Preview: Top 14, Round Four
Leaders Clermont travel to one of only three other unbeaten teams, Toulon, on Wednesday as the Top 14 gears up for very busy week.
League leaders Clermont travel to one of only three other unbeaten teams, Toulon, on Wednesday as the Top 14 gears up for very busy week.
Wednesday will see the second of three rounds of competition to be played in eight days as the LNR attempts to squeeze their hopelessly overloaded schedule into an already bulging European calendar.
Much has been said and written about the evils of expecting teams to play three games in a little more than a week: Apart for demanding too much of players from smaller clubs, the quality of the product on offer is devalued by the fact that many clubs, like Clermont, will not be fielding their strongest sides.
L'Equipe columnist Alain Penaud, however, has seen the silver lining to the seemingly crazy situation, noting that while “we complain that foreigners are taking the places of [local] young talents, the repetition of matches at least allows those talents a chance to come to the fore by throwing them into the deep end. The only real risk to our championship is fixtures overlapping with games of the French national team.”
Beyond the pros and cons of midweek fixtures, Round Four offers number of mouthwatering encounters.
Defending champions Perpignan host ambitious Brive while Toulouse will be thinking of a return to the top of the standings when they welcome Bayonne to Stade Ernest-Wallon.
Already under-pressure Biarritz visit Montpellier, while Stade Français will be looking for their second win at home to Montauban.
After upsetting Biarritz last week, Bourgoin will fancy their chances against a below-strength travelling Racing-Métro side.
Fixtures:
Wednesday, September 2
Toulon v Clermont
Toulouse v Bayonne
Bourgoin v Racing-Métro 92
Stade Français v Montauban
Montpellier v Biarritz
Perpignan v Brive
Albi v Castres: Postponed
Standings:
1 Clermont 11
2 Toulouse 10 3 Toulon 10
4 Perpignan 9 5 Castres 8
6 Racing-Métro 8 7 Brive 7
8 Biarritz 6 9 Stade Français 6
10 Bayonne 5 11 Bourgoin 4
12 Montpellier 413 Albi 2
14 Montauban 1
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Previews:
RC Toulon v Clermont Auvergne
Stade Felix Mayol, Toulon
Two unbeaten sides face off at Mayol as first plays third, with Toulon eyeing Clermont's place at the top of the standings.
Fans hoping for a showdown between kicking aces Jonny Wilkinson and Brock James will be disappointed to hear that Clermont have decided to rest the Australian as they try to keep some of their powder dry ahead of their clash with Toulouse on Sunday.
South African Brent Russell will start at fly-half for the visitors instead.
Clermont will in fact travel with a team loaded with youngsters since Jason White, Benoit Baby, Julien Pierre, Martin Scelzo, Julien Bonnaire, Marius Joubert and Julien Malzieu are all injured while a couple of others, including James and Morgan Parra, are being rested.
Still, Toulon prop Laurent Emmanuelli says his side will have to be at their very best to emerge with victory.
“At this stage of the championship, first place is irrelevant,” said the former Clermont man.
“What's certain is that we're anticipating a big match against one of the top sides in the league, who have reached the final in the last three seasons. It will take a huge performance to beat them.”
Clermont coach Vern Cotter admits that he will be forced to field a weakened team having seen a number of players hurt in last week's draw against Brive.
“Our approach remains the same,” said Cotter.
“We want to show what we're capable of in all our away games. We'll just have to do it with our injured players and our doubtful players and without using up all our ammunition for the game against Toulouse four days later.”
For Toulon, scrum-half Pierre Mignoni is a doubt to feature against his former club, while centre Sonny Bill Williams continues his recovery from an inflamed fibula.
While Wilkinson has caught the headlines with his league-high 46 points so far, Argentine loose forward Juan Martin Fernandez-Lobbe has been the standout performer.
Prediction: Toulon were shock winners in this fixture on the opening day of last season and faced with a weakened Clermont side, a repeat is on the cards. Toulon by three.
Kick-off: 19.30 (17.30 GMT)
Referee: Patrick Péchambert
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Stade Toulousain v Aviron Bayonnais
Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse
The other big match of the day is set to be an intense battle. After going down to Perpignan at the weekend, Toulouse will be out to put on a demonstration of force similar to their hammering of Brive ten days ago or the drubbing they handed Bayonne in this fixture last season.
That time around the Toulouse pack were untouchable, but the Bayonne heavies are not be easily outdone this season, as they showed by getting the better of Stade Français in Spain.
With a huge match against Clermont on the horizon and a number of key players injured, Guy Novès is going to have to dig deep into his rather large bag of resources.
Good news for hosts is that Frédéric Michalak and Yannick Jauzon are back, which should allow either Byron Kelleher or Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (or both) to have a break. Centre Yann David, Samoan prop Census Johnston and flank Yannick Nyanga are doubtful starters.
For Bayonne, captain R̩my Martin and fly-half Craig Gower Рwho were rested for the trip to Racing M̩tro Рare back, but Manny Edmonds, wing Benjamin Fall and props Aretz Iguiniz and Rodney Blake are being rested.
Prediction: Toulouse to win by ten
Kick-off: 19.30 (17.30 GMT)Referee: David Rosich
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CS Bourgoin-Jallieu v Racing Métro 92
Stade Pierre-Rajon, Bourgoin
Bourgoin's courage and determination to beat Biarritz last week is arguably the story of the season so far. What an epilogue it would be if they could upset Racing-Métro just four days later!
Eric Catinot's men have another chance to go out and show “they've got something between their legs” that a string of club presidents haven't had – in the words of fly-half Benjamin Boyet.
Good news for Bourgoin is that there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel as the DNACG have accepted a rescue plan drawn up by the former president Gaston Maulin and will unblock the twelve blocked licences in time for Wednesday's clash.
Racing's two former Berjalliens, Lionel Nallet and Sébastien Chabal, are being rested for the road trip as they prepare for the home game against Perpignan on Sunday.