Top 14 Preview: Round 13

Leaders Toulouse travel to Bayonne and Stade Français host Perpignan in the weekend's main fixtures. On paper, Round 13 seems to be fairly clear cut, but if the previous 12 Rounds are anything to go by, expect the form book to be worth the paper it's written on!

Leaders Toulouse travel to Bayonne and Stade Français host Perpignan in the weekends main fixtures.

On paper, Round 13 seems to be fairly clear cut, but if the previous 12 Rounds are anything to go by, expect the form book to be worth the paper it's printed on!

Referee Jean-Luc Rebollal's full-time whistle at the end of the Perpignan's visit to Paris will mark the half-way point in the France's domestic championship.

While the top four seem on their way to qualifying for the semi-finals, the last two spots for the Heineken cup are the centre of a hot contest.

With only two points separating Bourgoin in fifth and Perpignan in tenth, the mid-table battle is as fierce as anyone could have wanted.

Fixtures:

Friday 7 March
Castres Olympique – Biarritz Olympique

Saturday 8 March

Montpellier – Auch
Albi – Montauban
Dax – Clermont Auvergne
Brive – Bourgoin-Jallieu
Bayonne – Stade Toulousain
Stade Fran̤ais РUSA Perpignan

Table after Round 12

1 Stade Toulousain 49
2 Clermont Auvergne 42
3 Stade Français 39
4 Biarritz Olympique 35
5 CS Bourgoin-Jallieu 28
6 Aviron Bayonnais 28
7 Castres Olympique 27
8 Montauban 26
9 Montpellier HRC 26
10 USA Perpignan 26
11 CA Brive-Corrèze 22
12 SCA Albi 21
13 US Dax 16
14 FC Auch Gers 9

Previews:

Castres Olympique v Biarritz Olympique

Castres will have their work cut out for them when the host the battle of les Olympiques.

Biarritz have been in awesome form away from home this season and following their win last week against the defending champions Stade Français, expect the Basques to be full of attacking rugby.

Biarritz will want to finish-off more opportunities though, and without their French internationals they won't be able to rely on Dimitri Yachvilli to kick them home.

Peyrelongue will start at fly-half with Bosch on the bench. Prop Benoît Bourrust has arrived from Sale as a medical joker.

Castres hammered Albi in the Tarn derby last week, and will be no push-overs. Their coach, Alain Gaillard, called the performance a 'révolte' and a 'rébellion' compared to the drubbing they received at hands of Stade Français the previous week.

Struggling with injury problems since the beginning of the season, it seems Gaillard won't be overly concerned if Castres lose.

“We'll do what we can and try not to get smashed. If Biarritz beat us it won't be a catastrophe,” the Castres coach told lesite.

Venue: Pierre-Antoine
Kick-off: 20:30 (19:30 GMT)
Referee: Jean-Christophe Gastou
Touch judges: Eric Briquet Campin, Pierre Marie Masson
Assessors: Claude Rouve, Marc Daroque
Television match official: Jean-Pierre Matheu

Saturday 8 March

Bayonne v Stade Toulousain

Bayonne have looked good this year, but Toulouse have looked much better.

Toulouse have only lost twice this season, their second lost coming last week at the hands of a rejuvenated Bourgoin. Don't expect them to lose two in a row. They are a classy side and for once they are missing only three players to Six Nations duty.

Bayonne, who have no less than eight injuries, have just got themselves a new synthetic training pitch. Let's hope for their sake it's helped, they'll need all the help they can get against the league's top try scorers.

Venue: Jean-Dauger
Kick-off: 18:30 (17:30 GMT)
Referee: Didier Mene
Touch judges: Jean-Louis Fillon, Bernard Vals
Assessors: Michel Roger, Roger Duhau
Television match official: Hervé Dubes

Stade Français v USA Perpignan

To add to Stade's woes following their defeat at Biarritz, it was announced on Thursday at Pascal Papé will be out of action for 8 weeks with a knee injury.

Their pack will however welcome back Mathieu Blin, Sylvain Marconnet and Cliff Milton.

It's about time Perpignan got their act together. It's hard to believe that the club in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals could only manage a draw, at home, against lowly Dax last week.

And don't they know it. To remedy their situation, the Catalans took refuge in the snow capped Pyrenees for a “commando camp” during the week.

If they can get their minds right they' re capable of being only the second club to beat the Parisians this year.

But don't bank on it, Stade have an excellent home record and will be motivated to stay in touch with Toulouse at the top. If Perpignan play at their best it'll be a cracker, if they don't, it'll be a massacre.

Venue: Jean-Bouin
Kick-off: 21:00 (20:00 GMT)
Referee: Jean-Luc Rebollal
Touch judges: Patrick Dellac, Régis Gabard
Assessors: Michel Ricciardelli, Alain Fernandez
Television match official: Daniel Dartigeas

Brive v Bourgoin

Bourgoin have turned their season around in a big way. After wins against high-flyers Biarritz and Paris, they'll back themselves to beat Brive, even without their young guns Morgan Parra and Yann David.

Venue: Amedee-Domenech
Kick-off: 17:30 (16:00 GMT)
Referee: David Rosich
Touch judges: Claude Tajan, Fernand Pereira
Assessors: Michel Kazmierczak, Henri Lalanne
Television match official: Jean-Claude Levrier

Montpellier v Auch

After looking so good that four of their players made the national side, Montpellier have turned out some poor performances in recent weeks.

They host odds-on favourites for relegation Auch. A win will see them maintain hopes for the semi-finals, a loss will but will put a serious dent in their European ambitions.

Montpellier have eight South Africans in their squad, and they'll be counting on their mercenaries to weight-in in the absence of the Six Nations stars. Their line-out especially will need to be much better.

Venue: Yves-du-Manoir
Kick-off: 17:30 (16:00 GMT)
Referee: Eric Gauzins
Touch judges: Patrick Bellet, Bruno Fiche
Assessors: Clément Grau, Serge Marzullo
Television match official: Stéphan Pomarede

Albi v Montauban

France star Arnaud Méla has that he would like to stay at Albi, on the conditions that they resolve their financial problems.

Méla won't be able to help them though as he'll be on the bench at the Stade de France for a certian match against Italy.

A big game for Albi, if they lose, they'll spend the rest of the season looking over their shoulders near the relegation zone.

Venue: Stadium Municipal
Kick-off: 17:30 (16:00 GMT)
Referee: Bruno Bessot
Touche: Didier Martinaud, René Bordeneuve
Assessors: Hubert Dubes, Jean Lavergne
Television match official: Gérard Borreani

Dax v Clermont Auvergne

Clermont have loads of players missing do to injury and