Preview: Grenoble v Clermont

Editor

Clermont will look to move into first place in the Top 14 on Friday when they visit the Stade des Alpes to face Grenoble.

A win would move les Jaunards up from third above Racing 92 and Toulon into first place ahead of the rest of the weekend's matches.

The break in the Six Nations allows Clermont to bring back in Jonathan Davies at outside centre. The Wales international partners Wesley Fofana, who continues his comeback from a rib injury, having been named in the French training squad to face Scotland.

Scott Spedding is another returnee for Clermont, at full-back in place of Isaia Toeava who drops to the bench, with Camille Lopez taking over at number ten from Brock James.

Camille Gerondeau swaps with Peceli Yato to come into the back row while there's a new all-international lock pairing as Sébastien Vahaamahina partners rising star Paul Jedrasiak. 

For Clermont, currently ninth and secure in mid-table, former Springbok flyer Gio Aplon returns at full-back along with another new face in the back three in Tino Nemani.

Jonathan Wisniewski gets the nod at fly-half to partner Charl McLeod.

Henry Vanderglas is an addition to the back row while Hendrik Roodt links up with Ben Hand in the Grenoble engine room.

Bernard Jackman's squad currently sit seven points adrift of the final play-off spot and will hope to make up ground on their rivals.

The teams:

Grenoble: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Tino Nemani, 13 Chris Farrell, 12 Fabien Estebanez, 11 Armand Battle, 10 Jonathan Wisniewski, 9 Charl McLeod, 8 Rory Grice, 7 Fabien Alexandre, 6 Henry Vanderglas, 5 Hendrik Roodt, 4 Ben Hand, 3 Dayna Edwards, 2 Arnaud Heguy, 1 Fabien Barcella
Replacements: 16 Loick Jammes, 17 Sona Taumalolo, 18 Mathias Marie, 19 Steven Setephano, 20 Christophe Loustalot, 21 Nigel Hunt, 22 Fabien Gengenbacher, 23 Walter Desmaison

Clermont: 15 Scott Spedding, 14 David Strettle, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Noa Nakaitaci, 10 Camille Lopez, 9 Morgan Parra, 8 Fritz Lee, 7 Alexandre Lapandry, 6 Camille Gerondeau, 5 Sébastien Vahaamahina, 4 Paul Jedrasiak, 3 Dan Kotze, 2 John Ulugia, 1 Raphael Chaume
Replacements: 16 Zak van der Westhuizen, 17 Vincent Debaty, 18 Arthur Iturria, 19 Peceli Yato, 20 Enzo Sanga, 21 Brock James, 22 Isaia Toeava, 23 Clément Ric

Date: Friday, March 4
Venue: Stade des Alpes
Kick-off: 20:45 local (19:45 GMT)
Referee: Jérôme Garcès
Assistant Referees: Salem Attalah, Laurent Breil
TMO: Mourad Zitouni