|
|
Top 14, r13 - Paris derby pits
newcomers Racing Métro against mighty Stade Francais
19 November
2009
|
Rise to the challenge: Racing
Metro take on derby rivals
Stade Francais on Saturday
Photo: Michael Paler |
Top 14 reaches the halfway
stage of the regular season this weekend as league action
returns after a two week break with round 13.
Possible strike action briefly
threatened to annul this weekend's fixtures but fortunately
that has now been averted, and thank goodness given the
mouth-watering set of games lined up.
The action kicks off on Friday
night with bottom versus top as SCA Albi play host to
Perpignan, but it's a couple of the Saturday afternoon
matches that really catch the eye. Most notably the return
of the Paris derby as Racing-Métro 92 entertain neighbours
Stade Francais, and also the heavyweight clash between
Castres (third) and Stade Toulousain (second).
Top 14 Table
/
Top 14 try-scorers
/
Top 14 Results
/
Top 14
Fixtures
Elsewhere, fourth-placed
Clermont Auvergne are at home to Biarritz - who could have
rugby league sensation Karmichael Hunt in their squad -
while Toulon are at home to strugglers Brive.
If you believe in omens then
13th-placed Bayonne may not fancy their chances in round 13
at home to Montauban, while Montpellier's three-match
winning streak is bound to be tested by the trip to
Bourgoin.
It all adds up to another
fascinating batch of fixtures, especially with the current
round of international matches depriving clubs of many of
their star players. In some ways it offers the league's
minnows a greater chance of success, but only time will tell
if they benefit or not from the enforced handicap.
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 /
Round 12 /
Top 14, Round 13 fixtures
(Current league position in brackets)
 |
SCA Albi (14th) |
 |
Perpignan
(1st) |
Stade Municipal
d'Albi,
20/11/09, 19.00 |
With just one win in 12
it's difficult to see how basement boys SCA Albi can upset
the odds against leaders and defending champions Perpignan.
The Catalans have found consistency of late, epitomised by
their 20-14 away win against Stade Francais, but the loss of
a host of international stars will weaken their squad and
Albi must take heart from the fact Jacques Brunel's side
have show fallibility on the road this season, as witnessed
by their defeats at Montpellier, Bourgoin Biarritz and
Benetton Treviso. Centres Maxime Mermoz (thigh strain) and
David Marty (international duty) will both be absent for the
visitors, along with prop Nicolas Mas, hooker Guilhem
Guirado and number eight Henry Tuilagi, but the Catalans
should still have too much for a team which is currently
conceding 24 points per game on average. Albi will be
without Argentine international Lucas Borges and their
American duo of Van der Gleesen and
Matekitonga Moeakiola - both
required for a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay - but
have several players back after injury. Most notably
Stéphane Delpuech, Anthony Pujol and Thomas Fournil were al
back in training this week, while Romanian
Luliuan
Dumitras is free to play after completing his
international requirements.
Last season: SCA Albi were in ProD2
Verdict: Perpignan win
 |
Bourgoin (12th) |
 |
Montpellier (9th) |
Stade
Pierre Rajon,
21/11/09, 14.30 |
Bourgoin may be down in
12th spot but they will still go into this clash with
Montpellier with relative confidence having won four and
drawn one of their last five league matches. They also have
fond memories of having done the league double over
Saturday's opponents last season. The flip side to that is
Montpellier's current three-match winning streak - their
best run of the season - and the fact the visitors will be
captained by fit again French international Fulgence
Ouedraogo. Montpellier's main problem this season has been
their away form, but they halted a run of five successive
defeats when they triumphed 18-15 at Albi in round 11, a
psychological victory as much as anything else. The absence
of play-maker Francois Trinh-Duc - away with France - could
prove crucial, however, with the international fly-half a
hugely influential player in most of Montpellier's six
league wins to date. There may be three positions between
these two teams, but a solid home win for Bourgoin would see
them rise above their opponents as they seek to continue the
battling defiance that has served them so well this season
to date.
Last season:
Bourgoin 22 Montpellier 3
Montpellier 12 Bourgoin 19
Verdict: Bourgoin win
 |
Bayonne (13th) |
 |
Montauban (10th) |
Stade
Jean Dauger,
21/11/09, 14.30 |
It's hard to tip a tam for victory after five
successive defeats - including two at home - but the two
week league break may have benefitted Bayonne more than most
clubs in Top 14. It has allowed newly confirmed head coach
Thierry Mentières time to draw up his battle plan as the
Basques seek to reverse a woeful opening to the 2009/10
season which has left them facing up to the very real
prospect of relegation to ProD2. That was an unthinkable
prospect at the beginning of the campaign, with the focus
more on trying to secure a play-off berth and Heineken Cup
qualification, but a sorry run of defeats and the erosion of
player confidence has left them slumped in 13th spot. Tyro
winger Benjamin Fall is away with the French team but
Bayonne will still be hopeful of getting their first win
since mid-September as they take on a Montauban side that
has only registered one away victory all season - although
that was at Stade Francais.
Last season:
Bayonne 22 Montauban 20
Montauban 15 Bayonne 13
Verdict: Bayonne win
 |
Toulon (6th) |
 |
Brive (11th) |
Stade
Félix
Mayol,
21/11/09, 14.30 |
Toulon are undoubtedly
weakened by the absence of England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson
and the Argentine duo Juan Fernandez Lobbe and Esteban
Lozada, but Philippe Saint-André's team are bolstered by the
inclusion (for the first time this season) of Sonny Bill
Williams and Felipe Contepomi. Both have been absent to date
due to injuries but Williams showed enough last season to
confirm what an outstanding talent he is, while Contepomi's
class is unquestioned. They have also included recent
scrum-half recruit Fabien Cibray following his capture from
Biarritz. Toulon remain unbeaten at home in all
competitions and must fancy their chances against a Brive
side which is still loitering uncomfortably close to the
relegation zone. The Brivistes, though, are unbeaten in
their two games since Ugo Mola took over as head coach from
Laurent Seigne, and will be bolstered by the return of
fly-half Andy Goode after he was deemed surplus to England's
requirements.
Last season:
Toulon 3 Brive 3
Brive 19 Toulon 9
Verdict: Toulon win
 |
Racing-Métro 92 (8th) |
 |
Stade Francais (5th) |
Stade
Yves du Manoir,
21/11/09, 14.30 |
Just four points separate
these two teams and the first Paris derby in more than a
decade is bound to be a feisty affair. Jacky Lorenzetti and
Max Guazzini - presidents of Racing and Stade respectively -
both share similar ambitions for their clubs, but the former
took an early side swipe at his counterpart after Racing
confirmed their promotion when he said the club wouldn't
compromise its heritage in order to chase Euros.
"He
considers the [Stade Francais] shirt as a kind of tool for
merchandising. We believe it is the identity of the club,"
said Lorenzetti. "Do not touch the shirt - it displays the
club's colours," he added.
Racing will be without Sebastien Chabal -
with France - but do at least have two of their other three
stars available, in the shape of Lionel Nallet and IRB
Player of the Year nominee Francois Steyn. They are also on
a four-match winning run and should be raring to go after
their last match - on November 5th - was postponed due to a
waterlogged pitch in Biarritz. Stade's squad is severely
depleted due to international calls and injuries - they are
missing 19 players in all - but they come into this match
having lost just once in their last seven league games. That
run has included excellent away draws at both Stade
Toulousain and Clermont Auvergne, showing that cross-city
journey should hold no fear for Jacques Delmas' side.
Last season: Racing-Métro 92 were in ProD2
Verdict: Racing-Métro 92 win
 |
Castres (3rd) |
 |
Stade Toulousain (2nd) |
Stade
Pierre Antoine,
21/11/09, 16.05 |
This is another crucial
match for Castres as they continue to defy predictions and
deservedly maintain their presence in the upper echelons of
Top 14. It is the third game in a series of four that
promised to test their credentials - a home game follows
against Biarritz next round - and so far they haven't been
found wanting. They narrowly lost away to Perpignan (17-15)
after leading for much of the game, and followed up with a
9-9 home draw against Clermont Auvergne. Now they have the
chance to put one over on the 17-time champions, who remain
at their most vulnerable when international matches are on.
Seven Stade players are busy with 'Les Bleus', while
Patricio Albacete is on duty with the Pumas as the club's
renowned strength will be put to the test. One piece of news
that will please Stade boss Guy Noves is the return to
training of fly-half David Skrela, with the French
international in line for a run out with the Espoirs this
weekend.
Last season:
Castres 10 Stade Toulousain 28
Stade Toulousain 26 Castres 11
Verdict: Castres win
 |
Clermont Auvergne (4th) |
 |
Biarritz
(7th) |
Stade
Marcel Michelin,
21/11/09, 20.30 |
Clermont Auvergne will be
desperate for a win after back-to-back draws - at home to
Stade Francais and away to Castres - but Vern Cotter's team
are another severely hit by international call-ups, with the
likes of Napolioni Nalaga, Alexandre Lapandry, Julien
Bonnaire Morgan Parra and Thomas Domingo all absent. Cotter
has further concerns over the fitness of fly-half Brock
James and scrum-half Kevin Senio, paving the way for a
possible half-back pairing of Ludovic Radosaljevic and
Tasesa Lavea. His midfield options are also limited with
Sérémaia Bai (Fiji), Gavin Williams (Samoa) and Gonzalo
Canale (Italy) all absent, while Marius Joubert remains
injured. That could pave the way for Aurélien Rougerie,
Benoît Baby and Fofana to feature. Biarritz are not exempt from international
calls either - with Ayoola Erinle and Fabien Barcella both
absent and Imanol Harinordoquy likely to be rested - but
'Les Jaunards' have a formidable reputation at the Stade
Marcel Michelin and Biarritz have lost their last two away
games, at Stade Toulousain and Montauban.
Last season:
Clermont Auvergne 32 Biarritz 6
Biarritz 18 Clermont Auvergne 14
Verdict: Clermont Auvergne win
|
|
