Eurowatch 12 November

Narbonne five-oh
By Jason Harris
November 17 2006

As SKG GrAN Parma and the rest of the Groupama Super 10 teams began a sabbatical while the Italian national side plays its autumn fixtures, Glasgow played their last game before a four week break of their own, while Narbonne reached the half way point in the Top 14 season.

Glasgow and Leinster were both missing their international contingents at Donnybrook in Dublin on Friday night as the Scottish side ran their hosts close for an hour, before two tries in the final quarter won it 39-23 for the home side.

The Warriors were up 23-21 after 45 minutes following tries from Thom Evans, John Petrie and Kevin Tkachuk, plus a conversion and two penalties from Dan Parks.

However, Leinster regained the lead on 50 minutes before the two late scores left Glasgow pointless at the end. The Warriors are now 8th in the Magners League with 15 points from their nine games, more than any other side has played so far.

The Warriors' next game will be at Hughenden against none other than Narbonne, who made amends for their narrow defeat in Brive in Round 12 with a 50-12 thumping of newcomers Albi in Top 14 Round 13 at Parc des Sports et l’Amitié.

Wing Julien Candelon scored a second half hat-trick of tries as Narbonne cut loose after leading just 12-9 at the break, scoring five in all; the other two five pointers coming from replacement flanker Benjamin Beaux and the other wing, Vincent Noutrary.

Narbonnes remaining 25 points came from five conversions and five penalties from outside half Cedric Rosalen to take his total for the season to 175, putting him in second place in the scoring table, nine points behind ASM stand-off Brock James.

The Top 14 is already at its half way stage and after 13 games Narbonne find themselves in ninth place on 25 points, 6 ahead of Brive in the first relegation place, after Brive’s 29-6 defeat at bottom-placed Bayonne on Saturday night.

RCNM will be at home again next Saturday night for the first of their return fixtures, a match against the surprise package in this season's Top 14, Montauban, who beat them on the opening day of the season, 41-20.