Top 14 preview: Round 23
The battle for Heineken Cup qualification reaches fever pitch in round 23 as the four clubs in contention for the final spot – Biarritz, Montauban, Montpellier and Bayonne – go head to head.
The battle for Heineken Cup qualification reaches fever pitch in round 23 as the four clubs in contention for the final spot – Biarritz, Montauban, Montpellier and Bayonne – go head to head.
The news of the week however is undoubtedly the French League's decision to retrograde Albi by a division for irregularities in their finances. It seems a very harsh penalty and if the Tarn club lose their appeal the sanction will translate into a lifeline for Dax.
The struggle to avoid relegation was set to be an intriguing three-way fight between Albi, Dax and Brive. Who will sink and who will swim now lies in the hands of the sports administrators rather than the players who sweat blood week in and week out. What a shame.
With four rounds remaining, Toulouse and Clermont are already guaranteed a semi-final spot. The leaders will now have to walk the fine line between conserving their strength and losing their winning form.
Both clubs are out to better a host of records: Clermont have already broken the record for consecutive victories and both teams are in line to better the previous record of six defeats in a season.
The focus of the week however will be on the middle of the table. Bayonne's trip to Montauban is a make or break voyage for their European aspirations. Montpellier are in a similar position as they try to turn the heat up on the flaying former champions, Biarritz.
Fixtures:
Friday May 23
Clermont Auvergne v Brive
Saturday May 24
Biarritz Olympique v Montpellier
Montauban v Bayonne
Bourgoin v Albi
Auch v Stade Français
Castres Olympique v Dax
Wednesday June 3
Perpignan v Stade Toulousain
Table after Round 22
1 Clermont Auvergne 85
2 Stade Toulousain 81
3 Stade Français 69
4 Perpignan 62
5 Castres Olympique 56
6 Biarritz Olympique 55
7 Montauban 50
8 Montpellier 48
9 Bayonne 47
10 Bourgoin 44
11 Brive 41
12 Albi 41
13 Dax 34
14 Auch 15
Previews:
Clermont Auvergne v Brive
The derby between Clermont and Brive will take place in front of a full house at Parc des sports Marcel-Michelin. Clermont can have no complaints about the support they've received this season, with most games selling out well before match day.
Already qualified for the semi-finals, one might have thought the leaders would lift their foot a little for a last few games. Not so. They've named an almost full strength team to face Brive, complete with departing Springbok captain John Smit who will leave for South Africa the very next day.
Smit will return for the semi-finals and possible final before returning for good to South Africa, where he will join one of the country's Super 14 franchises.
“The decision to return home was a terribly difficult one to make,” Smit told the Clermont website.
“I'll always remember the passion of the Clermont fans. It's a privilege to feel the support of all those people in the club's yellow and blue colours behind you. But I haven't left yet and I'm counting on doing something special with the ASM at the end of the season.”
The home side's other Springbok star will not take the field however. Centre Marius Joubert sprained his knee against Perpignan last Saturday and has been side-lined for at least a week.
Clermont won by just two points when the teams met in February and after outplaying Stade Français last Friday, Brive will be confident they can produce a similar close result.
In transfer news, Bourgoin lock Julien Pierre has signed a two-year deal with Clermont starting next season.
Venue: Parc des sports Marcel-Michelin
Kick-off: 20:30
Referee: Hervé Dubes
Touch judges: Jean-Christophe Clot, Christophe Malterre
Assessor: Claude Rouve, Michel Debet
Television match official: Vincent Azoulay
Biarritz Olympique v Montpellier
After losing their last four games, Biarritz need to get their act together Рwhich will not be an easy task against a Montpellier side buoyed by victories over Toulouse and Bourgoin. Last weekend went perfectly for the H̩raultais Рat least as far as results are concerned anyway. With Montauban losing last week, Montpellier are just two points short of a spot in the Heineken Cup.
If the visitors to Aguilera on Saturday can come away with a few points in their next two games, Montauban's visit to Montpellier in the second last round could be decisive.
Biarritz's form has been in freefall for a few weeks now and they have gone from vying for the semi-finals to looking over their shoulders as their place in Europe is on the line. Luckily for the Basques, they play three of their remaining four games at home.
Considering that only Toulouse and Clermont have won at Aguilera this season, that seems like reassuring information for the hard-to-please Biarritz crowd.
The home side will be without French international Nicolas Brusque who has hurt his knee cartilage. Damien Traille however will be back after recovering from a thigh injury.
Toulouse fly-half Valentin Courrent has signed a two year deal with Biarritz as the Basques start their rebuilding phase without veteran stalwart Serge Betsen who is off to Wasps.
Venue: Parc des Sports d'Aguilera
Kick-off: 15:05
Referee: Eric Gauzins
Touch judges: Bruno Fiche, Claude Tajan
Assessor: Pascal Bouchet, Roger Duhau
Television match official: Daniel Gillet
Montauban v Bayonne
Bayonne's unbeaten run of four games has given them a sniff of the Heineken Cup, and they face the very team that occupies the seventh spot they are chasing on Saturday in Montauban.
Bayonne's victory over Castres last weekend confirmed the Basque side's good form and they can always count on captain Richard Dourthe's boot to keep them in the game as it did when Bayonne beat Montauban in 25-18 February, scoring 20 points.
However, playing at Sapiac is no pleasant task for any visiting side. Just ask heavyweights Biarritz and Perpignan, who were both scalped there in recent weeks. Toulouse remain the only club to have won at the green team's fortress.
Montauban have three homes games remaining and if their impressive form à domicile continues, they'll play in Europe's top competition for the first time in their history.
They have already started recruiting for next year and the Hurricane's 27-year-old full-back/wing Shannon Paku is their latest acquirement.
Bayonne have finally named their coaches for next season. Dax backs coach Jean-Philippe Coyola will team up with Blagnac coach Thierry Mentières who will take control of the Basque forwards. Reds tighthead prop Rodney '