Top 14 Preview: Round 17
Club rugby reconvenes on Wednesday with a big match-up in Clermont before a six-game schedule makes for a very busy Thursday.
Rugby in France reconvenes this Wednesday with a mouth-watering match-up in the Auvergne before a six-game schedule hits Thursday.
In case you were otherwise engaged this past week, the final round of the Heineken Cup Pools showed that Top 14 outfits are in good health.
Perpignan, Toulon, Biarritz and Toulouse made the cut with the second and fourth named travelling to the other two in the last-eight, meaning two French sides will be in the semis.
Quite a fillip for the country going into the Six Nations, and Marc Li̬vremont will be further encouraged that he is not in the same injury boat as both England and Wales. The Irish are also struggling Рmostly in the full-back area Рwhile Ulster winger Andrew Trimble has been ruled out of Ireland's opener. Stephen Ferris and Tommy Bowe both wait.
So what of Round 17? Well, Clermont and Racing-Métro open things up in what will be a cracker of a match at Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin, before Thursday's line-up has two games jump out from the page; they are Biarritz against ninth-placed Stade Français and current leaders Toulouse playing host to Montpellier.
Fixtures:
Wednesday, January 26
Clermont v Racing-Métro
Thursday, January 27
Brive v Bayonne
Toulon v La Rochelle
Agen v Bourgoin
Castres v Stade Français
Biarritz v Perpignan
Toulouse v Montpellier
Standings:
1 Toulouse 51
2 Racing Métro 49
3 Montpellier 47
4 Biarritz 44
5 Clermont 44
6 Toulon 41
7 Castres 41
8 Bayonne 40
9 Stade Français 40
10 Perpignan 35
11 La Rochelle 26
12 Brive 26
13 Agen 24
14 Bourgoin 5
________________________________________________________________________
Previews:
ASM Clermont Auvergne v Racing-Métro 92
Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin, Clermont Ferrand
They meet again. It is 2-1 to the Parisians at the moment from their Heineken Cup and Top 14 fixtures with all three games going the way of the home side.
Clermont are unbeaten at home this term so will be pretty confident of turning over Pierre Berbizier's side, even with some off-the-field midweek needle.
Reports in France have revealed that Clermont vice-president Jean-Marc Lhermet suggested that Racing have been declaring player wages to the FFR that do not add up, which has sparked an angry comeback from Berbizier who was enraged, saying Lhermet is in no uncertain terms a brown nose to the federation.
Squad news for Wednesday's fixture sees the return of internationals Sebastien Chabal, Lionel Nallet and Juan Martin Hernandez who should slot into Racing's starting line-up. Francois Steyn is also back in the mix, however, fly-half Jonathan Wisniewski is ruled out due to a suspension. Meanwhile, Clermont are missing number ten Brock James, number eight Sione Lauaki, full-back Anthony Floch and tighthead prop Davit Zirakashvili.
Previous result: Racing won 28-17 at home
Prediction: Home advantage to again have a say. Clermont by seven points!
Kick-off: 21.00 (20.00 GMT)
Referee: Romain Poite
Assistant referees: Bernard Dal Maso, Jean-Luc Gonzalez
Assessor: Jean-Paul Grellety
Television match official: Jean-Pierre Pellaprat
________________________________________________________________________
CA Brive Corrèze v Aviron Bayonnais
Stade Amédée Domenech, Brive
Brive head into their meeting with the league's eighth-placed side encouraged by their unbeaten record in the second tier of European rugby.
Yet their visitors will have their own reason to be confident too as they have lost just one of last five in this competition, a run that included beating Stade Français away from home.
Previous result: Bayonne won 19-18 at home
Prediction: We fancy Brive to sneak this by four points!
Kick-off: 19:30 (18.30 GMT)
Referee: Cédric Marchat
Assistant referees: Stephan Pomarède, Patrick Dellac
Assessor: Marc Daroque, Patrick Robin
Television match official: Laurent Valin
________________________________________________________________________
RC Toulon v Stade Rochelais Atlantique
Stade Felix Mayol, Toulon
This may not be the cakewalk that many would predict as the big-spenders struggled a great deal in the reverse fixture at Stade Marcel Deflandre. That clash was won 15-13 in the end by Toulon and on home soil this time around one would expect a different story.
Well maybe not as Philippe Saint-Andre has a few injury concerns, with Mafi Kefu doubtful, inspirational captain Joe van Niekerk unlikely to feature due to a thigh problem while hooker Sebastien Bruno is struggling with a shoulder problem.
In other team news, England number ten Jonny Wilkinson has travelled to Portugal to be with his international team-mates and is therefore unavailable for selection.
Previous result: Toulon won 15-12 away
Prediction: The hosts should be too strong. Toulon by 15!
Kick-off: 19:30 (18.30 GMT)
Referee: Eric Gauzins
Assistant referees: Akim Hadj Bachir, Bruno Fiche
Assessor: Patrice Frantschi, Patrick Thomas
Television match official: Philippe Bonhoure
________________________________________________________________________
SU Agen v CS Bourgoin-Jallieu
Stade Armandie, Agen
Make no bones about it, this one will be a scrap as the bottom two clash. Bourgoin are currently languishing on just five points following their earlier docking while Agen are sitting on 24, two points off Brive and La Rochelle who are in eleventh and twelfth respectively.
Despite winning just one of the Amlin Challenge Cup fixtures, there is some encouragement for Bourgoin as Agen are one of only two teams that they have beaten in the domestic competition all season. But that has failed to have the desired respect being paid by Agen president Alain Tingaud, who didn't mix his words in saying that if his charges can't beat Bourgoin then they don't deserve to be in the Top 14. Has he done Bourgoin's team-talk?
Previous result: Bourgoin won 22-15 at home
Prediction: Agen should have this by 8 points!
Kick-off: 19:30 (18.30 GMT)
Referee: Pascal Gauzere
Assistant referees: David Rosich, Didier Dussaut
Assessor: Jean-Marie Peyramaure, Joël Dumé
Television match official: Eric Soulan
________________________________________________________________________
Castres Olympique v Stade Français Paris
Stade Pierre Antoine, Castres
Despite falling to their first home loss this season in all competitions, Castres will be desperate to defend their unbeaten Top 14 run at Stade Pierre Antoine on Thursday.
That negative to Saints stung and life won't get much easier when they face Stade Français, who