Top 14: Round 20 preview

After a three-week break the Top 14 gets back into full swing this weekend as Toulouse host Toulon and Castres travel to Racing Metro.

With a gap opening between sixth-placed Toulon and nearest challengers Brive, the candidates for a play-offs are becoming clearer with seven rounds to play.

The big story is the absence of giants Biarritz and Stade Francais from that list or six. The Parisians still have a chance of sneaking through the back door and will be counting on a win in Bourgoin on Saturday.

The Biarritz cause however seems to be much more of a long shot and a win for the Basques over Brive on Friday will probably ruin the Correziens chances too.

The other Basque club is a even bigger trouble. Bayonne are slipping ever closer to relegation and a trip to Montpellier - who have been near-unstoppable at home this season - looks like a tough assignment.

It's looking more and more likely that Biarritz will have to pin their hopes of qualifying for next season's Heineken Cup by winning the current edition. The Basque's nine-point deficit on Toulon looks too big considering their domestic form.

The face Brive, who are however still in with a shout, especially if Toulouse can do them a favour by beating Toulon. The Correziens have made a remarkable comeback after a poor start to the season. They've lost just twice in nine starts in the Top 14 since the end of October. The five-point gap to sixth place is more than closable and they'll be looking up.

While visitors will be missing Steve Thompson, Riki Flutey and Alexis Palisson through Six Nations call ups, BO will be without arguably their four best players, Dimitri Yachvili, Fabien Barcella, Damien Traille (all injured) and Imanol Harinordoquy. Promising full-back Paul Couet-Lannes, Magnus Lund and League convert Karemichael Hunt are also crocked.

Revitalised

One of the big games of the weekend takes place on Friday night as Castres and Racing go head-to-head. Neither the league co-leaders nor the ProD2 champions have played electrify rugby, but you can't argue with the results gathered by their pragmatic styles.

Castres spent a week in Corsica with a intention of revitalising their squad ahead of the final sprint for the play-offs and look a like genuine contenders for automatic semi-final qualification. With a full-strength squad, they'll be aiming to regain sole leadership of the league.

Sébastien Chabal has returned to training after being forced to withdraw from France's Six Nations squad with a back injury, but is unlikely to start for Pierre Berbizier's team, who know they can beat anyone after their victory over Clermont last month.

Clermont have broken the 30-point barrier eights time this season already. At home against Albi, a club bound for relegation, no one will be surprised to them score 50 or more.

Clermont centre Marius Joubert will attempt another comeback after two hamstring operations. Julien Bonnaire and Julien Pierre have been kept with the national side and despite them hardly playing in the Six Nations so far, Clermont's request to give them game time was denied.

Bayonne have yet to win on the road this season so a trip Montpellier, who have one of the best home records in the league, makes for a stiff challenge. But if Bayonne are to entertain hopes of survival, this is the kind of game where they must pick up at least a point.

Montpellier's 15-0 win over leaders Castres last month was proof of how good they can be at Stade Yves Du Manoir. But the absence of Fulgence Ouedraogo and François Trinh-Duc will severely weaken Montpol so the Basque visitors could be in with chance.

Montpellier aren't completely out of the woods yet either, and with fixtures against Racing, Toulouse and Clermont next on the agenda, another home win will be very welcome.

Two clubs under enormous pressure, for very different reasons, face off at Pierre Rajon as Bourgoin meet Stade.

Stade Français simply cannot afford to drop any points if they are to have any hope of making the final six. In fact a bonus point win is probably required if they are to stay in contention. But without five French internationals and a couple of suspended players, the Parisians will be far form full-strength.

Coming of the back of a 49-20 drubbing away to Perpignan, Bourgoin need to get the train back on the tracks. Just two points clear of the drop zone, their postponed game with Bayonne is set to become a relegation play-off.

Bourgoin can play some good rugby. They will look to their home wins over Racing, Castres, Biarritz and Perpignan this season for inspiration. Three consecutive home games will provide CSBJ with a real chance to save their skin.

Bourgoin's Pablo Cardinali has returned to training after recovering from the fractured eye socket he sustained in December.

Momentum

Just two points ahead of Bourgoin and four clear of Bayonne, (who both have a game in hand, against each other), Montauban are in desperate need of a victory over Perpignan this weekend.

Perpignan on the other hand are riding high after bouncing back from the disappointment of their European campaign. The champions are back at the top of the standings thanks to three straight wins, but their form of the road is still questionable.

An away win will come in very handy for the Catalans who must face Clermont, Biarritz, Stade Français and Toulon in the next four rounds.

What face will Toulouse present in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday? The big red machine was gathering momentum before the 24-day break and the absence of seven Bleus is bound to make a difference.

Toulouse manager Guy Novès will not need to warn his team of how dangerous Toulon can be. Phillipe saint André's team has already beaten Toulouse this season and recently won in Paris against Stade Français.

In fact Toulon a have had the better of their hosts this weekend twice in three meetings, losing 19-18 in this fixture last year.

Already qualified for the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals and looking good for a place in the Top 14 play-offs, Toulon's ambitions continue to grow.

Toulon will of course be missing Jonny Wilkinson, but Felipe Contepomi as about as good a replacement as les Varois could ask for. Scrum-half Pierre Mignoni is injured, but the visitors otherwise have a full-strength squad to choose from including lock Joce Suta, who is back from a twenty-day suspension.

An addition to their missing French internationals, Toulouse could be without Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, but David Skrela is fit (for how long, nobody knows).

As usual, Toulon and Toulouse have been in the news: Toulon have signed Paul Sackey from Wasps while Toulouse manager Guy Novès has been ranting about unavailability of his French internationals.

Good news for Toulouse however comes in the form of Maxime Médard's two-year contract extension.