2022–23 Top 14 season

{{Short description|French rugby union season}}

{{Infobox rugby union season

| name = 2022–23 Top 14

| countries = {{flag|France}}

| date = 3 September 2022 – 17 June 2023

| teams = 14

| champions = Toulouse

| count = 22

| runnersup = La Rochelle

| relegated = Brive

| matches = 182

| attendance = 2701031

| highest attendance = {{Ubl|43,803|(Toulon v Toulouse, 6 May)}}

| lowest attendance =

| tries =

| top point scorer = {{flagicon|France}} Joris Segonds (Stade Français) (240)

| top try scorer = {{flagicon|France}} Émilien Gailleton (Pau) (14)

| prevseason = 2021–22

| nextseason = 2023–24

}}

The 2022–23 Top 14 is the 124th French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).

Format

The top six teams at the end of the regular season (after all the teams played one another twice, once at home, once away) enter a knockout stage to decide the Champions of France. This consists of three rounds: the teams finishing third to sixth in the table play quarter-finals (hosted by the third and fourth placed teams). The winners then face the top two teams in the semi-finals, with the winners meeting in the final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The LNR uses a slightly different bonus points system from that used in most other rugby competitions. It trialled a new system in 2007–08 explicitly designed to prevent a losing team from earning more than one bonus point in a match,{{cite web|url=http://www.planet-rugby.com/Story/0,18259,3559_2450951,00.html |title=French try out new bonus point system |website=Planet-rugby.com |date=27 June 2007 |access-date=13 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929120105/http://www.planet-rugby.com/Story/0%2C18259%2C3559_2450951%2C00.html |archive-date=29 September 2007 }} a system that also made it impossible for either team to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. LNR chose to continue with this system for subsequent seasons.{{cite web|url=http://www.lnr.fr/omm/upload/3%20-%20Titre%20II%20-%20Reglement%20sportif%202008%20-2009.pdf |title=Article 330, Section 3.2. Points "terrain" |work=Règlements de la Ligue Nationale de Rugby 2008/2009, Chapitre 2 : Règlement sportif du Championnat de France Professionnel |publisher=LNR |language=fr |access-date=27 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217084857/http://www.lnr.fr/omm/upload/3%20-%20Titre%20II%20-%20Reglement%20sportif%202008%20-2009.pdf |archive-date=17 February 2012 }}

France's bonus point system operates as follows:

  • 4 points for a win.
  • 2 points for a draw.
  • 1 bonus point for winning while scoring at least 3 more tries than the opponent. This replaces the standard bonus point for scoring 4 tries regardless of the match result.
  • 1 bonus point for losing by 5 points (or fewer). The margin had been 7 points until being changed prior to the 2014–15 season.

From the 2017–18 season onwards, only the 14th placed team is automatically relegated to the Pro D2. The 13th placed team play the runner-up of the Pro D2 play-off, with the winner taking up the final place in the Top 14 for the following season.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.rugbyworld.com/news/french-rugby-enjoys-a-popularity-boom-68018 |title=French rugby enjoys a popularity boom as it looks to the future |first=Gavin |last=Mortimer |magazine=Rugby World |date=18 August 2016 |access-date=10 May 2017}}

Teams

{{location map+ |France |float=right |width=400 |caption=Locations of the 2021–22 Top 14 teams |places=

{{location map~ |France |lat=43.485469 |long=-1.479289 |label=Bayonne |position=left }}

{{location map~ |France |lat=44.838611 |long=-0.578333 |label=Bordeaux Bègles |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |France |lat=45.16 |long=1.55 |label=Brive |position=top }}

{{location map~ |France |lat=43.61087 |long= 2.25271 |label=Castres |position=top }}

{{location map~ |France |lat=45.78938 |long=3.10609 |label=Clermont |position=top }}

{{location map~ |France |lat=46.157805 |long=-1.178467 |label=La Rochelle }}

{{location map~ |France |lat=45.766944 |long=4.834167 |label=Lyon|position=right}}

{{location map~ |France |lat=43.593 |long=3.8496 |label=Montpellier }}

{{Location map~ |France |lat=43.30 |long=-0.37 |label=Pau |position=bottom }}

{{Location map~ |France |lat=42.715278 |long=2.891389 |label=Perpignan|position=right }}

{{location map~ |France |lat=48.929444 |long=2.248056 |label=Racing}}

{{location map~ |France |lat=48.843056 |long=2.252778 |label=Stade Français |position=left }}

{{location map~ |France |lat=43.118947 |long=5.936531 |label=Toulon }}

{{location map~ |France |lat=43.621944 |long=1.415556 |label=Toulouse|position=bottom }}

}}

Fourteen clubs will compete in the 2022-23 Top 14 season, 13 of them returning. Biarritz were relegated to Pro D2 after finishing at the bottom of the table the previous season. Bayonne is the sole promoted club, finishing second in the Pro D2 the previous season and winning the Pro D2 playoffs. Perpignan, which finished 13th in the previous Top 14 season, defeated Mont-de-Marsan in the relegation playoffs to retain their place.

class="wikitable sortable"
Club

! City (department)

! Stadium

! Capacity

! Previous season

Bayonne

| Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)

| Stade Jean Dauger

| align=center | 16,934

| Promoted from Pro D2 (runners-up)

Bordeaux Bègles

| Bordeaux (Gironde)

| Stade Chaban-Delmas{{refn|In recent years, Bordeaux Bègles has taken occasional home matches to Matmut Atlantique.|group=a|name=Bordeaux}}

| align=center | 33,500

| Semi-finals (4th in league)

Brive

| Brive-la-Gaillarde (Corrèze)

| Stade Amédée-Domenech

| align=center | 13,979

| 11th

Castres

| Castres (Tarn)

| Stade Pierre-Fabre

| align=center | 12,500

| 7th

Clermont

| Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme)

| Stade Marcel-Michelin

| align=center | 19,022

| Quarter-finals (5th in league)

La Rochelle

| La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime)

| Stade Marcel-Deflandre

| align=center | 16,000

| 2nd

Lyon

| Lyon (Métropole de Lyon)

| Matmut Stadium de Gerland

| align=center | 25,000

| 9th

Montpellier

| Montpellier (Hérault)

| Altrad Stadium

| align=center | 15,697

| 10th

Pau

| Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)

| Stade du Hameau

| align=center | 18,324

| 12th

Perpignan

| Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales)

| Stade Aimé Giral

| align=center | 14,593

| Promoted from Pro D2 (champions)

Racing

| Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine)

| Paris La Défense Arena

| align=center | 30,681

| Semi-finals (3rd in league)

Stade Français

| Paris, 16th arrondissement

| Stade Jean-Bouin

| align=center | 20,000

| Quarter-finals (6th in league)

Toulon

| Toulon (Var)

| Stade Mayol{{refn|In recent years, Toulon has taken occasional home matches to Stade Vélodrome in Marseille and Allianz Riviera in Nice.|group=a|name=Toulon}}

| align=center | 18,200

| 8th

Toulouse

| Toulouse (Haute-Garonne)

| Stade Ernest-Wallon{{refn|Toulouse often takes high-demand home matches to the city's largest sporting venue, Stadium de Toulouse.|group=a|name=Toulouse}}

| align=center | 18,784

| 1st

Table

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
colspan="15" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"|

{|border="0" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"

style="border:0px"|2022–23 Top 14 Table

|-

!style="background-color:#efefef;" width="20"|

!style="background-color:#efefef;" width="150"|Club

!style="background-color:#efefef;" width="20"|Played

!style="background-color:#efefef;" width="20"|Won

!style="background-color:#efefef;" width="20"|Drawn

!style="background-color:#efefef;" width="20"|Lost

!style="background-color:#efefef;" width="20"|Points For

!style="background-color:#efefef;" width="20"|Points Against

!style="background-color:#efefef;" width="20"|Points {{Abbr|Diff.|Difference}}

!style="background-color:#efefef;" width="20"|Try Bonus

!style="background-color:#efefef;" width="20"|Losing Bonus

!style="background-color:#efefef;" width="20"|Points

|-style="background-color:#d8ffeb;text-align:center;"

| 1 || style="text-align:left;" | Toulouse (CH) || 26 || 17 || 1 || 8 || 682 || 474 || +208 || 8 || 3 || 81

|-style="background-color:#d8ffeb;text-align:center;"

| 2 || style="text-align:left;" | La Rochelle (RU) || 26 || 17 || 0 || 9 || 673 || 479 || +194 || 7 || 3 || 78

|-style="background-color:#ccccff;text-align:center;"

| 3 || style="text-align:left;" | Lyon (QF) || 26 || 14 || 1 || 11 || 688 || 626 || +62 || 4 || 5 || 67

|-style="background-color:#ccccff;text-align:center;"

| 4 || style="text-align:left;" | Stade Français (QF) || 26 || 13 || 2 || 11 || 616 || 480 || +136 || 5 || 6 || 67

|-style="background-color:#ccccff;text-align:center;"

| 5 || style="text-align:left;" | Racing (SF) || 26 || 14 || 1 || 11 || 734 || 684 || +50 || 5 || 3 || 66

|-style="background-color:#ccccff;text-align:center;"

| 6 || style="text-align:left;" | Bordeaux Bègles (SF) || 26 || 13 || 1 || 12 || 576 || 501 || +75 || 4 || 5 || 63

|-style="background-color:#ffffcc;text-align:center;"

| 7 || style="text-align:left;" | Toulon || 26 || 14 || 0 || 12 || 588 || 557 || +31 || 3 || 2 || 61

|-style="background-color:#ffffcc;text-align:center;"

| 8 || style="text-align:left;" | Bayonne || 26 || 13 || 1 || 12 || 596 || 662 || –66 || 2 || 2 || 58

|-style="background-color:#ffffff;text-align:center;"

| 9 || style="text-align:left;" | Castres || 26 || 13 || 1 || 12 || 532 || 635 || –103 || 1 || 2 || 57

|-style="background-color:#ffffff;text-align:center;"

| 10 || style="text-align:left;" | Clermont || 26 || 11 || 1 || 14 || 588 || 635 || –39 || 4 || 6 || 56

|-style="background-color:#ffffff;text-align:center;"

| 11 || style="text-align:left;" | Montpellier || 26 || 11 || 0 || 15 || 624 || 617 || +7 || 4 || 6 || 54

|-style="background-color:#ffffff;text-align:center;"

| 12 || style="text-align:left;" | Pau || 26 || 10 || 1 || 15 || 591 || 634 || –43 || 6 || 4 || 52

|-style="background-color:#ffcccc;text-align:center;"

| 13 || style="text-align:left;" | Perpignan || 26 || 10 || 0 || 16 || 503 || 724 || –221 || 0 || 3 || 43

|-style="background-color:#f88379;text-align:center;"

| 14 || style="text-align:left;" | Brive (R) || 26 || 7 || 0 || 19 || 440 || 731 || –291 || 1 || 7 || 36

|-style="background-color:#ffffff;text-align:center;"

|colspan="14"|

If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:

  1. Competition points earned in head-to-head matches
  2. Points difference in head-to-head matches
  3. Try differential in head-to-head matches
  4. Points difference in all matches
  5. Try differential in all matches
  6. Points scored in all matches
  7. Tries scored in all matches
  8. Fewer matches forfeited
  9. Classification in the previous Top 14 season

|-| style="text-align:left;" |

|colspan="15" style="border:0px"| Green background (rows 1 and 2) receive semi-final play-off places and receive berths in the 2023–24 European Rugby Champions Cup.
Blue background (rows 3 to 6) receive quarter-final play-off places, and receive berths in the Champions Cup.
Yellow background (row 7 and 8) receive berths in the Champions Cup.
Plain background indicates teams that earn a place in the 2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup.
Pink background (row 13) will be contest a play-off with the runners-up of the 2022–23 Rugby Pro D2 season for a place in the 2023–24 Top 14 season.
Red background (row 14) will be relegated to Rugby Pro D2. Final table

|}

Playoffs

{{6TeamBracket

| RD1=Semi-final Qualifiers

| RD2=Semi-finals

| RD3=Final

| RD1-seed1= 4

| RD1-team1= Stade Français

| RD1-score1= 20

| RD1-seed2= 5

| RD1-team2= Racing

| RD1-score2= 33

| RD1-seed3= 3

| RD1-team3= Lyon

| RD1-score3= 25

| RD1-seed4= 6

| RD1-team4= Bordeaux Bègles

| RD1-score4= 32

| RD2-seed1= 1

| RD2-team1= Toulouse

| RD2-score1= 41

| RD2-seed2= 5

| RD2-team2= Racing

| RD2-score2= 14

| RD2-seed3= 2

| RD2-team3= La Rochelle

| RD2-score3= 24

| RD2-seed4= 6

| RD2-team4= Bordeaux Bègles

| RD2-score4= 13

| RD3-seed1= 1

| RD3-team1= Toulouse

| RD3-score1= 29

| RD3-seed2= 2

| RD3-team2= La Rochelle

| RD3-score2= 26

}}

=Semi-final Qualifiers=

{{rugbybox

|date = 3 June 2023

|time = 14:00

|home = Stade Français (4)

|score = 20–33

|report = [https://top14.lnr.fr/feuille-de-match/2022-2023/j21/147-paris-racing-92 Report]

|away = (5) Racing

|try1 = Macalou 33' c
Penalty try 40+1'

|con1 = Segonds (1/1) 35'

|pen1 = Segonds (2/2) 17', 69'

|try2 = Imhoff 10' c
Lauret 19' c
Fickou 80' c

|con2 = Gibert (2/2) 11', 20'

|pen2 = Russell (4/4) 26', 44', 52', 55'

|stadium = Stade Jean-Bouin

|attendance = 18,691

|referee = Pierre Brousset

}}

{{rugbybox

|date = 4 June 2023

|time = 21:05

|home = Lyon (3)

|score = 25–32

|report = [https://top14.lnr.fr/feuille-de-match/2022-2023/j6/42-lyon-bordeaux-begles Report]

|away = (6) Bordeaux Bègles

|try1 = Dumortier 10' c
Tuisova 30' c
Maraku 74' m

|con1 = Sopoaga (2/2) 11', 32'

|pen1 = Sopoaga (2/2) 40+1', 58'

|try2 = Jalibert 7' m
Diaby 47' c
Tambwe (2) 67' c, 78' c

|con2 = Jalibert (3/4) 48', 68', 79'

|pen2 = Jalibert (1/1) 24'
Lucu (1/1) 71'

|stadium = Matmut Stadium de Gerland

|attendance = 17,304

|referee = Ludovic Cayre

}}

----

=Semi-finals=

{{rugbybox

|date = 9 June 2023

|time = 21:00

|home = Toulouse (1)

|score = 41–14

|report = [https://top14.lnr.fr/feuille-de-match/2022-2023/j4/27-toulouse-racing-92 Report]

|away = (5) Racing

|try1 = Lebel 18' c
Meafou 23' c
Roumat 50' c
Retière 58' c
Cros 80' c

|con1 = Ramos (5/5) 19', 24', 51', 59', 80+1'

|pen1 = Ramos (2/2) 34', 40+1'

|try2 = Fickou 71' c
Diallo 76' c

|con2 = Russell (2/2) 72', 77'

|stadium = Anoeta Stadium

|attendance = 39,252

|referee = Mathieu Raynal

}}

{{rugbybox

|date = 10 June 2023

|time = 17:00

|home = La Rochelle (2)

|score = 24–13

|report = [https://top14.lnr.fr/feuille-de-match/2022-2023/j13/89-la-rochelle-bordeaux-begles Report]

|away = (6) Bordeaux Bègles

|try1 = Leyds 9' c
Bourgarit 21' c
Boudehent 38' c

|con1 = Hastoy (3/3) 10', 22', 39'

|pen1 = Hastoy (1/2) 71'

|try2 = Penalty try 49'

|pen2 = Jalibert (2/2) 4', 44'

|stadium = Anoeta Stadium

|attendance = 39,314

|referee = Adrien Marbot

}}

----

=Final=

{{rugbybox

|date = 17 June 2023

|time = 21:00

|home = Toulouse (1)

|score = 29–26

|report = [https://top14.lnr.fr/feuille-de-match/2022-2023/j8/56-toulouse-la-rochelle Report]

|away = (2) La Rochelle

|stadium = Stade de France, Saint-Denis

|attendance = 79,804

|referee = Tual Trainini

|try1 = Chocobares 23' c
Ntamack 78' c

|con1 = Ramos (2/2) 25', 79'

|pen1 = Ramos (5/6) 10', 21', 51', 60', 63'

|try2 = Kerr-Barlow 39' c
Atonio 45' c

|con2 = Hastoy (2/2) 40', 46'

|pen2 = Hastoy (4/6) 16', 30', 67', 71'

}}

width="100%"

|valign="top" width="50%"|

{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"

width="25"|width="25"|
FB15{{flagicon|FRA}} Thomas Ramos
RW14{{flagicon|FRA}} Arthur Retière
OC13{{flagicon|ARG}} Santiago Chocobares
IC12{{flagicon|TON}} Pita Ahki
LW11{{flagicon|FRA}} Matthis Lebel
FH10{{flagicon|FRA}} Romain Ntamack
SH9{{flagicon|FRA}} Antoine Dupont (c)
N88{{flagicon|FRA}} Alexandre Roumat
OF7{{flagicon|FRA}} Francois Cros
BF6{{flagicon|ENG}} Jack Willis
RL5{{flagicon|AUS}} Emmanuel Meafou
LL4{{flagicon|AUS}} Richie Arnold
TP3{{flagicon|FRA}} Dorian Aldegheri
HK2{{flagicon|FRA}} Julien Marchand
LP1{{flagicon|FRA}} Cyril Baille
colspan=3|Substitutions:
HK16{{flagicon|FRA}} Peato Mauvaka
PR17{{flagicon|FRA}} Rodrigue Neti
LK18{{flagicon|FRA}} Thibaud Flament
N819{{flagicon|FRA}} Alban Placines
FL20{{flagicon|FRA}} Selevasio Tolofua
CE21{{flagicon|FRA}} Pierre-Louis Barassi
WG22{{flagicon|ARG}} Juan Cruz Mallia
PR23{{flagicon|NZL}} Charlie Faumuina
colspan="3"|Coach:
colspan="4"|{{flagicon|FRA}} Ugo Mola

|valign="top" width="50%"|

style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"
width="25"|width="25"|
FB15{{flagicon|FRA}} Brice Dulin
RW14{{flagicon|RSA}} Dillyn Leyds
OC13{{flagicon|SAM}} Ulupano Seuteni
IC12{{flagicon|FRA}} Jonathan Danty
LW11{{flagicon|RSA}} Raymond Rhule
FH10{{flagicon|FRA}} Antoine Hastoy
SH9{{flagicon|NZL}} Tawera Kerr-Barlow
N88{{flagicon|FRA}} Grégory Alldritt
OF7{{flagicon|FIJ}} Levani Botia
BF6{{flagicon|FRA|rugby union}} Paul Boudehent
RL5{{flagicon|AUS}} Will Skelton
LL4{{flagicon|FRA}} Romain Sazy
TP3{{flagicon|FRA}} Uini Atonio (c)
HK2{{flagicon|FRA}} Pierre Bourgarit
LP1{{flagicon|FRA}} Reda Wardi
colspan=3|Substitutions:
HK16{{flagicon|FRA}} Quentin Lespiaucq
PR17{{flagicon|ARG}} Joel Sclavi
LK18{{flagicon|FRA}} Thomas Lavault
FL19{{flagicon|IRE}} Ultan Dillane
FL20{{flagicon|FRA}} Remi Bourdeau
FH21{{flagicon|FRA}} Thomas Berjon
CE22{{flagicon|FRA}} Jules Favre
PR23{{flagicon|FRA}} Georges-Henri Colombe
colspan="3"|Coach:
colspan="4"|{{flagicon|IRE|rugby union}} Ronan O'Gara

|}

See also

Notes

{{reflist|group=a}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{Top 14}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2022-23 Top 14 season}}

Category:Top 14 seasons