2011–12 Top 14 season

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

During the regular season, three teams changed coaches a total of four times:

• Toulon was forced to find a replacement for Philippe Saint-André once he was named to become the new head coach of the France national team, effective 1 December. Bernard Laporte, a former France head coach (1999–2007), was named as Toulon's new head coach, and took over in September after Saint-André was granted an early release by Toulon.
• Perpignan sacked Jacques Delmas on 21 November, only four months after he had taken over from Jacques Brunel, who left to become the new head coach of Italy. The Catalans had lost seven of their 12 matches in all competitions under Delmas. Assistants Bernard Goutta and Christophe Manas were named as replacements.
• Bayonne sacked their entire coaching staff—director of rugby Christian Gajan, forwards coach Thomas Lièvremont and backs coach Frédéric Tauzin—on 6 December. Gajan's position was filled by Jean-Pierre Élissalde, former Japan head coach and also father of former France international and current Toulouse backs coach Jean-Baptiste Élissalde. After six weeks, in which Bayonne remained near the bottom of the table with two losses and one draw in league play, Élissalde was sacked on 16 January, with former Stade Français head coach Didier Faugeron named as his replacement.

Table

Qualified for the 2012–13 Heineken Cup Qualified for the 2012–13 Heineken Cup Qualified for the 2012–13 Heineken Cup Due to the interplay between LNR's schedule for Heineken Cup qualification and the rules of European Rugby Cup (ERC), 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 (won by Leinster of Pro12)
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 (unlikely) 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

| RD1-seed1=4 | RD1-team1=Castres | RD1-score1=31 | RD1-seed2=5 | RD1-team2=Montpellier | RD1-score2=15 | RD1-seed3=3 | RD1-team3=Toulon | RD1-score3=17 | RD1-seed4=6 | RD1-team4=Racing Métro | RD1-score4=13 | RD2-seed1=1 | RD2-team1=Toulouse | RD2-score1=24 | RD2-seed2=4 | RD2-team2=Castres | RD2-score2=15 | RD2-seed3=2 | RD2-team3=Clermont | RD2-score3=12 | RD2-seed4=3 | RD2-team4=Toulon | RD2-score4=15 | RD3-seed1=1 | RD3-team1=Toulouse | RD3-score1=18 | RD3-seed2=3 | RD3-team2=Toulon | RD3-score2=12

All times are in Central European Summer Time (UTC+2).

Quarter-finals

Teulet (3/3) 15', 38', 72' Fakate 68' c

Giteau (3) 58', 62', 80' Descons 32

Semi-finals

Beauxis (1/1) 39' Teulet 37'

Final

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FRA

FRA

Television Match Official:

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Statistics

Top points scorers

Updated 19 May 2012 File:ST vs RCT 2012 12 03041.JPG|Jonny Wilkinson (RC Toulon) File:ST vs CO 2012-03-10 - Romain Teulet.jpg|Romain Teulet (Castres Olympique) File:Bustos Moyano.jpg|Martín Bustos Moyano (Montpellier HR) File:ST vs SF - Julien Dupuy-1 cropped.jpg|Julien Dupuy (Stade Français) File:Boyet Penality.JPG|Benjamin Boyet (Aviron Bayonnais) Image:Racing Métro 92 Jonathan Wisniewski.jpg|Jonathan Wisniewski (Racing Métro 92)

Top try scorers

Updated 6 May 2012 File:ST vs LOU - 49 - Crop.jpg| File:ST vs Harlequins - Matanavu - Crop.jpg| File:Sireli bobo 2.jpg| File:Henry Chavancy Racing Metro training 2012-03-16.jpg| File:ST vs UBB - Blair Connor.jpg|

References

References

1. (25 August 2011). "Saint-Andre confirmed as next France coach". ESPN Scrum.
2. (12 September 2011). "Laporte takes charge at Toulon". ESPN Scrum.
3. (21 November 2011). "Bernard Laporte takes charge at Toulton". ESPN Scrum.
4. (6 December 2011). "Bayonne sack coaching staff". ESPN Scrum.
5. (16 January 2012). "Elissalde axed by Bayonne". ESPN Scrum.
6. "Yahoo UK | News, email and search".
7. "Rugby Radar {{!}} Provides results, fixtures and table information from the top 18 rugby tournaments around the world.".
8. "Règlement Sportif des Compétitions Professionnelles, Article 328, Participations des clubs français en Coupes d'Europe". [[National Rugby League (France).
9. (9 June 2012). "Ô Toulouse ! Ô Brennus !". L'Équipe.