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2006-07 Top 14 season

The 2006-07 Top 14 Competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition that ran from August 2006 through to June 2007. Biarritz were out to defend their crown, after their defeat of Toulouse in the 2005-06 Top 14 final. Both Albi and Montauban were promoted from Rugby Pro D2, whilst Toulon and Pau were relegated from the Top 14.

Stade Français, who had topped the table at the end of the home-and-away season, lifted the Bouclier de Brennus as Top 14 champions with a 23-18 win over Clermont at Stade de France.

Second division: 2006-07 Rugby Pro D2 season

Table

Key to colors
	Top four advance to playoffs, and receive places in the 2007-08 Heineken Cup.
	Fifth and sixth place also receive Heineken Cup places
	Bottom two places relegated to Rugby Pro D2.

	Club	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points for	Points against	Bonus points	Points
2006-07 Top 14 Table
1	Stade Français	26	19	1	6	667	433	9	87
2	Toulouse	26	18	2	6	643	424	10	86
3	Clermont	26	18	0	8	772	454	11	84
4	Biarritz	26	16	1	9	549	385	10	76
5	Perpignan	26	16	1	9	493	398	9	75
6	Bourgoin	26	11	1	14	543	484	12	58
7	Montauban	26	10	2	14	475	493	10	54
8	Bayonne	26	11	1	14	452	647	5	51
9	Brive	26	10	1	15	419	516	8	50
10	Albi	26	11	1	14	333	512	4	50
11	Castres	26	9	1	16	531	576	11	49
12	Montpellier	26	9	1	16	442	596	10	48
13	Agen	26	9	1	16	382	520	6	44
14	Narbonne	26	8	0	18	521	784	7	39

The seventh-place team would have received a Heineken Cup place if a French club had advanced farther in that season's Heineken Cup than any club from England or Italy. However, the quarterfinal losses of Biarritz and Stade Français, the last two remaining French sides in the 2006-07 Heineken Cup, to English sides Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers, meant that the "extra" Heineken Cup place would go to England. (The remaining two semifinalists were another English side, eventual winners London Wasps, and Welsh side Llanelli Scarlets.)

The 2007-08 Heineken Cup was in doubt earlier this season. French clubs announced plans to boycott the competition, and the English PRL clubs joined them, demanding a financial stake in the competition from the RFU. However, recent negotiations have ensured that top teams from both countries will now play.

Season synopsis

Stade Français jumped out to an early lead, winning their first nine matches. Although they faded somewhat as the season went on, they held on to top the regular-season ladder. Toulouse and Clermont each entered the final week with a chance to top the ladder, but Stade Français' win over Agen (without a bonus point) made it impossible for Clermont to overtake them, while Toulouse failed to secure the bonus point in their win over Bourgoin that would have made it possible for them to pip the Parisians for the top seed. The last playoff berth came down to the last round between Biarritz and Perpignan, with Biarritz securing fourth place in style with a bonus-point win over Castres.

The final Heineken Cup berth came down to the last round as well, with Bourgoin holding off the challenge of Top 14 newcomers Montauban.

The relegation battle came down to the last week. Narbonne had been assured of the drop after Round 25, while any of six other clubs were in mathematical danger of the drop going into the final week. In the end, Agen, who were next-to-last entering the final week, were consigned to the drop by Stade Français.

Results

Rounds 1 to 5

Round 1

18 August Biarritz 29–24 Clermont (1 BP)
19 August Stade Français (1 BP) 52–20 Montpellier
19 August Albi 24–12 Bayonne
19 August Agen 18–6 Bourgoin
19 August Montauban (1 BP) 41–20 Narbonne
19 August Perpignan 20–16 Castres (1 BP)
19 August Brive 9–24 Toulouse

Round 2

25 August Castres 16–26 Stade Français
25 August Montpellier 26–7 Agen
26 August Bourgoin (1 BP) 42–17 Brive
26 August Toulouse (1 BP) 23–0 Albi
26 August Bayonne 9–20 Montauban
26 August Narbonne 25–18 (1 BP) Biarritz
26 August Clermont 25–12 Perpignan

Round 3

30 August Albi 21–18 (1 BP) Bourgoin
30 August Montauban (1 BP) 19–24 Toulouse
30 August Biarritz (1 BP) 54–0 Bayonne
30 August Perpignan (1 BP) 45–6 Narbonne
30 August Stade Français (1 BP) 45–13 Clermont
30 August Montpellier 20–16 (1 BP) Castres
30 August Agen 22–16 (1 BP) Brive

Round 4

3 September Bourgoin (1 BP) 35–22 Montauban
3 September Toulouse 20–3 Biarritz
3 September Bayonne 9–20 Perpignan
3 September Narbonne 24–33 Stade Français
3 September Clermont (1 BP) 55–7 Montpellier
3 September Brive 6–3 (1 BP) Albi
3 September Castres 31–26 (1 BP) Agen

Round 5

8 September Biarritz 12–6 (1 BP) Bourgoin
9 September Perpignan 30–17 Toulouse
9 September Stade Français (1 BP) 48–29 Bayonne
9 September Montpellier (1 BP) 33–10 Narbonne
9 September Castres (1 BP) 9–13 Clermont
9 September Montauban 21–20 (1 BP) Brive
9 September Agen (1 BP) 32–3 Albi

Rounds 6 to 10

Round 6

15 September Bourgoin 22–3 Perpignan
16 September Toulouse (1 BP) 12–16 Stade Français
16 September Bayonne 25–20 (1 BP) Montpellier
16 September Narbonne (1 BP) 39–17 Castres
16 September Brive (1 BP) 14–21 Biarritz
16 September Albi 12–10 (1 BP) Montauban
16 September Clermont 20–3 Agen

Round 7

22 September Montpellier 9–9 Toulouse
23 September Stade Français (1 BP) 41–27 Bourgoin
23 September Castres (1 BP) 39–15 Bayonne
23 September Clermont (1 BP) 43–0 Narbonne
23 September Perpignan (1 BP) 24–13 Brive
23 September Biarritz 20–6 Albi
23 September Agen 13–9 (1 BP) Montauban

Round 8

26 September Bourgoin 25–3 Montpellier
26 September Toulouse (1 BP) 35–3 Castres
26 September Bayonne 24–13 Clermont
26 September Brive 6–21 Stade Français
26 September Albi 16–7 Perpignan
26 September Montauban 19–13 (1 BP) Biarritz
26 September Narbonne 33–18 Agen

Round 9

30 September Agen 20–18 (1 BP) Biarritz
30 September Castres 18–16 (1 BP) Bourgoin
30 September Narbonne 25–12 Bayonne
30 September Montpellier (1 BP) 12–17 Brive
30 September Perpignan (1 BP) 13–18 Montauban
30 September Stade Français 25–12 Albi
30 September Clermont (1 BP) 46–9 Toulouse

Round 10

6 October Montauban 15–9 (1 BP) Stade Français
7 October Biarritz 25–10 Perpignan
7 October Albi 15–9 (1 BP) Montpellier
7 October Bayonne 19–15 (1 BP) Agen
7 October Brive 22–15 (1 BP) Castres
7 October Toulouse 40–34 (1 BP) Narbonne
7 October Bourgoin (1 BP) 22–28 Clermont

Rounds 11 to 15

Round 11

14 October Bayonne 9–20 Toulouse
14 October Castres (1 BP) 16–19 Albi
14 October Clermont (1 BP) 44–3 Brive
14 October Montpellier 19–17 (1 BP) Montauban
14 October Narbonne (1 BP) 20–23 Bourgoin
14 October Agen (1 BP) 6–13 Perpignan
14 October Stade Français 22–16 (1 BP) Biarritz

For the second consecutive year, this fixture is played at France's national stadium, Stade de France in Saint-Denis. Also for the second consecutive year, this fixture sets a record for the largest crowd ever to see a regular-season league match in any French sport. The official attendance of 79,619 breaks last year's record of 79,604.

Round 12

3 November Albi 6–27 Clermont
4 November Perpignan 11–10 (1 BP) Stade Français
4 November Biarritz (1 BP) 44–11 Montpellier
4 November Bourgoin (1 BP) 39–10 Bayonne
4 November Brive 23–21 (1 BP) Narbonne
4 November Montauban 15–15 Castres
4 November Agen 24–16 Toulouse

Round 13

10 November Toulouse 25–15 Bourgoin
11 November Stade Français 31–8 Agen
11 November Bayonne (1 BP) 29–6 Brive
11 November Castres (1 BP) 12–16 Biarritz
11 November Montpellier (1 BP) 12–15 Perpignan
11 November Narbonne (1 BP) 50–12 Albi
11 November Clermont 27–16 Montauban

Round 14

17 November Montpellier 25–13 Stade Français
18 November Clermont 25–17 Biarritz
18 November Bayonne 15–9 (1 BP) Albi
18 November Bourgoin 31–18 Agen
18 November Narbonne 37–33 (1 BP) Montauban
18 November Toulouse (1 BP) 26–29 Brive
18 November Castres 19–13 (1 BP) Perpignan

Round 15

24 November Stade Français (1 BP) 43–18 Castres
24 November Albi 13–13 Toulouse
25 November Agen 14–9 Montpellier
25 November Biarritz 42–14 Narbonne
25 November Brive 28–3 Bourgoin
25 November Montauban 17–18 Bayonne
25 November Perpignan (1 BP) 32–15 Clermont

Rounds 16 to 20

Round 16

1 December Bayonne (1 BP) 11–15 Biarritz
2 December Bourgoin 36–11 Albi
2 December Toulouse 30–21 Montauban
2 December Narbonne 15–19 Perpignan
2 December Clermont 29–17 Stade Français
2 December Castres 51–13 Montpellier
2 December Brive 19–16 Agen

Round 17

22 December Agen 20–9 Castres
23 December Montauban 26–17 Bourgoin
23 December Montpellier 18–31 (1 BP) Clermont
23 December Perpignan (1 BP) 36–30 (1 BP) Bayonne
23 December Stade Français (1 BP) 41–0 Narbonne
23 December Albi 19–3 Brive
23 December Biarritz (1 BP) 16–18 Toulouse

Round 18

5 January Bourgoin 9–0 Biarritz
6 January Toulouse 16–12 (1 BP) Perpignan
6 January Albi 16–6 Agen
6 January Brive (1 BP) 11–16 Montauban
6 January Clermont 30–23 (1 BP) Castres
6 January Narbonne 32–9 Montpellier
6 January Bayonne 29–27 (1 BP) Stade Français

Round 19

26 January Montpellier (1 BP) 39–17 Bayonne
27 January Agen 22–18 (1 BP) Clermont
27 January Castres (1 BP) 62–14 Narbonne
27 January Biarritz 15–6 Brive
27 January Montauban (1 BP) 15–19 Albi
27 January Perpignan 16–9 (1 BP) Bourgoin
27 January Stade Français 22–20 (1 BP) Toulouse (at Stade de France)

For the fourth time in four fixtures at Stade de France, and the second time this season, Stade Français set an all-time attendance record for a regular-season league match in French sport, drawing 79,741.

Round 20