julien Tomas. The French international darted around the back of a ruck and sprinted down the touchline before wrong-footing two defenders with a clever dummy to finish off untouched under the posts.

The second try was a little more dubious. English Centre Ollie Smith crossed inside, preventing the Stade Français midfield from getting anywhere near Argentinean fly-half Federico Todeschini who provided South African centre Frikkie Welsh with a pass to allow him to ghost through.

Two penalties for the home side equated to 20 unanswered points as the Parisians fell apart.

The second half was decidedly less entertaining as two penalties apiece kept the status quo.

The scorers:

For Montpellier:
Tries: J. Tomas, Welsh
Cons: F. Todeschini 2
Pens: F.todeschini 3, M. McHugh

For Stade Français:
Tries: Gasnier
Cons: Oelschig
Pens: Gasnier, Oelschig