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Top 14, r12 preview - Unlikely
relegation double-header as Brive play host to Bayonne
03 November
2009
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On the up: Racing-Métro
92
have won four on the spin
Photo: Michael Paler |
Squad strengths will be tested
to the full on Thursday as Round 12 of Top 14 takes place
just five days after Round 11. The only good news for the
clubs is that a 16-day break then follows due to
international fixtures, but that won't do much to allay such
teams as Brive, Bayonne and SCA Albi - who are all
struggling down at the wrong end of the table.
Intriguingly, the first two of
those go head-to-head at the Stade Amédée Domenech on
Thursday evening in a match few would have predicted to be
the proverbial relegation 'eight-pointer'. Both clubs have
dismissed their head coaches in the past 10 days following
disastrous starts to the season, but with this being the
penultimate round before the halfway mark they felt
encumbered to act. Even the mere thought of relegation will
be anathema to both Brive and Bayonne, but the improved
competitiveness of Top 14 this season could well claim an
unexpected scalp.
There seems little doubt that
SCA Albi will go down after 10 defeats in their opening 11
games, and an away trip to Stade Francais is unlikely to do
anything to change that perspective. Even Albi coach Eric
Béchu admitted there was little left but pride to play for
this season.
Top 14 Table
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Top 14 try-scorers
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Top 14 Results
/
Top 14
Fixtures
Elsewhere, Castres' play-off
credentials will again come under the microscope with a home
match against Clermont Auvergne as second plays third.
Castres almost caused an upset away to Perpignan at the
weekend, and the main question over Thursday evening's game
is how much that effort took out of their squad?
Stade Toulousain look to have a
regulation home tie against Bourgoin, while Montpellier will
be keen to make it three wins on the spin when they play
host to Montauban. Toulon will again be without Jonny
Wilkinson for the trip to leaders Perpignan - who beat them
home and away last season - while Racing-Métro's four match
winning streak will be put to the test at Biarritz.
Just a run-of-the-mill Thursday
then...
Previous round-ups:
Round 1 /
Round 2 /
Round 3 /
Round 4 /
Round 5 /
Round 6 /
Round 7 /
Round 8 /
Round 9 /
Round 10 /
Round 11 /
Top 14, Round 12 fixtures
(Current league position in brackets)
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Castres (2nd) |
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Clermont Auvergne (3rd) |
Stade
Pierre Antoine,
05/11/09, 20.45 |
Stage two of Castres'
four-match run against France's big guns pits them at home
to Clermont Auvergne as second plays third in another tasty
encounter for this season's surprise package. Friday's
narrow defeat at Perpignan was only their third defeat and
Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit will be urging another
major effort from their spirited squad. They should take
heart from the fact Clermont have been vulnerable away from
home again this season and have won just two games on the
road, with both against lowly opposition in the shape of
Bourgoin and SCA Albi. They remain capable of beating anyone
on their day, but needed a last-gasp penalty from the
ever-reliable Brock James to avoid home defeat against Stade
Francais on Saturday. Castres are without injured prop Luc
Ducalcon and international scrum-half Sébastien
Tillous-Borde following a shoulder arthroscopy on Tuesday
which will rule him out for up to eight weeks. Clermont have
included new signing Tasesa Lavea in their squad but have
doubts over Mario Ledesma and Gonzalo Canale.
Last season:
Castres 12 Clermont Auvergne 6
Clermont Auvergne 43 Castres 20
Verdict: Castres win
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Stade Toulousain (4th) |
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Bourgoin (10th) |
Stade
Ernest Wallon,
05/11/09, 19.30 |
Four defeats and a draw in
their opening 11 games underlines the inconsistency of Stade
Toulousain this season, although in fairness they could have
won at Racing-Métro
on Saturday had they not spurned a shed-load of pots at
goal. Recalled French international Frédéric
Michalak was the main culprit, but a home game against
Bourgoin should provide the perfect platform to start
righting the wrongs. Head coach Guy Noves was beside himself
as Stade struggled in Paris and he's sure to have laid down
a few home truths this week. The looming internationals may
be in some players' minds, but Stade should still have too
much for a spirited but limited Bourgoin side. Toulouse's
Jean Bouilhou is doubtful after breaking his nose against
Racing on Saturday.
Last season:
Stade Toulousain 13 Bourgoin 6
Bourgoin 12 Stade Toulousain 18
Verdict: Stade Toulousain win
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Montpellier (11th) |
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Montauban (9th) |
Stade
Yves du Manoir,
05/11/09, 19.30 |
Back-to-back wins has
helped ease the pressure on Montpellier, and the visit of
Montauban provides them with the opportunity to enter new
territory this season: registering three successive
victories. For that to be achieved they will have to again
show the kind of gritty determination and realism that
brought them success against Clermont Auvergne and SCA Albi.
Montauban also arrive after two successive wins, but their
away form has been less convincing to date, with the
solitary (admittedly stunning) away win at Stade Francais
their only success. Marc Raynaud's team - like their hosts -
have failed primarily in the consistency stakes, so this
game provides the perfect opportunity for one or the other
to make amends. Unless, of course, it's another of Top 14's
increasing number of drawn games. Montpellier have included
French internationals Fulgence Ouedraogo and Francois
Trinh-Duc, while Grant Rees has recovered sufficiently from
his shoulder injury to be in the squad.
Last season:
Montpellier 32 Montauban 10
Montauban 27 Montpellier 19
Verdict: Montpellier win
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Brive (12th) |
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Bayonne (13th) |
Stade
Amédée Domenech,
05/11/09, 19.30 |
The quality of rugby may not be of the
highest order in this game, but for both Brive and Bayonne
style can wait for a later date - the result is simply
everything. Neither team has registered a league win since
September and both now find themselves staring at the wholly
unpalatable prospect of a relegation dogfight unless results
dramatically improve. In normal circumstances you would have
to heavily favour Brive to win owing to home advantage, but
the Limousin club has lost three of its last four games at
the Stade Amédée Domenech and lack of confidence has played
havoc with their overall game plan. Still, at least they go
into this match unbeaten under new head coach Ugo Mola
following their 14-14 away draw at Bourgoin on Saturday.
Bayonne, by contrast, lost their second successive home game
at the weekend and travel with understandable trepidation
having lost all six of their away games in Top 14 so far
this campaign. Even more worrying for the Basques is the
fact they are now officially in the drop-zone, and could
find themselves cut further adrift if they lose again on
Thursday. Brive will continue with Fabrice Estebanez at
fly-half - owing to Andy Goode being with England and
Luciano Orquera injured - and Mola will be desperate for the
stand-in stand-off to continue the good form he showed on
Saturday when he scored 11 of their 14 points. He will have
to do so, however, without potential match-winner Viliame
Waqaseduadua who has a sprained ankle.
Last season:
Brive 13 Bayonne 6
Bayonne 14 Brive 9
Verdict: Brive win
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Perpignan (1st) |
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Toulon (5th) |
Stade
Aimé
Giral,
05/11/09, 21.00 |
Successive wins against
Stade Francais and Castres have confirmed the mental
fortitude of Perpignan's players, an attribute that served
the champions so well in their coronation season. The visit
of Toulon presents another opportunity to get one over on a
potential play-off rival and the Catalans will also be keen
to maintain their 17-match unbeaten run at the Stade Aime
Giral. It required a determined second-half comeback to see
off Castres, but the fact they were able to do so underlined
their current self-belief and togetherness. Toulon, too, are
building a squad unity under Philippe Saint-André that will
surely bear fruit, although this season may still be one
year too early. The loss of Jonny Wilkinson was safely
negotiated last weekend with Sebastien Fauqué stepping up to
the plate (or kicking tee), but his absence is likely to be
more keenly felt on Thursday evening. But Toulon's real
strength this season has been their pack, and in particular
their effervescent back row - something that Perpignan's
bullish pack will be only too happy to test out. Perpignan
welcome back fly-half Nicolas Laharrague - rested against
Castres - while full-back
Jérôme Porical has signed a two-year extension to his
contract with the champions, with Marius Tincu also signing
until 2012.
Last season:
Perpignan 37 Toulon 12
Toulon 29 Perpignan 32
Verdict: Perpignan win
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Stade Francais (7th) |
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SCA Albi (14th) |
Stade
Jean Bouin,
05/11/09, 19.30 |
Stade Francais may be the
current draw specialists in Top 14, but the bad news for
Albi (or some of it at least) is that all three of their
tied matches have been on the road. That doesn't mean
they're infallible at home - as Perpignan and Montauban have
both proved - but anything other than a bonus-point victory
would have to be considered a failure by Jacques Delmas'
team. Albi arrive fresh from their 10th defeat in 11 league
games and the writing appears to be on the wall for the
former ProD2 side. Going to Paris and winning would be like
scooping the Euro Lottery jackpot, and the odds certainly
don't favour that. Even the prospect of a defensive bonus
seems a remote possibility indeed for Eric Béchu's
men, and they can't even rest players for more winnable
battles ahead as their next three games bring them up
against the likes of Perpignan, Racing-Métro
and Biarritz. Stade Francais will definitely be without
Scottish international Simon Taylor after the injury-prone
back row tore his left biceps on Saturday - his first match
of the season following a broken foot. The prognosis is an
operation and a further eight-week lay-off.
Last season: SCA Albi were in ProD2
Verdict: Stade Francais win
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Biarritz (6th) |
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Racing-Métro 92
(8th) |
Parcs des Sports Aguilera,
05/11/09, 19.30 |
Biarritz's seven-match
winning streak seems a way off now after successive defeats
at Stade Toulousain and Montauban, and on Thursday they will
be tested further by the visit of Racing-Métro
92. The Parisians arrive as one of the form teams in Top 14
on the back of four consecutive wins, including a highly
creditable 27-20 home victory against Stade Toulousain on
Saturday. An unfavourable fixture list and the step up from
ProD2 inevitably led to a period of acclimatization for
Pierre Berbizier's side, but Racing are now finding their
feet and looking good for a push for play-off recognition in
the second half of the season. Francois Steyn has slotted in
handily, Sebastien Chabal is showing newfound relish for the
fight and young fly-half Jonathan Wisniewski is winning rave
reviews for his mature performances. An away trip to the
Atlantic coast offers further opportunity to showcase their
recent talents, but they are likely to face a Biarritz side
hell bent on returning to winning ways after their brace of
defeats.
Last season:
Racing-Métro 92
were in ProD2
Verdict: Biarritz win
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