Top 14: Round 21 preview
Toulouse visit the Stade de France for the 'classico' while Clermont host Perpignan in a rematch of last season's final.
By Ross Hastie
Last Updated: 05/03/10 8:37am
It's the biggest weekend of Top 14 season so far... Toulouse visit the Stade de France for the 'classico' while Clermont host Perpignan in a rematch of last season's final.
If that isn't enough to whet your palate, fifth-placed Toulon are at home to struggling giants Biarritz while high-flying Racing-Métro face masters of the upset, Montpellier.
With just six games left in the regular season, clubs are gearing up for the final sprint to the line.
Level on points in second place in the standings, Clermont and Perpignan go head-to-head on Friday in the race of automatic semi-final qualification reserved for the top-two finishers of the regular season.
Unbeaten at home this season, Clermont have a full-strength squad and while the players refuse to talk of 'revenge' the crowd at Marcel Michelin will be baying for blood after defeat in last year's final and their heavy loss in Perpignan in September.
France wing Aurélien Rougerie is back to skipper Clermont after recovering from the neck injury he sustained against Scotland. No less than seven other internationals - Thomas Domingo , Julien Pierre, Alexandre Lapandry, Julien Bonnaire, Morgan Parra, Julien Malzieu and Davit Zirakashvili- return to the Clermont ranks while Italy centre Gonzalo Canale is given a rest.
For the visitors, who lost to Montauban two weeks ago, Maxime Mermoz is in the squad and as he makes his return from a long injury lay-off, while Nicolas Mas and David Marty are also available.
Still undefeated at home this season, Castres will start the final sprint for the play-offs in pole position - with Brive the visitors on Saturday.
A draw against Racing Metro was enough to lift Castres back to the top on the standings but they must still travel to Toulon, Clermont and Toulouse in the final weeks so four more points this weekend are very much needed but Brive will provide a stiff challenge.
Beaten in Biarritz on their last outing, les Brivistes still harbour a glimmer of hope of making the play offs, although a loss at Pierre Antoine would surely extinguish their chances.
Disaster
Andy Goode has gone to the Sharks and Riki Flutey is on duty with England. Better news however is that England hooker Steve Thompson and centre Jamie Noon are in the squad as well as Tricolors Alexis Palisson and Fabrice Estebanez.
Bayonne captain Rémy Martin made his return after a 40-day suspension against Bourgoin last week, but it wasn't enough to stop the Basques from slipping back into the relegation zone.
And anything less than victory against relegation-certainties Albi on Saturday could spell disaster.
Albi coach Eric Bechu has offered to resign (again) as a reaction to growing discontent amongst the players, but club president Bernard Archilla has refused to accept the offer and has moved to dispel rumours of mutiny.
With tempers frayed on both sides, we can be sure of an explosive encounter, especially considering the fisticuffs of their previous meeting.
Bourgoin host their second vital relegation battle in as many weeks. Montauban's shock win over champions Perpignan last time out mean they are still one point clear of Bourgoin.
With Bayonne likely to win against Albi, the losers of the clash at Pierre Rajon are likely to find themselves in the drop zone.
Montauban will arrive full of confidence after the win over champions Perpignan two weeks ago, but will do well to remember Bourgoin how beat them on their own turf in September.
Ninth and eight points off the pace in the play-offs race, Biarritz cannot afford to put a foot wrong until the end of the season.
Bad news for BO is, Toulon have yet to lose at home in a year - that's twelve matches - and don't look like doing so any time soon.
Three straight wins - including one of the road against Toulouse - have put the RCT in the thick of the mix for a place in Europe and the play-offs.
While Jonny Wilkinson is away with the England team, scrum-half Pierre Mignoni is back in a near full-strength squad.
Shock
Biarritz have been boosted by the return from injury of French internationals Damien Traille and Dimitri Yachvili and Australian league convert Karmichael Hunt. Fabien Barcella is the only BO international still not available.
The biggest game in French rugby sees fourth-placed Toulouse travel to seventh-placed Stade Français.
Unfortunately for the hosts, the 2009-2010 season has seen the emergence of Toulon and Racing Metro amongst France's elite and somebody had to make room. Now the giants from the capital trail their Parisian rivals Racing by five points and are in serious danger of missing out on Europe and the play-offs.
Toulouse are looking a little shaky themselves after their shock home loss to Toulon a fortnight ago, but the return of their legion of Test players should steady the ship.
The teams have met in the French league on 26 occasions, holding twelve victories each before the draw in their last clash, in Toulouse in September.
The last time Toulouse visited the Stade de France, however, they were 26-13 victors.
Toulouse have won just four of their team away games this season but Stade not Français have been beaten at home three times.
The match has been overshadowed by the club v country row over James Haskell - with England refusing to allow the flanker to play for Stade in the game.
Montpellier looked unstoppable form at home until Bayonne burst their bubble last time out. Montpol are flirting dangerously with relegation, especially considering that they must travel to Toulouse and Clermont in the next two rounds.
Off the back of a home draw against leaders Castres, Racing Metro will be looking to keep Stade Français at bay and take a step closer to the play-offs.
France second row partners Lionel Nallet and Sébastien Chabal will start for the visitors, as will new France squad member Clément Baïocco.