Top 14 Preview: Round 25
Five games are scheduled for Saturday before two matches round off the Top 14 action, with La Rochelle vs Montpellier standing out.
Saturday
Castres vs Toulouse
Bayonne vs Grenoble
Lyon vs Clermont
Pau vs Brive
Bordeaux-Bègles vs Toulon
Sunday
La Rochelle vs Montpellier
Stade Français vs Racing 92
Castres vs Toulouse
Stade Jean-Pierre Antoine
Fifth hosts twelfth in the Top 14 to kick-off Round 25 as Castres look to put the pressure on Toulon, who are three points above them.
Castres ended a dismal run of four losses last weekend when they beat Stade Français and know they must back that up if they are to remain in the play-off mix. Racing 92 and their Paris neighbours are snapping at their heels.
For Toulouse pride is on the line as they suffered a fourteenth defeat last time out. They've lost seven of their last eight league games.
Last year's result: Castres won 15-9
Kick-off: 14:45 local (12:45 GMT)
Referee: Adrien Descottes
Assistant referees: Ludovic Carrillo, Thomas Déjean
Television match official: Maxime Chalon
Bayonne vs Grenoble
Stade Jean-Dauger
It is the battle of the basement at Stade Jean-Dauger on Saturday as last-placed Bayonne host Grenoble, who sit in thirteenth position.
With both sides already confirmed as relegated from the Top 14, they will be playing only for pride with seven points separating the duo.
All of Bayonne's five league wins this season have come on home soil while Grenoble have not won on the road, which will give the home supporters hope of picking up a morale-boosting victory in the Top 14's penultimate round.
Last year's result: Did not play
Kick-off: 18:30 local (16:30 GMT)
Referee: Sébastien Minery
Assistant referees: Vincent Blasco Baque, Patrick Beuriot
Television match official: Jean-Marie Piraveau
Pau vs Brive
Stade du Hameau
Still in with a chance of making the top six places, Pau and Brive do battle at Stade de Hameau in a mid-table clash that's tough to call.
Pau are currently in eleventh place, on 53 points, while Brive sit in tenth on the same number, with sixth-placed Racing 92 on 57 points. Therefore it's win or bust for both before they hope Stade Français do them a favour on Sunday.
Form might be a concern for Pau fans as they have lost their last four league matches while Brive enter with four wins from their last six.
Last year's result: Brive won 18-13
Kick-off: 18:30 local (16:30 GMT)
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz
Assistant referees: Cédric Marchat, Thierry Guilloton
Television match official: Thomas Charabas
Lyon vs Clermont
Matmut Stadium Gerland
With La Rochelle facing off Montpellier this Sunday, this is a chance for Clermont to put the pressure on the leading duo in the standings.
Clermont are currently ten points off La Rochelle and one point behind Montpellier with two games remaining so need a victory over Lyon.
They will then hope La Rochelle do them a favour to put their destiny in their own hands in the regular-season's final round next weekend.
Lyon meanwhile, who have won three straight, could still make the top six so have ambitions of their own in front of their home supporters.
Last year's result: Did not play
Kick-off: 18:30 local (16:30 GMT)
Referee: Pascal Gauzère
Assistant referees: Tual Trainini, Bruno Gabaldon
Television match official: Eric Gauzins
Bordeaux-Bègles vs Toulon
Matmut Atlantique
Toulon will hope to make it three wins on the bounce on Saturday when they face Bordeaux-Bègles in the late game at Matmut Atlantique.
Currently fourth in the standings, nine points of third spot, Toulon will want to consolidate their position on the table before the play-offs.
UBB meanwhile can still finish seventh in the European play-off spot and are also only four points off sixth so still have a lot to play for.
Last year's result: Bordeaux-Bègles won 15-12
Kick-off: 20:45 local (18:45 GMT)
Referee: Salem Attalah
Assistant referees: Laurent Cardona, Akim Hadj Bachir
Television match official: Philippe Bonhoure
La Rochelle vs Montpellier
Stade Marcel Deflandre
Sunday's action kicks off with a cracking fixture as first meets second in the Top 14, with Montpellier heading to Stade Marcel Deflandre.
On the back of a shock home loss to Gloucester, La Rochelle will be smarting and determined to bounce back against their Top 14 rivals.
La Rochelle also lost last time out in the league when they went down away to Lyon and with Montpellier in great form over the last three games, Jake White's men will fancy their chances of closing the gap on the Top 14 leaders.
Last year's result: La Rochelle won 36-10
Kick-off: 12:30 local (10:30 GMT)
Referee: Romain Poite
Assistant referees: Pierre Brousset, Jean-Luc Rebollal
Television match official: Eric Briquet Campin
Stade Français vs Racing 92
Stade Jean-Bouin
The round concludes on Sunday afternoon with the Paris derby as Stade Français look to build on last weekend's European win over Bath.
To make a Challenge Cup final after what's been a tough season was a much-needed lift for Stade but now their focus will shift to the race for the top six places, with Racing 92 currently in that sixth spot, three points ahead of them.
Both these sides lost last time out in the Top 14, ending respective three-match winning runs, with a defeat set to end Stade's aspirations of making the Top 14 knockout stage. They would then focus solely on the Challenge Cup.
Last year's result: Racing 92 won 34-16
Kick-off: 17:00 local (15:00 GMT)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal
Assistant referees: Stéphane Boyer, Eric Soulan
Television match official: Laurent Sclafer