The 2008–09 Top 14 Competition was a French domestic rugby union club competition operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR). It ran from late August 2008 through the final at Stade de France on June 6, 2009, in which Perpignan lifted the Bouclier de Brennus with a 22–13 win over Clermont.
This year's edition of the Top 14 welcomed Toulon, winners of the 2008 title in the second-level Pro D2, and Mont-de-Marsan, victors in the 2008 promotion playoffs between the second- through fifth-place teams in Pro D2. They took the place of Auch and Albi, relegated at the end of the 2007–08 Top 14. Auch, which had been promoted to the Top 14 for 2007–08, finished bottom of the table and went down. The other newly promoted team in 2007–08, Dax, finished second-from-bottom, but were reprieved when French sporting authorities forcibly relegated 12th-place Albi to Pro D2 due to financial issues.
While the four playoff teams—Perpignan, Toulouse, Clermont, and Stade Français—separated themselves from the pack fairly early in the season, it was Toulouse who were the form team in the first half of the season; they had a Top 14-record streak of 11 wins from Round 5 through Round 15. However, Perpignan surged in the second half of the season, finishing level with Toulouse on the season log; the Catalans claimed the top seed on the first tiebreaker of head-to-head competition points. Biarritz used a late-season surge to claim fifth place, while the final Heineken Cup berth was ultimately decided in the final round, when Brive's draw with Bourgoin combined with Bayonne's win over Stade Français without a bonus point left Brive and Bayonne level on the log; Brive won on the second tiebreaker of head-to-head scoring.
At the other end of the ladder, Mont-de-Marsan were rarely competitive and finished bottom. The second relegation place finally fell on Dax, after Bourgoin, Castres, and the highly ambitious Toulon spent time in relegation trouble.
For much of the season, Bourgoin faced another type of relegation trouble—financial. At the end of each season, all teams in both divisions of LNR must pass a financial audit conducted by DNACG (Direction nationale d'aide et de contrôle de gestion), LNR's financial arm, to be able to keep their professional licenses. The club were able to satisfy DNACG that they had sufficient financial guarantees to participate in Top 14 and were thus allowed to stay in the top flight.
Second division: 2008–09 Rugby Pro D2 season
Each club plays every other club twice. The second half of the season is conducted in the same order as the first, with the club at home in the first half of the season away in the second. As in previous seasons, the top four clubs at the end of the home-and-away season advanced to a single-elimination playoff. The semifinals were held at neutral sites on May 29 and 30, with the final at Stade de France on June 6.
Going into the season, the top six clubs were guaranteed of berths in the 2009–10 Heineken Cup, with the possibility of a seventh if a French club had advanced further in the 2008–09 Heineken Cup than any team from England or Italy. However, the seventh French berth did not materialize this season, as the only Top 14 club to make the knockout stage, Toulouse, were eliminated in the quarterfinals, while England's Leicester Tigers reached the final (where they lost to Irish side Leinster). The sixth-place team would have been relegated to the 2009–10 European Challenge Cup if 11th-place Bourgoin had won the 2008–09 Challenge Cup final on 22 May; however, Bourgoin were defeated by English side Northampton Saints.
The bottom two teams are provisionally relegated to Pro D2, with the possibility of one or both of the bottom teams to be reprieved if a team above them fails a postseason financial audit (mandatory for all clubs in the league).
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, a system that also makes it impossible for either team to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. LNR chose to continue with this system for 2008-09.
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 7 points (or less).
If clubs are level on competition points, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
- Head-to-head competition points earned.
- Points differential in head-to-head matches.
- Difference between tries scored and tries conceded in head-to-head matches.
- Points differential in all matches.
- Difference between tries scored and tries conceded in all matches.
- Number of points scored in all matches.
- Number of tries scored in all matches.
- Number of forfeited matches
- Final classification in the last Top 14 regular season.
- Fewer red cards issued during the season.
Tiebreakers were needed to determine two placements:
Perpignan finished first on the ladder, ahead of Toulouse, based on a 5–4 edge in head-to-head competition points; Toulouse scored a regular win against Perpignan in Round 6, while Perpignan picked up a bonus-point win in the return match in Round 19.
Brive edged out Bayonne for sixth place, and ultimately the final Heineken Cup berth. In Round 8, Bayonne defeated Brive 14–9 at home. In the return match in Round 21, Brive won 13–6 at home. Since both losing teams picked up bonus points, the tiebreaker went to head-to-head point differential, in which Brive had a two-point edge.
Schedule and results
From the official Top 14 site. Within each weekend, matches are listed in the following order:
- By date.
- If matches are held on the same day, by kickoff time.
- Otherwise, in alphabetic order of home club.
All times CET.
Round 1
26 August, 19:00 — Biarritz 29 - 22 (1 BP) Bourgoin
26 August, 19:00 — Castres (1 BP) 26 - 27 Bayonne
26 August, 19:00 — Dax 9 - 31 (1 BP) Stade Français
26 August, 19:00 — Montauban (1 BP) 37 - 19 Mont-de-Marsan
26 August, 19:00 — Montpellier 16 - 11 (1 BP) Toulouse
26 August, 19:00 — Perpignan 34 - 18 Brive
26 August, 21:00 — Toulon 22 - 16 (1 BP) Clermont
Round 2
30 August, 14:30 — Bayonne 22 - 20 (1 BP) Montauban
30 August, 14:30 — Clermont (1 BP) 43 - 20 Montpellier
30 August, 14:30 — Stade Français 27 - 22 Mont-de-Marsan
30 August, 14:30 — Toulon 3 - 3 Brive
30 August, 14:30 — Toulouse 25 - 20 (1 BP) Dax
30 August, 16:45 — Biarritz 32 - 17 Castres
30 August, 20:30 — Bourgoin (1 BP) 16 - 22 Perpignan
Round 3
5 September, 20:30 — Bayonne 17 - 6 Clermont
6 September, 14:30 — Brive 16 - 16 Castres
6 September, 14:30 — Dax (1 BP) 6 - 9 Montpellier
6 September, 14:30 — Montauban 18 - 14 (1 BP) Bourgoin
6 September, 16:30 — Perpignan 11 - 26 Stade Français
6 September, 20:30 — Mont-de-Marsan 25 - 18 (1 BP) Toulon
7 September, 20:00 — Toulouse (1 BP) 20 - 6 Biarritz (at Stadium Municipal)
Round 4
12 September, 20:30 — Toulon (1 BP) 13 - 19 Stade Français
13 September, 14:30 — Bourgoin 18 - 6 Mont-de-Marsan
13 September, 14:30 — Castres 11 - 19 Dax
13 September, 14:30 — Montpellier (1 BP) 32 - 10 Montauban
13 September, 14:30 — Perpignan (1 BP) 38 - 10 Bayonne
13 September, 16:30 — Clermont 16 - 6 Toulouse
13 September, 20:30 — Biarritz 24 - 5 Brive
Round 5
19 September, 20:30 — Dax 30 - 18 Biarritz
20 September, 14:30 — Bayonne 19 - 15 (1 BP) Mont-de-Marsan
20 September, 14:30 — Castres 12 - 6 (1 BP) Clermont
20 September, 14:30 — Stade Français (1 BP) 37 - 16 Brive
20 September, 14:30 — Toulon 15 - 9 (1 BP) Bourgoin
20 September, 16:30 — Montauban 10 - 41 (1 BP) Toulouse
20 September, 20:30 — Montpellier (1 BP) 3 - 5 Perpignan
Round 6
26 September, 20:30 — Bourgoin (1 BP) 25 - 32 Stade Français (at Stade des Alpes, Grenoble)
27 September, 14:30 — Brive (1 BP) 41 - 9 Dax
27 September, 14:30 — Clermont (1 BP) 32 - 6 Biarritz
27 September, 14:30 — Mont-de-Marsan (1 BP) 16 - 22 Montpellier
27 September, 14:30 — Montauban 24 - 23 (1 BP) Castres
27 September, 16:30 — Toulouse 30 - 20 Perpignan
27 September, 20:30 — Bayonne 19 - 15 (1 BP) Toulon
Round 7
3 October, 20:30 — Castres 10 - 28 Toulouse
4 October, 14:30 — Biarritz (1 BP) 46 - 3 Montpellier
4 October, 14:30 — Brive (1 BP) 53 - 11 Mont-de-Marsan
4 October, 14:30 — Perpignan 37 - 12 Toulon
4 October, 14:30 — Stade Français (1 BP) 34 - 16 Montauban
4 October, 16:30 — Bourgoin (1 BP) 23 - 30 Clermont
4 October, 20:30 — Dax 27 - 17 Bayonne
Round 8
24 October, 20:30 — Mont-de-Marsan 6 - 33 (1 BP) Biarritz
25 October, 14:30 — Bayonne 14 - 9 (1 BP) Brive
25 October, 14:30 — Clermont (1 BP) 25 - 30 (1 BP) Montauban
This was the first Top 14 match to see both teams earn bonus points since LNR adopted its revised bonus points system in the 2007-08 season.
25 October, 14:30 — Montpellier (1 BP) 12 - 19 Bourgoin
25 October, 14:30 — Perpignan 17 - 6 Dax
25 October, 16:30 — Stade Français 13 - 26 Toulouse (at Stade de France)
25 October, 20:30 — Toulon (1 BP) 17 - 21 Castres
Round 9
31 October, 18:30 — Montauban (1 BP) 42 - 20 Toulon
1 November, 14:30 — Castres (1 BP) 28 - 31 Montpellier
1 November, 14:30 — Dax 32 - 10 Bourgoin
1 November, 14:30 — Mont-de-Marsan 7 - 31 (1 BP) Perpignan
1 November, 14:30 — Toulouse 21 - 15 (1 BP) Brive
1 November, 16:30 — Clermont 22 - 6 Stade Français
1 November, 20:30 — Biarritz (1 BP) 12 -14 Bayonne
Round 10
14 November, 20:30 — Montpellier 26 - 13 Stade Français
15 November, 14:30 — Bourgoin (1 BP) 9 - 13 Bayonne
15 November, 14:30 — Castres 26 - 3 Mont-de-Marsan
15 November, 14:30 — Dax 20 - 20 Montauban
15 November, 14:30 — Toulouse 19 - 18 (1 BP) Toulon
15 November, 16:30 — Brive 18 - 16 (1 BP) Clermont
15 November, 20:45 — Perpignan (1 BP) 27 - 12 Biarritz
Round 11
21 November, 19:00 — Bourgoin (1 BP) 12 - 18 Toulouse
21 November, 21:00 — Stade Français 19 - 12 (1 BP) Castres
22 November, 14:30 — Bayonne (1 BP) 42 - 9 Montpellier
22 November, 14:30 — Brive 33 - 28 (1 BP) Montauban
22 November, 14:30 — Mont-de-Marsan 12 - 6 Dax
22 November, 14:30 — Toulon 10 - 5 (1 BP) Biarritz
22 November, 16:30 — Clermont 29 - 9 Perpignan
Round 12
28 November, 20:35 — Toulouse 32 - 11 Bayonne
29 November, 14:30 — Castres 9 - 23 Bourgoin
29 November, 14:30 — Mont-de-Marsan 12 - 11 (1 BP) Clermont
29 November, 14:30 — Montauban (1 BP) 6 - 9 Perpignan
29 November, 14:30 — Toulon (1 BP) 6 - 13 Dax
29 November, 16:30 — Biarritz 13 - 32 (1 BP) Stade Français
29 November, 20:45 — Montpellier 9 - 22 Brive
Round 13
19 December, 20:35 — Dax (1 BP) 16 - 20 Clermont
20 December, 14:30 — Brive 20 - 12 Bourgoin
20 December, 14:30 — Montpellier (1 BP) 33 - 8 Toulon
20 December, 14:30 — Perpignan 16 - 9 (1 BP) Castres
20 December, 14:30 — Toulouse (1 BP) 27 - 6 Mont-de-Marsan
20 December, 16:30 — Stade Français (1 BP) 35 - 8 Bayonne
20 December, 20:35 — Montauban 19 - 12 (1 BP) Biarritz
Round 14
2 January, 20:35 — Bayonne 13 - 13 Castres
3 January, 14:30 — Bourgoin 15 - 14 (1 BP) Biarritz
3 January, 14:30 — Mont-de-Marsan 16 - 13 (1 BP) Montauban
3 January, 14:30 — Clermont (1 BP) 32 - 5 Toulon
3 January, 14:30 — Stade Français (1 BP) 56 - 15 Dax
3 January, 16:30 — Toulouse (1 BP) 34 - 0 Montpellier
4 January, 20:45 — Brive (1 BP) 15 - 18 Perpignan
Round 15
9 January, 20:35 — Dax 9 - 25 Toulouse
Toulouse win their 11th consecutive Top 14 match, breaking the previous record of 10 set last season by Clermont.
10 January, 14:30 — Castres (1 BP) 9 - 10 Biarritz
10 January, 14:30 — Mont-de-Marsan (1 BP) 6 - 13 Stade Français
10 January, 14:30 — Montauban 15 - 13 (1 BP) Bayonne
10 January, 14:30 — Perpignan (1 BP) 40 - 14 Bourgoin
10 January, 16:30 — Montpellier 3 - 30 (1 BP) Clermont
10 January, 20:35 — Brive 19 - 9 Toulon
Round 16
30 January, 20:35 — Toulon (1 BP) 38 - 22 Mont-de-Marsan
31 January, 14:30 — Biarritz 17 - 13 (1 BP) Toulouse
Toulouse's Top 14-record win streak of 11 ends.
31 January, 14:30 — Bourgoin 25 - 15 Montauban
31 January, 14:30 — Castres 11 - 11 Brive
31 January, 14:30 — Clermont (1 BP) 44 - 10 Bayonne
31 January, 14:30 — Montpellier 23 - 14 Dax
31 January, 16:30 — Stade Français 13 - 13 Perpignan (at Stade de France)
Round 17
20 February, 20:35 — Stade Français 22 - 12 Toulon
21 February, 14:30 — Brive 19 - 15 (1 BP) Biarritz
21 February, 14:30 — Dax 16 - 32 (1 BP) Castres
21 February, 14:30 — Mont-de-Marsan 16 - 16 Bourgoin
21 February, 14:30 — Montauban 27 - 19 Montpellier
21 February, 16:30 — Bayonne 19 - 12 (1 BP) Perpignan
22 February, 16:30 — Toulouse 20 - 13 (1 BP) Clermont
Round 18
27 February, 19:00 — Bourgoin 12 - 23 (1 BP) Toulon
28 February, 14:15 — Brive 26 - 11 Stade Français
28 February, 14:30 — Biarritz (1 BP) 44 - 13 Dax
28 February, 14:30 — Clermont 43 - 20 Castres
28 February, 14:30 — Mont-de-Marsan (1 BP) 30 - 37 Bayonne
28 February, 14:30 — Perpignan (1 BP) 50 - 13 Montpellier
28 February, 20:35 — Toulouse 9 - 6 (1 BP) Montauban
Round 19
6 March, 21:00 — Perpignan (1 BP) 32 - 8 Toulouse
7 March, 14:30 — Castres 31 - 19 Montauban
7 March, 14:30 — Dax (1 BP) 15 - 17 Brive
7 March, 14:30 — Montpellier (1 BP) 33 - 6 Mont-de-Marsan
7 March, 14:30 — Stade Français (1 BP) 53 - 3 Bourgoin
7 March, 16:30 — Biarritz 18 - 14 (1 BP) Clermont
7 March, 20:35 — Toulon 3 - 3 Bayonne
Round 20
13 March, 20:35 — Montauban 22 - 16 (1 BP) Stade Français
14 March, 14:15 — Toulouse 26 - 11 Castres
14 March, 14:30 — Bayonne 14 - 9 (1 BP) Dax
14 March, 14:30 — Clermont (1 BP) 57 - 23 Bourgoin
14 March, 14:30 — Mont-de-Marsan (1 BP) 16 - 18 Brive
14 March, 14:30 — Toulon (1 BP) 29 - 32 Perpignan
14 March, 20:35 — Montpellier 12 - 9 (1 BP) Biarritz
Round 21
27 March, 20:35 — Castres 25 - 9 Toulon
28 March, 14:30 — Biarritz (1 BP) 37 - 7 Mont-de-Marsan
28 March, 14:30 — Bourgoin 22 - 3 Montpellier
28 March, 14:30 — Dax (1 BP) 13 - 16 Perpignan
28 March, 14:30 — Montauban 19 - 19 Clermont
28 March, 16:30 — Brive 13 - 6 (1 BP) Bayonne
29 March, 20:35 — Toulouse 15 - 11 (1 BP) Stade Français
Round 22
3 April, 20:35 — Bourgoin (1 BP) 43 - 6 Dax
4 April, 14:30 — Brive 10 - 42 (1 BP) Toulouse
4 April, 14:30 — Montpellier (1 BP) 21 - 23 Castres
4 April, 14:30 — Perpignan (1 BP) 44 - 3 Mont-de-Marsan
4 April, 14:30 — Toulon 33 - 20 Montauban
4 April, 16:30 — Stade Français (1 BP) 19 - 21 Clermont (at Stade de France)
4 April, 20:35 — Bayonne (1 BP) 15 - 19 Biarritz
Round 23
17 April, 20:35 — Biarritz 12 - 10 Perpignan (1 BP)
18 April, 14:30 — Bayonne (1 BP) 61 - 10 Bourgoin
18 April, 14:30 — Clermont (1 BP) 52 - 7 Brive
18 April, 14:30 — Mont-de-Marsan 21 - 15 Castres (1 BP)
18 April, 14:30 — Stade Français 24 - 15 Montpellier
18 April, 16:30 — Toulon 14 - 6 Toulouse (at Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)
18 April, 20:35 — Montauban (1 BP) 15 - 20 Dax
Round 24
24 April, 20:35 — Castres (1 BP) 16 - 21 Stade Français
25 April, 14:30 — Biarritz 19 - 12 (1 BP) Toulon
25 April, 14:30 — Montauban 15 - 10 (1 BP) Brive
25 April, 14:30 — Montpellier 20 - 11 Bayonne
25 April, 14:30 — Toulouse 13 - 6 (1 BP) Bourgoin
25 April, 16:30 — Perpignan 20 - 16 (1 BP) Clermont
25 April, 20:35 — Dax 12 - 8 (1 BP) Mont-de-Marsan
Round 25
8 May, 20:35 — Dax 12 - 22 Toulon
9 May, 14:30 — Bourgoin 31 - 23 Castres
9 May, 14:30 — Brive 28 - 18 Montpellier
9 May, 14:30 — Clermont (1 BP) 66 - 3 Mont-de-Marsan
9 May, 14:30 — Perpignan (1 BP) 19 - 9 Montauban
9 May, 16:30 — Bayonne (1 BP) 9 - 12 Toulouse
10 May, 20:45 — Stade Français (1 BP) 12 - 16 Biarritz
Round 26
16 May, 16:30 — Bayonne 31 - 27 (1 BP) Stade Français
16 May, 16:30 — Biarritz (1 BP) 38 - 10 Montauban
16 May, 16:30 — Bourgoin 19 - 19 Brive
16 May, 16:30 — Castres (1 BP) 26 - 32 Perpignan
16 May, 16:30 — Clermont (1 BP) 73 - 3 Dax
16 May, 16:30 — Mont-de-Marsan 8 - 60 (1 BP) Toulouse
16 May, 16:30 — Toulon (1 BP) 23 - 3 Montpellier
