2011–12 Top 14 season


The 2011–12 Top 14 competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby. Home-and-away play began on August 26, 2011. Two new teams from the 2010–11 Rugby Pro D2 season were promoted to Top 14 this year, Lyon and Bordeaux Bègles in place of the two relegated teams, La Rochelle and Bourgoin.
Toulouse claimed the Bouclier de Brennus as champions for the 19th time, defeating Toulon 18–12 in the final on June 9, 2012 at Stade de France in Saint-Denis. At the other end of the table, Brive and Lyon were relegated.

Competition format

Each club played every other club twice. The second half of the season was conducted in the same order as the first, with the club at home in the first half of the season away in the second. This season maintained the format introduced the previous season for the knockout stage: the top two teams qualified directly to the semifinals, while teams ranked from third to sixth qualified for a quarterfinal held at the home ground of the higher-ranked team.

The teams

TeamCaptainHead coachStadiumCapacity
Agen Adri Badenhorst Christophe Deylaud
Christian Lanta		Stade Armandie14600
Bayonne Pépito Elhorga Didier FaugeronStade Jean-Dauger16934
Biarritz Imanol Harinordoquy Jack Isaac and
Jean-Michel Gonzalez		Parc des Sports Aguiléra15000
Bordeaux Bègles Matthew Clarkin Marc Delpoux
Laurent Armand
Vincent Etcheto		Stade André Moga9088
Brive Antonie Claassen Ugo MolaStade Amédée-Domenech15000
Castres Alexandre Albouy
Sébastien Tillous-Borde		 Laurent Labit and
Laurent Travers		Stade Pierre-Antoine11500
Clermont Aurélien Rougerie Vern CotterParc des Sports Marcel-Michelin16334
Lyon Matthieu Lazerges
Raphaël Saint-André		Matmut Stadium8000
Montpellier Fulgence Ouedraogo Fabien GalthiéStade Yves-du-Manoir15000
Perpignan Nicolas Mas Bernard Goutta
Christophe Manas		Stade Aimé-Giral16593
Racing Métro Lionel Nallet Pierre BerbizierStade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir14000
Stade Français Sergio Parisse Michael CheikaStade Charléty20000
Stade Français Sergio Parisse Michael CheikaStade de France80000
Toulon Joe van Niekerk Bernard LaporteStade Mayol14700
Toulouse Thierry Dusautoir Guy NovèsStade Ernest-Wallon19500
Toulouse Thierry Dusautoir Guy NovèsStadium Municipal35472

During the regular season, three teams changed coaches a total of four times:
Due to the interplay between LNR's schedule for Heineken Cup qualification and the rules of European Rugby Cup, which operates both European cup competitions, it is theoretically possible that a team finishing as high as fourth in the league table may not qualify for the Heineken Cup. Under ERC rules, the winners of the Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup each earn a place in the following season's Heineken Cup. If a team from France wins one of these competitions, the Top 14 will receive a seventh Heineken Cup place. However, if French teams win both cups, the Top 14 is capped at seven Heineken Cup places. Biarritz' victory in the Challenge Cup gave France an extra place for the 2012–13 Heineken Cup.
The LNR presents teams for the Heineken Cup in the following order, skipping any steps occupied by clubs outside the Top 14 or filled in a prior step. The clubs involved in each step for this season are indicated in the numbered list.
  1. Champion – Toulouse
  2. Runner-up – Toulon
  3. Heineken Cup holder – Skipped
  4. Semifinalist that finished higher in the league table – Clermont
  5. Semifinalist that finished lower in the league table – Castres
  6. Challenge Cup holder – Biarritz
  7. Additional berths based on league position – Montpellier, Racing Métro
Under LNR rules, only Top 14 clubs are eligible for European competition. This means that in the event that the winner of one of the two European Cups is relegated from the Top 14 in the same season, its European place will go to a current Top 14 team, based on league position in that season.
Under another ERC rule, if teams from England, which is also capped at seven Heineken Cup places, win both European cups, the extra place will go to the highest-ranked non-English team in the European Rugby Club Rankings that is not already qualified for the Heineken Cup. If that club is in the Top 14, it will receive a Heineken Cup place regardless of its league position, as long as it avoids relegation.
For a team in the top six to be left out of the Heineken Cup, French teams must win both European Cups, and those teams must have finished outside the top six in the league while also avoiding relegation.

Playoffs

All times are in Central European Summer Time.

Quarter-finals

----

Semi-finals

----

Final

Statistics

Top points scorers

Updated 19 May 2012
RankPlayerClubPointsTriesConversionsPenaltiesDrop goals
1Jonny WilkinsonRC Toulon273024750
2Conrad BarnardSU Agen267015754
3Romain TeuletCastres Olympique249030621
4Martín Bustos MoyanoMontpellier HR213327480
5Julien DupuyStade Français206223500
6Benjamin BoyetAviron Bayonnais202212551
7Lionel BeauxisStade Toulousain191019438
8Luke McAlisterStade Toulousain191322440
9Brock JamesUSA Perpignan190224404
10Jonathan WisniewskiRacing Métro 92174120421

Top try scorers

Updated 6 May 2012
RankPlayerClubTries
1Timoci NagusaMontpellier HR11
2Romain MartialCastres Olympique10
-Yves DonguyStade Toulousain10
-Timoci MatanavouStade Toulousain10
5Alex TulouMontpellier HR8
6Lucas AmorosinoMontpellier HR7
-Sireli BoboRacing Métro 927
-Henry ChavancyRacing Métro 927
-Blair ConnorUnion Bordeaux Bègles7
10Marc AndreuCastres Olympique6
-Steffon ArmitageRC Toulon6
-Jean-Marcellin ButtinUSA Perpignan6
-Damien ChoulyUSA Perpignan6
-Rudi CoetzeeUSA Perpignan6