Top 14 Preview: Round 19
Saturday sees a clash of the giants in the Top 14 as leaders Toulouse visit second-placed Clermont while Montpellier host Toulon.
Saturday sees a clash of the giants in the Top 14 as leaders Toulouse visit second-placed Clermont while Montpellier host Toulon.
Clermont are unbeaten at home – in any competition – since November 2009 and will be eager to close the eight-point gap on the defending champions.
Apart from being direct competitors for a spot in the playoffs, Toulon and Montpol have unfinished business after foul-tempered clash earlier in the season spilt over into the post-match function.
Biarritz continue their quest to avoid relegation but have been forced to move their fixture with Bordeaux-Bègles up the highway to Dax.
Lyon are expected to take another step towards the drop on the road to Castres while fellow strugglers Perpignan and Bayonne face tricky trips to Agen and Racing Métro respectively.
Elsewhere, Brive are fighting for survival at home to inconsistent Stade Français who, like the other big guns, will be missing their French internationals.
Fixtures:
Friday, March 2
Toulon v Montpellier
Saturday, March 3
Agen v Perpignan
Biarritz v Bordeaux-Bègles
Brive v Stade Français
Racing Métro v Bayonne
Clermont v Toulouse
Castres v Lyon
Standings:
1 Toulouse 69
2 Clermont 61
3 Toulon 52
4 Castres 48
5 Montpellier 48
6 Stade Français 42
7 Racing Metro 41
8 Agen 40
9 Bordeaux-Begles 37
10 Brive 33
11 Perpignan 31
12 Bayonne 29
13 Biarritz 25
14 Lyon 24
Previews:
RC Toulon v Montpellier HR
Stade Felix Mayol, Toulon
A lot has been made of this clash and the underlining tension that exists between the sides.
The last time these teams met there was a punch up at the post-game function that left Montpellier loose forward Rémy Martin with stitches on his lip and Olivier Missoup with a four-month ban. Both players are starting.
Relations between the teams were already strained when Montpellier's Georgian forward Mamuka Gorgodze elected to stay put having agreed a pre-contract deal with Toulon.
Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal appealed for calm on Thursday.
“Much tension surrounds this fixture,” said Boudjellal, who added that the atmosphere had become rather similar to that which pervades football matches between old rivals Paris Saint Germain and Marseille.
“We have had our run-ins with this team but I hope things quieten down. I ask that our fans respect Montpellier and Remy Martin.”
Back to the field where the league's best defence at home faces the best attack on the road! It's bound to be a tight clash as Montpellier look to close the four-point deficit on les Toulonais in the race for a play in the play-offs.
Jonny Wilkinson, who sprained his ankle a fortnight ago, has been included in the starting XV but will undergo a late fitness test. If he is not ready to play, Matt Giteau will direct traffic for Toulon.
Santiago Fernandez will be at fly-half for Montpellier for whom Gorgodze returns to the starting XV.
Toulon: Lapeyre, Palisson, Bastareaud, Giteau, D.Smith, Wilkinson, Tillous-Borde, S.Armitage, Van Niekerk (cap), Missoup, B.Botha, Samson, Hayman, Bruno, Lewis-Roberts
Replacements:Ivaldi, Emmanuelli, Shaw, El Bad, Messina, Rooney, Cibray, Kubriashvili
Montpellier: Amorosino, Nagusa, Doumayrou, Combezou, Audrin, Fernandez,Paillaugue, Ouedraogo, Gorgodze, Martin, Fakate, Privat, Jgenti, Van Vuuren, Leleimalefaga.
Replacements:Creevy, Figallo, Hancke, Matadigo, Tomas, Bosch, Bustos Moyano, Bustos.
Previous result: Montpellier won 19-6 at home
Prediction: Montpellier have never won in Toulon in the top division and the absence of François Trinh-Duc won't help either. Toulon by seven points.
Kick-off: 20.45 (19.45 GMT)
Referee: Romain Poite
SU Agen v USA Perpignan
Stade Armandie, Agen
At the start of the season one would have thought it would be Agen battling relegation, not the other way around.
Perpignan's loss at home to Agen back in Round Six is when the rot began as six more consecutive losses would follow.
But the Catalans have managed to lift their heads above water, as illustrated by a convincing victory over Biarritz and a draw with Racing.
Agen on the other hand have slid down the table since making a remarkable start to the season, which saw them vying for a playoff berth at Christmas. Things have not gone so well in the New Year with last weekend's win over Castres their first success in 2012.
Perpignan have won three of their last four games in Agen but have lost seven out of eight matches on the road this season.
James Hook is expected to start for the visitors, who also welcome back Kisi Pulu and Jerome Porical.
Agen will look to the league's top marksman, Conrad Barnard, to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Previous result Agen won 19-12 in Perpignan
Prediction: Tough one to call but Agen's result against Castres was no accident. Agen by five points
Kick-off: 14.15 (13.15 GMT)
Referee: Laurent Cardona
Biarritz Olympique v Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Stade Maurice Boyau, Dax
Biarritz 'host' one of only four teams they have managed to beat this year. But the clash will take place in Dax as BO serve their one-match stadium ban for the incidents surrounding the brawl in the Basque derby against Bayonne.
With Bayonne likely to lose in the capital against Racing, Biarritz have an ideal chance to climb out of the relegation zone.
But it won't be easy as they face a Bordeaux side that lies fourteen points ahead of them in the standings. That said, UBB have not travelled well, losing seven of the eight games away from home.
The pressure is starting to tell on Biarritz and the tears on the face of Benoît August after their heavy defeat in Perpignan told a sorry tale. Can they lift themselves enough to save their place in the top division? Time is running out…and fast.
Good news for the Basques is that fly-half Julien Peyrelongue is fit to play but Dimitri Yachvili is doubtful however.
Previous result: Biarritz won 13-11 in Bordeaux
Prediction: Biarritz have no choice. Biarritz to grind out a narrow win
Kick-off: 14.15 (13.15 GMT)
Referee: Franck Maciello
CA Brive Corrèze v Stade Français Paris
Stade Amédée Domenech, Brive
Brive are breathing just a little easier after their victory over Lyon last week and will fancy their chances of a repeat against a side that has not won on the road in over thee months.
Brive looked set to slip into the drop zone but three solid performances (victory over Perpignan, a losing bonus point against Castres and a big win