Top 10: Champions relegation threat

​Montpellier on the attack at Caen

It is a situation that few would have predicted at the start of the season. Better than a quarter of the French Autumn International squad come from the two clubs, including key players such as Caroline Ladagnous, Laetitia Grand, Julie Billes and national captain Marie Alice Yahe.

Of the two, Yahe’s Perpignan have perhaps the least to worry about. A crucial win against bottom-of-the-table clash with Bordeaux on Sunday opened up a nine point gap over their rivals.

However, it was not as easy as the final result appeared. Bordeaux – who had lost all three games before this – held Perpignan to 7-7 at half-time, having taken the lead for the first 39 minutes after an early try from Margot Marie. Julie Billes pulled Perpignan level on 33 minutes, and it was she who lead the charge in the second half, scoring three more tries, with fellow in internationals Elodie Guiglion, Fanny Horta and Claire Canal adding three more, as the Catalonians eventually swept to a 44-7 victory.

In Pool 2 Lons, on the other hand, are in real problems with only one win, and an advantage of only two points over fifth-placed Blagnac St Orens. All but unbeatable at home for the past two years, they lost 19-13 at home to Lille – and, to make matters worse, also lost Laetitia Grand with a shoulder injury which may threaten her place in the French team for the Autumn Internationals.

Last year’s runners-up Lille currently lie second in the pool, with Rennes leading the way – the only team in the Top 10 with four wins from four games, after a comprehensive win over La Valette, 29-0. In Pool 1 it is champions Montpellier who go into the second half of the season in poll position, after a narrow 12-10 win at Caen. Tries from Safi N'Diaye and Gaelle Mignot eqalled those from the home team, but the winning difference, almost inevitably, was the boot of Aurelie Bailon. Is there a more valuable player in France?