Top 14 Preview: Final Round

Editor 06 May 2011 1:47 PM

Leaders Toulouse host champions Clermont on the final day of the season but the big game is Toulon's crunch battle in Montpellier.

Leaders Toulouse host defending champions Clermont on the final day of the Top 14 season but the big game is Toulon's crunch battle in Montpellier which is essentially a quarter-final.

The stakes couldn't be higher: The winners in Montpellier will gain a berth in the play-offs and a place in next season's Heineken cup. To the losers….nothing!

If you're not familiar with the format – the top two finishers qualify automatically for the semi-finals where they will meet the winners of the play-offs which will feature the clubs who finish third to sixth. Both semi-finals will take place in Marseille.

That means the Paris derby is all-important for Racing MÃ©tro, who are aiming to keep Castres – who visit Perpignan – and Clermont at bay. Toulouse are the only team guaranteed a semi-final berth.

There are two more do-or-die clashes this weekend as Bayonne travel to La Rochelle and Biarritz visit Bourgoin in the race for the final play-offs spot.

Castres fly-half Romain Teulet leads the race to the become the regular season's top points scorer. He has 305 points to his name but Racing-Metro's Jonathan Wisniewski is just eleven points behind.

Toulouse flyer Maxime MÃ©dard looks set to finish as the top of try-scorer having already touched down fourteen times. Julien Malzieu (Clermont) and Yohann Huget (Bayonne) have ten each

Fixtures:

Saturday, May 7

Montpellier v Toulon
Toulouse v Clermont
Stade FranÃ§ais v Racing MÃ©tro 92
Perpignan v Castres
La Rochelle v Bayonne
Bourgoin v Biarritz
Agen v Brive

Standings:
1 Toulouse 78
2 Racing Metro 74
——————–
3 Clermont 72
4 Castres 72
5 Toulon 70
6 Biarritz 68
—————–
7 Montpellier 67
8 Bayonne 67
9 Perpignan 63
10 Stade FranÃ§ais 49
11 Brive 46
12 Agen 46
13 La Rochelle 33
14 Bourgoin 5

Previews:

Montpellier HR v RC Toulon
Stade Yves Du Manoir, Montpellier

The surprise package this season, Montpellier looked like a sure bet for the play-offs a month ago but their campaign has taken a turn for the worse over the past few weeks.

Fabien GalthiÃ©'s team's unbeaten record at home came to end against Bayonne three weeks ago before an agonising loss in the dying minutes in Brive last time out dealt their hopes massive blow. Add their defeat in the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals and not much has gone right lately for a team that could do no wrong earlier this season.

By contrast, Toulon have put their train back on the rails with three consecutive victories against heavyweight opposition – Stade FranÃ§ais, Toulouse and Perpignan!

At Tuesday's press conference, Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal was raging, slamming the hosts for denying RCT access to the stadium on Friday for the captain's run and Jonny Wilkinson's kicking practice!

Trouble-maker Gavin Henson has been included in the Toulon squad along with all the other big names.

Previous result: Toulon won 29-13 at home
Prediction: A tough one to call considering Montpellier's very good home record but RCT's demolition of Perpignan has us convinced. Toulon by a whisker
Kick-off: 16:25 (14.24 GMT)
Referee: JÃ©rÃ´me Garces

Stade Toulousain v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Stadium de Toulouse

Knocked out of the Heineken Cup last week, Toulouse can now focus their attention on grabbing the domestic title that has eluded them since 2008.

At the summit of the standings since late October, les rouges et noires need to a single point to ensure they finish the regular season at the top of the pile and have a choice of their semi-final date as a result.

Toulouse's last game at home will also be the occassion to bid farewell to departing players David SkrÃ©la, Byron Kelleher, FrÃ©dÃ©ric Michalak, CÃ©dric Heymans, Alberto Vernet Basualdo, Virgile Lacombe and RÃ©mi Lamerat.

Clermont are assured of a knock-off berth but will be gunning for fourth consecutive Top 14 win. More importantly, Vern Cotter's team are chasing a home play-off (or even a direct place in the semi-finals depending on results elsewhere).

Despite being unbeaten at home in 18 months – that's 26 straight wins in all competitions – Clermont have been hopeless on the road this year. Yet les Jaunards are one of the few teams capable of winning in Toulouse, which they have done on two of their last three visits.

Both side's lost in Europe last weekend: Toulouse couldn't quite match Leinster in Dublin while Clermont failed to put Stade FranÃ§ais away in the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final despite being the better side in Paris

Clermont skipper AurÃ©lien Rougerie is in the travelling squad despite a tendinitis problem and fly-half Brock James and wing Julien Malzieu return from injury.

Previous result: Clermont won 32-25 at home
Prediction: Clermont haven't travelled well this term and Toulouse seldom disappoint if front of their home crowd. Toulouse by three or four points
Kick-off: 16:25 (14.24 GMT)
Referee: Christophe Berdos

The Paris derby has taken on a very different look in the last two years as Racing have emerged as the capital's new top dogs.

With nothing left to play for – domestically at least – and with just one win in their last seven Top 14 games, few would be surprised if the Stade FranÃ§ais fall to their fifteenth loss this season.

Previous result: Racing won 15-13 at home
Prediction: The form book points to victory for the visitors from across town. Racing to win by ten points
Kick-off: 16:25 (14.24 GMT)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal

Castres are unbeaten at home this season so would desperately like to secure a home play-off.

Les Tarnais are in great form having won six of their last seven games. Their very efficient style and ultra-consistent goal kicking make them a very tough prospect for any side.

USAP have a mathematical chance of making the play-offs but need a bonus point victory as well as Biarritz, Montpellier and Bayonne to all lose without a bonus point. That simply isn't going to happen.

But the Catalans will want to give future Italy coach Jacques Brunel a winning send off, so don't expect them to roll over easily.

Previous result: Castres won 23-13 at home
Prediction: Castres have only won two games on the road this season and USAP will have a point to prove.

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