Top 14: Round 19 preview
Top 14 leaders Toulouse host Biarritz on Saturday in a dress rehearsal of their upcoming Heineken Cup quarter-final.
Last Updated: 18/02/11 10:31am
Top 14 leaders Toulouse host Biarritz on Saturday in a dress rehearsal of their upcoming Heineken Cup quarter-final.
Toulouse boss Guy Novès and backs coach Jean-Baptiste Elissalde have made no secret of their irritation with the national camp for not releasing Yannick Jauzion and Vincet Clerc for this weekend's clash despite them not having had much game time in Bleu.
In fact of the 23 French players that were in Dublin on last Sunday, 11 are from Saturday's protagonists: five from Toulouse (Poitrenaud, Clerc, Jauzion, Médard, Dusautoir, Servat) and six from Biarritz (Traille, Yachvili, Harinordoquy, Thion, Marconnet).
Toulouse are unbeaten at home this season but will have to fight very hard to maintain that record as they have a number of injuries, including lock Yoann Maestri, and face an in-form Basque team fighting for a place in the play-offs.
Indeed Biarritz are just two points clear of eighth-placed Bayonne in a very congested mid-table. After losing last week in Paris where they were outmuscled by Stade Français, Biarritz need to front up.
Toulouse are expected to line-up a similar team to last week made up of youngsters and 'second stringers' like Argentine Nicolas Vergallo at 9, Frédéric Michalak at 10 and Rupeni Caucaunibuca in midfield. Win or lose, they will finish the weekend at the top of the standings.
Brive's come-from-behind win against Stade Français in the dying minutes in Round Six may have been one of the highlights of season but les Corréziens have struggled to maintain that kind of form since and are in serious danger of taking the plunge to the ProD2.
Despite showing signs of revival of late, Ugo Mola's men have won just once in their last 12 domestic starts. But that win came against the champions Clermont - a sign of Brive's potential.
On Friday they face a Parisian side out for revenge and in desperate need of points themselves. The boys in pink are coming off the back of a good win against Biarritz and have lost just once in five games.
They will be without suspended fly-half Lionel Beauxis, though, while coach Michael Cheika has been banned from the touchlines. Lock Pascal Papé continues in the loose trio in the absence of the James Haskell, Sergio Parisse et al. Pumas prop Pedro Ledesma returns to the bench.
Brive loose forward Alex Popham, centre Jamie Noon and full-back Alexis Palisson have been ruled out and Damian Browne is doubtful.
Charge
Bayonne's charge towards the play-offs will face a stiff examination from Clermont at the Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin.
After ending a five-match losing streak late last year, the Basques have won six out of seven matches to sit just one place off a European qualify berth.
But Bayonne's record in Clermont-Ferrand is not a good one. Six consecutive heavy losses, conceding an average of 40 points does not bode well. The visitors also have a growing injury list with Lionel Mazars, Joe Pietersen, Jean-Baptiste Peyras-Loustalet, Troy Flavell and Ross Filipo doubtful starters. Pepito Elhorga, Julien Puricelli, Rob Linde and Aretz Iguniz have been ruled out.
Clermont were completely outplayed without their Six Nations internationals in Montpellier last week. Hooker Ti'i Paulo has joined Sione Lauaki on the injury list while Gavin Williams looks to be out for the rest of the season with a knee ligament injury.
But while they've struggled on the road this season, the champions are always near-impossible to topple at home.
La Rochelle will look to build on their narrow defeat to Toulouse when they face Racing Metro.
La Rochelle went down to a penalty in the dying minutes against the Heineken Cup champions, but the losing bonus point has kept them above the relegation zone and the spirit is still very positive.
Racing might be missing the likes of Sebastien Chabal and Lionel Nallet, but still have plenty of international stars to hold down the fort - as shown by victory over a full-strength Castres outfit last week.
Absence
In the first of three away games (before going to Bourgoin and Biarritz) Racing need to keep the pedal to the metal to stay ahead of the peleton in the play-offs race.
If anyone was yet to be convinced of Montpellier's title credentials, last week's drubbing of the defending champions laid those doubts to rest - although they face a tough road trip to Castres.
Pumas pivot Santiago Fernandez did a great job in the No.10 jersey making France fly-half François Trinh-Duc's absence a non-issue.
Castres failed to pick up their first away win of the season in Paris last weekend but pushed Racing Metro very close.
The Tarnais have yet to lose at home this season and with a full-strength side gunning for European and play-off qualification, it'll be tough to bet against the hosts. Expect the championship's top-scorer Romain 'Robocop' Teulet to be knocking them over.
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu v USA Perpignan
Stade Pierre Rajon, Bourgoin
Last week Perpignan bagged their first winning bonus point of the season and - despite being struck by a spate of injuries - the Catalans will back themselves to do the same again against basement dwellers Bourgoin.
USAP are still stuck in 10th place but five more points could re-ignite their play-off chances.
Bourgoin have won just two games this season and are selling off players (Tulou, Tian, Coetzee, Nadolo, van Zyl have left) to steady their financial ship.
The big news in Toulon this week was the return of Jonny Wilkinson to face Age.
Wilkinson has been released by England to play, with Toulon simply a different side with the World Cup winner at the helm.
Agen have been a tough nut to crack at home, but Toulon's international armada have not been hugely affect by Six Nations call ups so the visitors must be considered favourites.
Newly-recruited front rowers Sylver Tian (from Bourgoin) and Dewald Senekal will line up for Agen, the latter against his former team-mates.
Felipe Contepomi, Gavin Henson and captain Joe van Niekerk are still absent for Toulon but Rory Lamont is back.