Top 14, Round 16 Preview
Toulouse host champions Perpignan in the pick of Wednesday's clashes as the Top 14 gears up for two rounds of fixtures in five days.
By Ross Hastie
Last Updated: 30/12/09 10:16am
Toulouse host champions Perpignan in the pick of Wednesday's clashes as the Top 14 gears up for two rounds of fixtures in five days.
While Perpignan crashed out of the European Cup and will now concentrate all their resources on the Top 14, Toulouse showed signs of better form in their last outing against Cardiff.
With just four points separating second and fifth in the standings, Wednesday's result is set to be influential in how the season pans out.
Perpignan face a tough schedule of three matches in nine days as they travel to Brive on Sunday before hosting Racing-Métro five days later, prompting manager Jacques Brunel to call the situation "absurd".
USAP will be without Nicolas Laharrague, Julien Candelon, Henry Tuilagi, Damien Chouly and Viliami Vaki, but welcome Sébastien Chobet, Florian Cazenave, Grégory Le Corvec, Gerrie Britz, Jean-Pierre Perez, Steve Meyer and most importantly, captain Jean-Pierre Perez.
Toulouse scrum-halves Byron Kelleher and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde are both still unavailable, meaning Fred Michalak should wear number nine. France centre Yann David is also missing.
The last few weeks have been tough on Stade Français, who would have welcomed the break after expending so much nervous energy in the weather-affected last round of the Heineken Cup.
The Parisians are yet to win on the road in the Top 14 this season but Jacques Delmas and his team, must come away with something from their Montpellier if they are to keep up with their fellow play-offs contenders.
After succumbing to heavy defeats to Brive and Perpignan, Montpellier gave their confidence a bit of a boost by thumping Madrid in the Amlin Challenge Cup.
On Wednesday however Les Héraultais host a team in a very different class. Just six points clear of the relegation zone, another loss for Montpellier could set the alarm bells ringing.
Chances
Following the 18-18 draw earlier this season, Castres coaching duo Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers welcome their former club Montauban to their new home at Stade Pierre Antoine.
Surprise leaders Castres haven't been in great form of late, losing to Bourgoin before succumbing to double defeats to Guinness Premiership leaders Saracens in the Amlin Cup.
With two successive home fixtures (they play Albi on Sunday) and a near-full-strength squad Castres will fancy their chances over heading into the New Year at the top of the stack. Long-term injuries to American international Charles Sika, Italian prop Fabio Staibano and club captain Sebastien Tillous-Borde are their only worries.
Montauban will make the short trip to their south-west rivals with plenty of confidence after their solid win over Clermont at the start of the month.
Brive haven't had a happy time of it in derbies in Clermont over the last few years. In their last three trips to Marcel Michelin, they've conceded 134 points - that's nearly 45 per match! (They've only scored 17 in those three trips to Clermont Ferrand).
So it goes without saying that after picking up two points for a draw in Brive earlier this season, Clermont start as the heavy favourites.
Les Jaunards have been in impressive form in Europe and will be looking to kick-start their domestic campaign after a lean spell brought them just one victory from six outings in the Top 14.
But Brive's form too has hit an upward trend. After hammering Montpellier and then convincingly beating Toulouse, les Corréziens have climbed out of the red zone and into mid-table. Back-to-back encounters with heavyweight opposition (Perpignan are next) should give an indication of Brive's true potential.
Riki Flutey's only appearance for Brive so far was against Clermont and after a long battle with injury the Lions centre has been included in the matchday squad for the rematch. Andy Goode is still missing after his appendix surgery.
For Clermont Aurélien Rougerie, Napolioni Nalaga, Benoit Baby, Alexandre Lapandry and Tasesa Lavea are all doubtful starters.
Coming off the back of an eight-match winning streak, Racing Metro will be hoping the break has not stopped their momentum when they travel to Bayonne.
After sitting in the relegation zone in September, les Racingmen have climbed their way up to third and will fancy their chances against a Bayonne side in poor form.
Unlucky to miss out on a Heineken Cup spot last year, the Basques have been unrecognisable this season. A reaction at Stade Jean Dauger is vital if they are to continue believing they can avoid the drop.
Doubtful
Rumours in the press have linked former Stade Français boss Fabien Galthié with a move to Bayonne, but the players will have their minds fixed a difficult week as Toulouse are next to visit on Sunday.
Newly-capped Test wing Benjamin Fall is doubtful with a broken nose as is playmaker Pepito Elhorga while dangerous wing Filimone Bolavocu is out.
For Racing, scrum-half Mathieu Lorée is back in the fold after a month's suspension to join fly-half Jonathan Wisniewski in a half-back pairing that has been very successful this year.
After a solid start to the season, both in France and in the Challenge Cup, Toulon will be eying a spot in the top four as skipper Joe van Niekerk returns to lead them against relegation favourites Albi.
Having rested a number of key players for the last round of European competition, the Varois should be firing on all cylinders.
But Philippe Saint-André's team will do well to take Albi seriously. The visitors have won four of their last five games in all competitions, including victories over champions Perpignan and Biarritz and a narrow defeat to Racing.
Eight points behind Bourgoin, who occupy the first non-relegation poistion, Albi are still clinging to a fine thread of hope. If they continue to perform as they have in recent weeks, it's not unimaginable that Eric Béchu's men save their Top 14 skins.
Impressive in the Heineken Cup, where they look set to qualify for the quarter-finals as top seeds, Biarritz now need to translate that form into success on the domestic front - starting against Bourgoin.
Having dropped from third to eighth of the back of five losses in six Top 14 outings, BO are in a tight spot in terms of play-off qualification.
Victory against Bourgoin and Montpellier on Sunday are non-negotiable if they are to close the five-point gap on Toulon, who occupy the last play-off spot.
The Basques have not won at Aguilera in the Top 14 since October 3, and the home fans will hungry for victory.
CSBJ travel west knowing that failure could drop them into the relegation zone.
Victory against leaders Castres earlier this month was yet another surprise performance against heavyweight opposition but they have yet to win away from home this season.