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Top 14, r16 preview - Stade
Toulousain-Perpignan clash headlines a festive feast
29 December
2009
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Absent: Byron Kelleher will not
start for Stade Toulousain
Photo: Michael Paler |
Top 14 returns on Wednesday
evening with defending champions Perpignan travelling to
Toulouse to take on Guy Noves' all-star outfit in the
standout fixture of Round 16.
But the late-night clash of the
heavyweights (kick-off 20.45) is preceded by another soupcon
of delights to help brush away those post-Christmas blues.
Derby rivalries are reignited as Clermont Auvergne host a
Brive side which could feature Riki Flutey for only the
second time this season.
Flutey's only previous
appearance for the Limousin club also came against Clermont,
when a 9-9 home draw initiated a frustrating run of results
for Ugo Mola's side.
Top 14 Table
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Top 14 try-scorers
/
Top 14 Results
/
Top 14
Fixtures
Elsewhere, in-form Racing-Métro
92 go in search of a ninth consecutive league win as they
travel to relegation-threatened Bayonne, while leaders
Castres have a home match against Marc Raynaud's
inconsistent Montauban. Toulon look odds-on to extend their
unbeaten home record with the visit of basement boys SCA
Albi, while Biarritz need a win against Bourgoin to ensure
they don't slip further off the play-off places.
Montpellier and Stade Francais
actually kick things off, with the travelling Parisians
still looking for their first away win of the season in Top
14. They have, however, managed draws in three of their six
outings, emerging with a share of the points in Toulon,
Toulouse and Clermont.
It all adds up to another
cracking set of games as Top 14 bids farewell to 2009. And
don't panic if your need for French club rugby has left you
gaunt with withdrawal symptoms of late as Round 17 follows
just five days later with the next set of games on Sunday. A
seasonal glut indeed to ease the consumption of all that
cold turkey.
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 /
Round 13 /
Round 14 /
Round 15 /
Top 14, Round 16 fixtures
(Current league position in brackets)
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Montpellier
(11th) |
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Stade Francais (7th) |
Stade
Yves du Manoir,
30/12/09, 18.45 |
This is an intriguing
match with both sides looking for a win to bolster their
respective league campaigns. Eleventh-placed Montpellier
know that home victories are essential in the fight to avoid
relegation, but go into this match on the back of successive
heavy defeats against Brive (25-3 at home) and Perpignan
(29-3 away). And yet they had strung together four
successive league wins before that - writing a new chapter
in their own Top 14 history along the way. But they remain
just six points off the dreaded drop zone and welcome a
Stade Francais side looking to break their away-day duck in
the league this season. Draws at Toulon, Toulouse and
Clermont have helped them to the fringes of the top six -
they are currently tied on 38 points with sixth-placed
Toulon) - but another win-less trip here would probably see
them lose crucial ground. Fly-half Lionel Beauxis impressed
as they beat Ulster recently in the Heineken Cup, but Julien
Dupuy will be badly missed as he begins his 24-week
suspension. Noel Oelschig will probably start at nine now,
with English youngster Charlie Davies promoted to
understudy. Stade remain the league's highest scorers - and
by some margin - but Montpellier will be boosted by the
playing returns of French internationals Fulgence Ouedraogo
and Francois Trinh-Duc. The latter was rested for the two
Amlin Challenge Cup matches against Olympus Madrid, while
Ouedraogo returns after a shoulder injury sustained while on
duty for 'Les Bleus' against the All Blacks. Montpellier
tend to reserve their best performances for the big guns at
home - as witnessed by victories over Perpignan, Clermont,
Toulon and Biarritz already this campaign - so Stade will
need to shore up a defence that has already conceded 314
points in its 15 games so far this season. Only three teams
have conceded more, although Montpellier (328) are one of
those, indicating this could be an attractive and
high-scoring affair at the Stade Yves du Manoir.
Last season:
Montpellier 26 Stade Francais 13
Stade Francais 24
Montpellier 15
This season:
Stade Francais 43
Montpellier 26
Verdict: Montpellier win
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Castres
(1st) |
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Montauban
(10th) |
Stade
Pierre Antoine,
30/12/09, 19.00 |
Leaders Castres have lost
their last three games in all competitions, although the
last two of those were admittedly against Guinness
Premiership leaders Saracens in the AMC. But their 16-9 away
defeat to Bourgoin the preceding match was more of a severe
blow and the two Laurents (Labit and Travers) will be keen
to see their charges bounce back with a convincing home win
against Marc Raynaud's Montauban - the team they previously
coached so successively. The two sides fought out an 18-18
draw at the Stade Sapiac earlier in the season, and this
could pan out to be an equally tight affair, although the
visitors have still only managed one away win all season.
Castres have a near full strength squad to select from with
the only absentees being long-term injured Charles Sika,
Fabio Staibano and club captain Sebastien Tillous-Borde -
who is in line for a February return.
Last season:
Castres 31
Montauban 19
Montauban 24
Castres 23
This season:
Montauban 18 Castres 18
Verdict: Castres win
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Clermont Auvergne (4th) |
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Brive
(9th) |
Stade Marcel
Michelin,
30/12/09, 19.00 |
Derbies have a knack of
being closely-fought matches but Brive will still have
nightmares about last season's 52-7 humbling in the
equivalent fixture. They will also remember that Clermont
scrambled a 9-9 daw at the Stade Amédée Domenech earlier in
the season, after the home side should have put the game
beyond doubt in a dominant first period. That home draw
prompted a disastrous set of results for the ambitious
Limousin club, and eventually culminated in the sacking of
head coach Laurent Seigne, with previous assistant Ugo Mola
stepping up to take over. Performances have certainly
improved since then, with only one defeat in five league
games since Mola took charge. Indeed, Brive registered an
impressive 27-21 home win against Stade Toulousain last time
out, following up on their maiden away success of the season
when they trounced Montpellier 25-3. Back-to-back Heineken
defeats against London Irish were largely to be expected,
but the visitors have since received a welcome boost to
their squad with the return after injury of England and
British Lions centre Riki Flutey. He may not start the
match, but could come off the bench to re-start his centre
partnership with Jamie Noon, Brive's rock in a torrid season
as testified by him having played 1,198 minutes out of a
possible 1,200 so far in his debut Top 14 season. Andy Goode
remains convalescing after surgery on his appendix, leaving
Fabrice Estebanez and Luciano Orquera to share the fly-half
duties. Clermont have their own injury worries, with lock
Julien Pierre set to captain the side in the absence of
Aurélien Rougerie. Vern Cotter also has doubts over the
fitness of Napolioni Nalaga (thigh), Benoit Baby (cervical).
Alexandre Lapandry (shoulder)
and Tasesa Lavea (calf). Clermont will be looking to break a
league sequence of just one win in their last six games, and
should have been buoyed by their two recent performances
against Leicester Tigers in the Heineken Cup. They remain a
formidable force at the Stade Marcel Michelin, although not
infallible - as Biarritz proved in late November.
Last season:
Clermont Auvergne 52 Brive
7
Brive 18
Clermont Auvergne 16
This season:
Brive 9
Clermont Auvergne 9
Verdict: Clermont Auvergne win
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Bayonne (13th) |
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Racing-Métro 92
(3rd) |
Stade Jean Dauger,
30/12/09, 19.00 |
Bayonne began 2009 flying high in Top 14 and
with genuine hopes of an end-of-season play-off berth, but
the Basques eventually faded at the death and were narrowly
edged out of a Heineken Cup slot by Brive. A summer of
consolidation appeared on the cards with the Basques linked
with several big-name stars, but the arrivals failed to
materialise and the club has actually gone backwards since.
Now, just over halfway through the 2009/10 season, they find
themselves rooted in the relegation zone and four points
adrift of 12th-placed Bourgoin. They have already lost one
head coach - Richard Dourthe - and if recent press
speculation is to be believed could be on the brink of
saying 'adieu' to another as Fabien Galthié continues to be
courted by president Francis Salagoity. In the meantime it's
up to current incumbent Thierry Mentières to try and
instigate a league revival with the sole aim of maintaining
Bayonne's Top 14 status. Six defeats in their last seven
league games illustrates the daunting nature of the task he
faces, and Wednesday's clash against in-form Racing-Métro 92
will be a further test of the club's mettle. The Parisians
arrive on the back of eight successive league wins and
boosted by the return of half-back pairing Mathieu Lorée and
Jonathan Wisniewski.
The former has been
reinstated by the club after a month's suspension without
pay following his admission that he smoked cannabis, and
will start at scrum-half on Wednesday.
"Mathieu has made a youthful mistake. We wanted to convey a
clear message. Now we have proved that we have reason to
trust him," said head coach Pierre Berbizier. Lorée is still
waiting for an FFR disciplinary hearing, but Racing appear
to have now drawn a line under his indiscretion.
Wisniewski's form has been integral to the club's own recent
success and Berbizier will be delighted to have his first
choice fly-half back in harness after recovering from a back
injury sustained in the win over Biarritz. The Racing coach
has named his trio of international superstars with Francois
Steyn, Sébastien Chabal and skipper Lionel Nallet all in the
starting XV. You have to go
back to the 19th of September for Racing's last league
defeat - a 9-6 away loss at Castres - so Bayonne know they
have a mighty task ahead of them.
Mentières is still
uncertain whether tyro France winger Benjamin Fall will be
available after the player broke his nose in the recent AMC
clash with London Wasps, and also has further doubts over
Pepito Elhorga and Dwayne Haare. Prop Pierre-Philippe Lafond
is definitely out after being sidelined for three months,
and winger Filimone Bolavocu is also unavailable. "We cannot
lie, the pressure is enormous," said Mentières. "It's live
or die now," he added. Berbizier has decried the forthcoming
schedule of three games in 10 days as "a new aberration",
but his team could be in the top two by Wednesday evening if
results go their way.
Last season: Racing-Métro 92 were in ProD2
This season:
Racing-Métro 18 Bayonne 9
Verdict: Racing-Métro 92 win
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Toulon (6th) |
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SCA Albi
(14th) |
Stade Félix Mayol,
30/12/09, 19.00 |
Sixth-placed Toulon go
into Wednesday's match against bottom club SCA Albi having
won eight of their last 10 games in all competitions.
Furthermore, they will be bolstered by the return of
inspirational captain Joe Van Niekerk - for the first time
since November 21 - while many of their other first team
regulars (including the likes of Jonny Wilkinson and Pierre
Mignoni) have enjoyed the best part of more than three weeks
off after sitting out their recent AMC games against Rugby
Rovigo. Coach Philippe Saint-André does have injury concerns
over Sonny Bill Williams and Thomas Sourice, but such is
Toulon's new depth those potential losses should be easily
overcome. Saint-André won't, however, be taking Albi lightly
as Eric Béchu's team has also found some form of late,
winning four of their last five games in all competitions,
including two of their three league wins to date - against
Perpignan and Biarritz. Béchu confirmed Albi's starting XV
on Monday, with prop Pierre Correia and lock Francis Tisseau
both out due to injury. Lulian Dumitras starts at fly-half,
with Kevin Boulogne at scrum-half, while Lucas Borges
returns in the backs. Toulon are still unbeaten at home in
all competitions this season, and it would take a brave man
indeed to bet against them extending that run further on
Wednesday.
Last season: SCA Albi were in ProD2
This season:
SCA Albi 9 Toulon 15
Verdict: Toulon win
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Biarritz
(8th) |
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Bourgoin (12th) |
Parcs des Sports Aguiléra,
30/12/09, 19.00 |
Biarritz may be flying
high in Europe after four successive victories in the
Heineken Cup but their league form of late has not been so
spectacular and you have to go way back to October 3rd for
their last home win in Top 14 - when they beat champions
Perpignan 27-12. Admittedly five of their next six league
matches were on the road, but they lost their sole home
encounter 20-23 to Racing-Métro 92 and desperately need a
victory to stop them falling further behind in the race to
secure a top six finish. They currently lie eighth - five
points behind sixth-placed Toulon - and take on a Bourgoin
side apparently resettled after a further bout of club
infighting due their ongoing financial insecurity. Eric
Catinot's team beat leaders Castres 16-9 last time out and
will be looking to return with something from the Basque
coast as they continue their season-long fight to avoid
relegation. Just four points separate them from 13th-placed
Bayonne, and the latter also have a game in hand. If
Biarritz can reproduce their European form they could win by
a truckload, but Bourgoin have a penchant for pulling off
upsets and the Basques have already lost twice this season
at the Parcs des Sports Aguiléra. England centre Ayoola
Erinle starts on the wing, with Valentin Courrent at
fly-half and Magnus Lund continuing at flanker. Biarritz
will make a late call on the fitness of prop Campbell
Johnstone after he picked up a calf injury in training on
Tuesday.
Last season:
Biarritz 29 Bourgoin 22
Bourgoin 15
Biarritz 14
This season:
Bourgoin 22
Biarritz 17
Verdict: Biarritz win
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Stade Toulousain (5th) |
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Perpignan
(2nd) |
Stade Municipal,
30/12/09, 20.45 |
Finally, but by no means
least, we have the heavyweight clash between Stade
Toulousain and Perpignan as fifth takes on second in a match
which could prove a season's marker for both sides. Stade go
into the game fresh from their 23-7 home win against Cardiff
Blues and still nursing their proud unbeaten home record in
2009/10 as they seek to make up ground on the top four.
Perpignan, by contrast, will be looking to bounce back from
a 37-14 home mauling by Munster in the Heineken Cup, with
head coach Jacques Brunel urging his players to show the
desired response to such a morale-crushing defeat. "This
match will always remain in our minds," admitted Catalan
winger Farid Sid. "The next three games will be important
[against Stade Toulousain (a), Brive (a) and Racing-Métro
(h)]. Beyond the result, the manner of our mindset will be
essential," admitted Sid. "We must refocus on our essential
quality, namely the collective."
The defending champions
will be without Nicolas Laharrague, Julien Candelon, Henry Tuilagi, Damien Chouly
and Viliami Vaki - all injured - while Toulouse will have to
make do without the still injured trio of Byron Kelleher, Jean-Baptiste
Elissalde and Yann David. That should certainly help
selection quandaries for
the 17-time league winners with
Guy Noves spared having to pick two from four for his starting half-backs. Frédéric Michalak
impressed at scrum-half against Cardiff and fit-again David
Skrela appears to be his first choice fly-half, but where
does that leave Kelleher and Elissalde? "I don't not think
there are fixed pairs in the minds of the coaches," said
Skrela. "All four of us are interchangeable, but we are not
in the same mould - and that's an advantage to our staff,"
he added. Still, that problem will now have to wait until
January 3rd when Kelleher, Elissalde and David are all
expected to be fit for the trip to Bayonne. Victory here could see
Toulouse overtake second-placed Perpignan, with the Catalans
realistically looking for a defensive bonus to take back to
the Stade Aime Giral as they start their post-Munster
rehabilitation.
Last season:
Stade Toulousain 30 Perpignan 20
Perpignan 32 Stade Toulousain 8
This season:
Perpignan 17
Stade Toulousain 15
Verdict: Stade Toulousain win
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