Top 14 Preview: Round 13
France's top flight championship hits the half-way mark on Friday as Montpellier host a rematch of last year's final against Toulouse.
Last Updated: 23/12/11 4:08pm
![Rematch: Toulouse visit Montpellier](https://e0.365dm.com/11/06/660x350/Louis-Picamoles-toulouse-v-Montpellier_2604876.jpg?20110602152940)
France's top flight championship hits the half-way mark on Friday as Perpignan battle against relegation and Montpellier host a rematch of last year's final against leaders Toulouse.
Three distinct groups have emerged in the standings as Toulouse and Clermont lead the race for play-offs qualification.
Eight clubs are tussling for six places in next season's Heineken Cup with Montpellier looking to keep up with Parisian heavyweights Stade Français and Racing Metro.
The real intrigue at the moment however is at the other end of the table where six clubs are threatened with relegation.
Top of that list are Basque giants Biarritz, who face a massive task as they travel to the capital on Friday.
Clermont head to Brive for a derby while Toulon will want to keep in touch with the top two by beating struggling Lyon at home.
CA Brive Corrèze v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Stade Amédée Domenech, Brive
High-flying Clermont will be looking to build on two strong performances in the Heineken Cup in a local derby that has not gone their way of late.
Brive were 29-22 winners back in January, continuing a string of home successes against their neighbours.
Clermont arrive with the most prolific attack in the championship but missing a number of injured players, inlcuding full-back Kini Murimurivalu, scrum-half Ludovic Radosavljevic, wing Sitiveni Sivivatu, lock Jason White, centre Gonzalo Canale, prop Thomas Domingo and wing Anthiny Floch.
Skipper Aurélien Rougerie returns while Morgan Parra is on the bench.
Win or lose, don't bet against Brive picking up a bonus point. CABCL have managed to get no less than eight this season thanks to a very solid defence that has conceded just eight tries in 12 games!
Clermont are however, scoring an average of two tries per game, so don't expect the host side to keep a clean sheet.
Aviron Bayonnais v Castres Olympique
Stade Jean Dauger, Bayonne
Just three points clear of the relegation zone, Bayonne are under huge pressure. The Basques will play their first home game under new boss Jean-Pierre Elissade but face a tough task against a Castres side lying third in the standings.
Usually a model of consistency, CO have blown hot and cold of late, but one should not read too much into their drubbing at the hands of Northampton in Europe last weekend as their below-strength side was an indication of where their priorities lie: The Top 14 play-offs.
Stade Français Paris v Biarritz Olympique
Stade Charléty, Paris
Stade Français are bubbling with confidence at the moment thanks to a seven-match winning streak in all competitions including big wins over Clermont and Racing Metro in their last two home games.
Biarritz by contrast are in dire straits as they grapple to get off the foot of the table after 12 rounds. Never has the side last in the standings after 14 games avoided relegation and Paris is rarely the place to turn things around.
The Basque visitors should be boosted by the return of playmaker Dimitri Yachvili.
Stade Français hooker Dimitri Szarzewski will miss his team's next three matches due to an eye infection.
USA Perpignan v Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Stade Aimé Giral, Perpignan
Few would have expected Perpignan to be fighting for their place in the top flight but this truly is a relegation battle.
At the start of the season Bordeaux were the clear favourites for the drop but they travel to the Catalan coast one point clear of their hosts with game in hand.
USAP's nightmare form of late has led to a seven-match losing streak in the Top 14. The hosts are also sweating over the fitness of full-back Jerome Porcial, the principal source of their points this season.
As a sign of their desperation for get back some confidence, the Catalans have been selecting near full-strength sides for easy Challenge Cup games.
Jean-Pierre Pérez (shoulder), Yoann Vivalda (knee) and Jean-Philippe Grandclaude (knee) are all ruled out.
RC Toulonnais v Lyon Olympique
Stade Felix Mayol, Toulon
Lyon have picked the wrong time to visit Toulon as RCT have hit a vein of rich form under Bernard Laporte and are looking to close the gap on the leading duo.
Yet the stats suggest that the visitors won't be pushovers: LOU have the second best defence in the championship.
Toulon fans are set to get their a first sight of veteran England lock Simon Shaw, who is due to make his debut having recovered from an injury he suffered playing for the Barbarians against Australia and which kept him out of action for the whole of this month.
Toulon will also be boosted by the return of inspirational former Springbok backrow forward Joe van Niekerk, who has been out for the past two months after undergoing an operation.
Racing-Métro 92 v SU Agen
Stade Yves Du Manoir - Colombes (Paris)
Agen have been the surprise package of the first half of the season and head to the outskirts of the capital in fifth place, two points clear of their hosts.
Racing will take heart from their unexpected win over London Irish last weekend, although their Heineken Cup campaign is clearly over and the domestic league will now be their sole priority.
Montpellier HR v Stade Toulousain
Stade Yves Du Manoir, Montpellier
Toulouse's legendary head coach Guy Novès has demanded his players bounce back after the home defeat in the European Cup starting in Friday's clash with Montpellier which is a repeat of last season's final.
Toulouse just edged Montpellier in that final but their seemingly serene progress in both the Top 14 and the European Cup was brought to a shuddering halt by Harlequins last Sunday in Toulouse.
Novès, who has guided Toulouse to nine domestic titles and four European Cup trophies, said that he didn't feel let down by the players but still wanted them to show their true qualities at Montpellier.
Victory for them would keep them top of the table - they are three points clear of 2010 champions Clermont - and leave them with just two defeats in their 13 matches in the domestic league this term.
"I am always more tolerant in defeat than in victory," said the 57-year-old.
"The guys have taken a knock to the head but now they must remotivate themselves for the Montpellier match.
"The important thing is that we know what it is like to win."
Toulouse know they have a tough task on their hands on Friday as Montpellier are back playing the type of rugby that made them such a formidable opponent last term much to the surprise of their rivals.
A difficult start to the season where their star players were away at the World Cup has been transformed since their return and they go into the match with a run of three successive wins in the championship.
While head coach Fabien Galthié has recalled several of his first choice players after he rested them for last weekend's European Cup draw with Glasgow the hosts will be without inspirational captain Fulgence Ouedraogo who is still suffering from the rib muscle injury that kept him out of the two European matches with Glasgow.