Montpellier have made the kind of selection call that tells you exactly how they want tonight’s Top 14 semi-final to feel: composed, direct and controlled through the middle of the pitch.
The official TOP 14 teamsheet for the Marseille semi-final against Stade Francais confirms Domingo Miotti’s return at fly-half, Alistair Price alongside him at scrum-half and Billy Vunipola retained at No 8. It is not a noisy selection, but it is a revealing one before a match that will decide who meets Toulouse in the final.
ReadRugbyUnion has already looked at how Paul Gustard has turned Stade Francais into a live Top 14 threat. Montpellier’s response is to lean on control rather than chaos.
Miotti gives Montpellier their shape back
Miotti’s return matters because Montpellier had used Leo Coly at 10 across the final two rounds of the regular season. Coly remains on the bench here, but the decision to restore the Argentine at outside-half points to a more recognisable Montpellier spine.
Price gives them tempo and Test-match calm at nine. Miotti gives them a left-footed tactical option and a steadier kicking lane. Vunipola gives the back row a blunt carrying edge in the channel where Stade will expect the first few collisions to set the evening’s tone.
There is also a notable absence behind them. Stuart Hogg is not in the Montpellier 23, with Josh Banks back at full-back after Hogg had started against Lyon. In a knockout semi-final, that makes the back-field picture cleaner: Banks, Gabriel Ngandebe and Setariki Tuicuvu Taofifenua are there to finish, but Montpellier’s first job is to make the game playable for their half-backs.
Stade’s scrum blow changes the contest
The most obvious Stade Francais issue is up front. Giorgi Melikidze, a major piece of their scrum, is out, with Moses Alo-Emile starting at tighthead and Paul Alo-Emile covering from the bench. John Iscaro starts at loosehead and Lucas Peyresblanques is held in reserve.
That does not suddenly make Stade fragile. This is still a side with Paul Gabrillagues as captain, Romain Briatte fit after his scare against La Rochelle, and Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Louis Carbonel steering the game from half-back. Joe Marchant also starts on the wing, keeping the English-reader thread strong after his role was central to our Stade Francais semi-final team-news piece.
But Melikidze’s absence does alter the first tactical question. Montpellier have changed their own front row, bringing in Baptiste Erdocio, Tolu Latu Uelese and Mohamed Haouas. If that new unit can squeeze Stade early, Miotti and Price will have the sort of territory that makes a semi-final feel very different.
The Toulouse warning is already there
Toulouse’s 71-17 demolition of Racing 92 on Friday night sharpened the entire weekend. This is no longer just a semi-final for Montpellier or Stade Francais; it is an audition to see who can arrive at the final with enough structure and belief to ask Toulouse an awkward question.
That is why Montpellier’s selection is so interesting. They are not trying to out-drama the competition. They are trying to give themselves a repeatable way of playing: Price to manage the rhythm, Miotti to move the point of pressure, Vunipola to keep Stade’s defensive line honest and Banks to clean up the back field.
After Antoine Dupont and Toulouse sent their own final warning, that might be exactly the right kind of conservatism. The Top 14 can seduce teams into chasing moments. Montpellier’s teamsheet suggests they know this one may be won by denying Stade Francais the first big swing.
