JAMES HARRINGTON
FRENCH COLUMN

The relief on the faces of those players playing Top 14 rugby in France this weekend when the final whistles blew on their matches was evident.They had navigated their way through an unrelenting ten-week block of games since the season kicked off on September 4, and could look forward to a little respite before the next set of fixtures start on Nov 27.
It’s long been understood that the nearly 11-month Top 14 season – the final in Saint-Denis is at the backend of June – is a savage marathon of a competition.
But it has been noticeable that the French dom...