Top 14 preview: Round 14
Round 14 of the Top 14 offers up one of the French leagues biggest matches when high-riding Clermont host a Stade Français side in turmoil.
Round 14 of the Top 14 offers up one of the French leagues biggest matches when high-riding Clermont host a Stade Français side in turmoil.
As the Top 14 kicks off the second half of the season, the mid-field battle couldn't be closer. Just three points separate six clubs as the teams face the final week without their Six Nations internationals.
It's anyone's guess as to what the table will look like on Monday as a host of closely matched games are on offer.
Montpellier travel to Perpignan in a crucial match in the struggle for a European spot while leader's Toulouse rub their hands in glee at the prospect of hosting relegation candidates Dax.
Fixtures
Friday 14 March
Albi – Biarritz
Saturday 15 March
Montauban – Bourgoin
Auch – Castres
Bayonne – Brive
Toulouse – Dax
Perpignan – Montpellier
Sunday 16 March
Clermont Auvergne РStade Fran̤ais
Table after Round 13
1 Stade Toulousain 53
2 Clermont Auvergne 47
3 Stade Français 39
4 Biarritz 36
5 Castres 31
6 Montauban 31
7 Montpellier 30
8 Perpignan 30
9 Bourgoin 28
10 Bayonne 28
11 Brive 26
12 Albi 21
13 Dax 16
14 Auch 10
Previews
Albi – Biarritz
Albi have been going through a bad patch having lost their last three games, two of which were at home. Only one place above the relegation zone, they'll be happy to see Dax return from Toulouse empty handed. They managed to sneak a draw in Biarritz on the championship's opening day, but unfortunately a repeat seems like a long shot.
Biarritz have been decimated by injuries. South African Ashwin Willemse had an operation on his shoulder on Wednesday. Beaten by Castres last week, they return to the Tarn region without Dimitri Yachvili, Damien Traille and Jérôme Thion, Thierry Dusautoir and Andrea Masi (all on Six Nations duty) and will be well below strength. Still, they should be strong enough for the win, and if Stade Français lose to Clermont, Biarritz will claim third place on the table.
Date: Friday 14 March
Venue: Stadium municipal d'Albi
Kick-off: 20:30 local (19:30 GMT)
Referee: Jérôme Garces
Touch judges: Jacques Laplace, Pierre Marie Masson
Assessor: Daniel Pascal, Patrick Thomas
Television match official: Daniel Gillet
Montauban – Bourgoin
Both teams have realistic ambitions for Heineken Cup Qualification. Bourgoin trail Montauban by three points and a loss would seriously dent their hopes. Bourgoin's form on the road hasn't been great and Montauban could well come out on top.
Date: Saturday 15 March
Venue:Sapiac, Montauban
Kick-off: 15:00
Referee: Franck Maciello
Touch judges: Eric Briquet Campin, Claude Tajan
Assessor: Philippe De Miranda, Henri Lalanne
Television match official: Gérard Borreani
Auch – Castres
Castres are in great form at the moment. If they can start winning away from home, they could start considering a place in Europe which was not even thought of a few weeks ago.
Auch are last and will stay last even if they cause an upset and produce a positive result.
Date: Saturday 15 March
Venue: Stade du Moulias – Patrice Brocas, Auch
Kick-off: 15:00
Referee: Bruno Bessot
Touch judges: Gilbert Darrieutort, Régis Gabard
Assessor: Pascal Bouchet, Marc Desclaux
Television match official: Daniel Gillet
Bayonne – Brive
Bayonne won in Brive the last time the teams met, but the two sides' fortunes have been markedly different in recent weeks.
Bayonne are aiming at a place in Europe while Brive are hoping to stay in the Top 14. You wouldn't have expected just a disparity in ambitions considering they are separated by just two points.
Brive are playing some exciting rugby, while Bayonne haven't been able to maintain the form that made them the talking point of the championship a month ago. As always, the Top 14 delivers us an intriguing game.
Date: Saturday 15 March
Venue: Jean-Dauger, Bayonne
Kick-off: 15:00
Referee: Jean-Pierre Matheu
Touch judges: Fernand Pereira, Guy Pince
Assessor: Bernard Gabriel, Michel Messan
Television match official: tba
Toulouse – Dax
There are few safe bets in the Top 14, this week especially, but count on leaders Toulouse giving Dax a real hiding. Already separated by a whopping 37 points with only half the season gone, the two teams are on different rugby planets.
Date: Saturday 15 March
Venue: Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse.
Kick-off: 15:00
Referee: Jean-Christophe Gastou
Touch judges: Jean-Christophe Clot, Frédéric Ducatez
Assessor: Francis Coup, Michel Debet
Television match official: Daniel Dartigeas
Perpignan – Montpellier
This is a very big game for both sides. Fresh off their super victory away against Stade Français last week (the first in their history), Perpignan will be looking for a repeat performance on home turf.
The game has been heralded a battle between experience and youth and the young team from Montpellier will be lifted by the return of Louis Picamoles who was not selected for France's match in Cardiff.
After last week's heroics Perpignan are claiming to have turned their season around. The visit from the side form the Herault region will be the perfect occasion to prove so.
Five points adrift of Biarritz who are fourth, the Catalans could rekindle their semi-final chances with a win.
“We need to keep the state of mind we had [in Paris]. Before we weren't able to advance because we lacked aggression. That was our main problem,” Perpignan's Christophe Porcu told lesite.
“We managed to get on the front foot [in Paris], which is something we'll have to keep if we want to beat the best teams.”
Date: Saturday 15 March
Venue: Aimé Giral, Perpignan
Kick-off: 20:30
Referee: David Rosich
Touch judges: René Bordeneuve, Christophe Malterre
Assessor: Patrick Costa, Alain Fernandez
Television match official: Jean-Marie Piraveau
Clermont Auvergne РStade Fran̤ais
Second meets third in a battle of the big guns. It should actually be a lopsided affair as the Parisians travel to Clermont with a very young side.
If you're Stade fan, hold your breath because Skrela, Szarzewski, Taylor, Parisse, Mirco Bergamasco and Bastareaud are on Six Nations duty.
De Villiers, Roncero, Papé, Du Plooy, Drozdz, Burban, Martin, Rabadan, Fillol, Dominici, Jeanjean, Liebenberg, Messina, Milton, Saubade and Corleto are all injured and Mauro Bergamasco is suspended.
Phew! Coach Fabien Galthié might be forced to make a comeback!
Clermont on the other hand are in top form and are