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TOP 14

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Preview: Top 14 Round One

Monday 25th August 2008

The grand prize: Le Bouclier de Brennus

Fourteen teams, 367 games, 13 new laws and more foreigners than the Eiffel Tower on a sunny day in July: France's top domestic competition kicks off on Tuesday with a gripping season on the cards.

Who will adjust best to the ELVs? Will the big-name foreign signings shine? Will Toulouse focus on defending their title or chase the Heineken Cup, or stumble in both?

Will Clermont be able to step up, forget the ghosts of seasons past and finally go all the way? Do Dax and Mont-de-Marsan have any chance of avoiding relegation? Will Toulon's results match their budget?

The opening day of the Top 14 is notorious for creating surprises and the first indications to the answers of these questions and many more will be revealed on Tuesday.

Toulon host Clermont, in the last, but most intriguing match of the opening day. Last time around, Clermont smashed the records for most points and tries sand bonus points cored in a single season. They also broke the records for most individual points (Brock James, 377) and tries (Napoléoni Nalaga, 18) scored in a season.

Toulon have probably broken the record for the amount of money spent in building a squad. Can they run with the big dogs? We'll have a much better idea on Wednesday.

Champions Toulouse travel to young hopefuls Montpellier, who are facing a make-or-break season. The hosts are capable of causing an upset and Toulouse will need to find their stride double-quick.

Another big match sees Perpignan host Brive. The Catalan hosts have been tipped by many to be outsider contenders for the title, but have so far disappointed in the pre-season friendlies. Dan Carter is only set to arrive in the new year and they face a tough test against the Top 14's other big spenders. Brive have recruited no less than 15 new players - have they had time to gel? Probably not.

Fixtures:

Tuesday August 25

Click on each club's name for a full pre-season preview.

Perpignan v Brive
Castres v Bayonne
Dax v Stade Français
Montpellier v Toulouse
Montauban v Mont-de-Marsan
Biarritz v Bourgoin
Toulon v Clermont

Table at the end of the 2007/2008 season:

1 Clermont 96
2 Toulouse 91 - Champions
3 Stade Français 80
4 Perpignan 79
5 Castres 69
6 Biarritz 66
7 Montauban 63
8 Montpellier 61
9 Bayonne 55
10 Bourgoin 52
11 Brive 51
12 Albi 48 - Demoted by one division for financial irregularities
13 Dax 34
14 Auch 19 - Relegated

Previews:

Perpignan v Brive
Aimé-Giral, Perpignan

After two home losses in their warm-up games, Perpignan spent four days at the ski resort of Matemale to set a few benchmarks, but will no doubt be a bit short on confidence.

As for Brive, Rome wasn't built in a day and the glue probably hasn't dried on their new machine.

Perpignan are missing a handful of players, including one of their new recruits as former Toulouse centre Maxime Mermoz has been sidelined with a torn thigh muscle. David Marty will however make it onto the park after recovering from an ankle sprain as will winger Farid Sid, who has returned to the Catalan coast after a stint at Brive.

Sid will have to look hard to pick out his former team-mates in a new-look Brive line-up. Pablo Henn, Fabien Domingo, Fabrice Estebanez and Luciano Orquera are all injured but Brive will be able to come close to their strongest starting XV.

Kick-off: 19:00 (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Cédric Marchat
Touch Judges: Denis Grenouillet, Patrick Dellac
TMO: Daniel Irazoqui

Castres v Bayonne
Pierre Antoine, Castres

Former Bayonne captain turned head honcho Richard Dourthe will send his troops into battle without captain and full-back Pepito Elhorga. The French international won't be back for another three weeks due to an ankle injury.

The Basques' newest and most illustrious player, former France and Stade Français loose forward Rémy Martin will skipper the side in his first game for Bayonne.

Kick-off: 19:00 (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Stephan Pomarede
Touch Judges: Jean-Christophe Clot, Alain Rongier
TMO: Jean-Christophe Gastou

Dax v Stade Français
Maurice Boyeau, Dax

All eyes will be on two Australians as the former champions visit the relegation candidates. Mark Gasnier will play his first game of XV-a-side rugby in Parisian pink under the tutelage of his countryman and Stade's new Aussie coach, Ewen McKensie.

Juan Martin Hernandez won't be in the Stade line-up. The Pumas star has not yet fully recovered from the fractured hand he suffered in the June Test against Italy but is expected to be back for Saturday's match against Mont-de-Marsan. French international fly-half Lionel Beauxis will hence wear the number ten jersey.

Kick-off: 19:00 (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Franck Maciello
Touch Judges: Hervé Gilard, Didier Morin
TMO: Gérard Borreani

Montpellier v Toulouse
Yves du Manoir, Montpellier

Montpellier won the last time these teams met, when Toulouse sent a weakened team to the Mediterranean coast on the eve of the Heineken Cup Final. The hosts are in for a different kettle of fish on Tuesday as the champions send their first team is search of the perfect start to the season.

Montpellier have nine players in the sickbay due to injury or illness. Neither of Toulouse's fly-half signings will be on display - David Skrela has only just started running on the thigh that gave in and ended his season a few months ago and Fred Michalak is still in Durban with the Sharks.

Kick-off: 19:00 (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Jean-Pierre Matheu
Touch Judges: Eric Briquet Campin, René Bordeneuve
TMO: Serge Marzullo

Montauban v Mont-de-Marsan
Sapiac, Montauban

Sapiac is the most well-defended home-pitch in the Top 14. Mont-de-Marsan can expect a frigid reception from the Montauban fans who have grown accustomed to seeing their team win and who will harbour dreams of topping the championship table at the end of round one.

Kick-off: 19:00 (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Hervé Dubes
Touch Judges: Frédéric Ducarez, Jean-Claude Bes
TMO: Jean-Pierre Pellaprat

Biarritz v Bourgoin
Aguilera, Biarritz

Biarritz will sorely miss hard-man Imanol Harinordoquy, who has a thigh injury. Magnus Lund is set to make his Top 14 debut as BO try to start their campaign in better fashion that last year when they were held to a 15-all draw at home to Albi.

Toulouse discard Valentin Courrent will be the Biarritz fly-half.

Bourgoin face a tough season with a tough opening day at Aguilera.

Kick-off: 19:00 (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Jean-Luc Rebollal
Touch Judges: Jean-Paul Vermande, Fernand Pereira
TMO: Daniel Gillet

Toulon v Clermont
Felix Mayol, Toulon.

Jerry Collins, Sonny Bill Williams, Matt Henjak and a bunch of other new faces are all set to make their top 14 debuts for Toulon, who have a tough task for their first day back in the big leagues.

Toulon set the record for the highest number of tries conceded in a single season in 2005/6. With the squad that they've assembled this year, surely a repeat is out of the question.

The visitors could be without their two principle points scorers, Brock James and Napolioni Nalaga.

Aussie fly-half James is a doubtful starter. The points-scoring record breaker has an adductor niggle. If unable to start, Benoît Baby is expected to be his replacement with Fijian Sérémaïa Baï moving to full-back. The Clermont back three is looking less than its normally formidable self as both Anthony Floch and Nalaga are out with thigh injuries.

Kick-off: 21:00 (19:00 GMT)
Referee: Christophe Berdos
Touche: Patrick Bellet, Claude Tajan
TMO: Daniel Dartigeas