Toulon, Racing turn to Top 14 fight amid cocaine drama

Racing 92 and Toulon return to Top 14 action this weekend insisting their focus remains on the play-off battle following a turbulent week overshadowed by a cocaine scandal.

French police charged Racing's ex-All Black Ali Williams with buying cocaine in Paris last weekend and Toulon's Australian international James O'Connor with possession of the drug.

The pair have been suspended by their clubs, who are both involved in fierce battles to make the play-offs.

Toulon are fifth in the league but Racing are just one point behind in seventh. The Parisians are keen to put the latest incident in a testing season after their title triumph last year behind them.

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Most recently, two-time World Cup winner Dan Carter, was caught drink-driving in Paris. He is also involved in an ongoing probe into the use of corticosteroids, along with Joe Rokocoko and Juan Imhoff.

Carter has been overlooked for Saturday's game at struggling Grenoble.

Toulon travel to Brive without rugby league convert Ben Barba, but the three-time European champions have been boosted by the return of France international fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc after four months out with a broken arm.

In-form La Rochelle, level on 58 points with leaders Clermont, travel to Toulouse on Sunday - live on Sky Sports Mix from 3.55pm - looking for a first win at their south-western rivals.

Toulouse beat Clermont at home in December but lost to Pau last month and have been out of form in recent games.

La Rochelle are coming off eight straight wins with just two defeats in 13 matches and want a first success in 'The Pink City' as they target a first qualification for the Top 14 play-offs.

Clermont travel to Castres, 11 points adrift in fourth, as third-placed Montpellier welcome back scrum-half Benoit Paillaugue and South Africa hooker Bismarck du Plessis for their trip to Lyon.

Paillaugue, 29, underwent ankle and shoulder surgery as former Springbok Du Plessis, 32, tore a pectoral muscle in September.

James Coughlan is back for Pau after being stretchered off against Lyon as they look for a seventh straight win at tailenders Bayonne, while struggling Stade Francais host Bordeaux-Begles.