Top 14, r19 preview: Struggling Bayonne entertain Biarritz in a crucial Basque derby

26 January 2010

Top 14, Round 19 fixtures (Current league position in brackets)

Brive (9th)

Montauban (11th)

Stade Amédée Domenech, 27/01/10, 19.00

Brive may have ended their Heineken Cup campaign with six defeats from six, but their recent Top 14 form suggests their early-season blues have been well and truly banished. The Limousin club has won five and drawn one of their last eight league games, and their two most recent home matches have resulted in notable victories over Stade Toulousain (27-21) and Perpignan (29-9). That contrasts sharply with Montauban's own league form, with Marc Raynaud's side managing a solitary win from their past seven matches. Five of those, admittedly, have been on the road, but that doesn't help when contemplating yet another away day. Indeed, Montauban have lost their last seven away games in Top 14, and are now sitting just seven points above the drop-zone. It may be too much to ask for an away win here, but Raynaud will be keen for his team to remain competitive, and if they can emerge with a defensive bonus he may consider that a job done. Ugo Mola, his Brive counterpart, will countenance no such slack, and picked his team accordingly for Saturday's home defeat by Scarlets. Alexis Palisson and Fabrice Estebanez were both called up to the French squad last week and the duo should both start on Wednesday after being rested at the weekend.
Last season:
Brive 33 Montauban 28
Montauban 15 Brive 10
This season:
Montauban 23 Brive 20
Verdict: Brive win

Racing-Métro 92 (5th)

Clermont Auvergne (1st)

Stade Yves du Manoir, 27/01/10, 19.00

This is a crucial match for Racing as the Paris side seek to get their Top 14 campaign back on track after successive defeats to Bourgoin and Perpignan brought their nine-match winning streak to a crashing halt. The last thing, then, that Pierre Berbizier's side probably fancy is a visit from France's in-form team and current league leaders. 'Les Jaunards' arrive fresh from their weekend Heineken Cup triumph and on the back of five successive victories, during which time they have scored 193 points and conceded just 55. Vern Cotter's team appear to have finally cast off the depression of losing their third successive Top 14 final and the freedom and creativity of their current play is proving a nightmare to contain for opposing defences. Last time out they won 16-15 away to Stade Toulousain and presently head Top 14, although only on points difference ahead of Castres. Victory here would both confirm their current status and also consolidate their lead, but Racing will certainly be no pushover after resting several of their key players during the past fortnight's European action. A further incentive to pull off a notable home win is the fact that a third successive league defeat could see them slip out of the top six - and all that brings with it. Their ambition remains undimmed and president Jacky Lorenzetti appears ever-willing to dig deep into his own pocket to finance their continued growth, as witnessed by their reported interest in Bayonne's young French winger Benjamin Fall this week. Current winger Julien Saubade, meanwhile, has been included in their squad after recovering from a hamstring injury, with big guns Lionel Nallet, Sébastien Chabal and Francois Steyn also in the group, along with half-back pairing Nic Berry and Jonathan Wisniewski. Clermont, for their part, have rested skipper Aurélien Rougerie and prop Thomas Domingo, while Mario Ledesma, Jamie Cudmore, Thibault Privat and Napolioni Nalaga are also absent.
Last season: Racing-Métro 92 were in ProD2
This season:
Clermont Auvergne 30 Racing-Métro 22
Verdict: Racing-Métro 92 win

Toulon (6th)

Montpellier (10th)

Stade Félix Mayol, 27/01/10, 19.00

Sixth-placed Toulon must start as overwhelming favourites for this match as they seek to maintain their unbeaten home record at the Stade Félix Mayol this season - and against a team which has registered two wins on the road in the league this campaign. Toulon will be without England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, and indeed will be down to the bare bones in terms of fly-halves after having released both Conrad Barnard (back to South Africa) and Sébastien Fauqué (to Bayonne) in recent weeks. All is not lost, however, as Wilko's replacement at 10 will be no less than Pumas captain Felipe Contepomi - a more than adequate stand-in which underlines the current squad depth being developed by Philippe Saint-André. Argentine Juan Fernandez Lobbe returns to the squad, alongside fellow back row Joe El Abd, while Rory Lamont and Fabien Cibray are also included, along with Pierre Mignoni and Sonny Bill Williams. Montpellier have named French internationals Francois Trinh-Duc and Fulgence Ouedraogo in their starting XV, alongside South African centre Grant Rees and Argentine full-back Federico Todeschini.
Last season:
Toulon 23 Montpellier 3
Montpellier 33 Toulon 8
This season:
Montpellier 21 Toulon 20
Verdict: Toulon win

Castres (2nd)

Stade Francais (7th)

Stade Pierre Antoine, 27/01/10, 20.45

Castres' 42-10 defeat at Toulon on Saturday underlined where their priorities currently lie and Top 14's surprise team of the season so far will be out to get back to winning ways as they hosts a still underperforming Stade Francais side. Their 15-0 defeat away to Montpellier in their last league match cost them the Top 14 lead - on points difference to Clermont - and a home win here would help ensure against a late season slide as they eye up a tough string of forthcoming fixtures. Stade Francais, meanwhile, travel with the aim of finally winning their first away game in Top 14 this season - a record that is only slightly glossed by the fact they have at least registered four away draws. Scrum-half Benjamin Tardy does at least offer them a specialist number nine option after two games with full-back Hugo Southwell filling the void left by the unavailability of Julien Dupuy (suspended), Noel Oelschig (broken hand) and Charlie Davies (sprained ankle). Another defeat here could see Stade cut further adrift from the top six - they are currently one point behind sixth-placed Toulon - but Castres remain unbeaten at home this season as the two Laurents - Labit and Travers - continue to get the best out of their resources, and confound doubters in the process. Thomas Sanchou, 29, certainly appears happy there after this week signing a new three-year deal with the Tarn-based club, following earlier new contracts for Yannick Forestier, Rodrigo Capo Ortega and Carl Hoeft.
Last season:
Castres 16 Stade Francais 21
Stade Francais 19 Castres 12
This season:
Stade Francais 44 Castres 18
Verdict: Castres win

Perpignan (4th)

Bourgoin (12th)

Stade Aimé Giral, 28/01/10, 19.00

Defending champions Perpignan need to get back to winning ways after losing six of their last nine games in all competitions as they seek to banish their Heineken Cup hangover. European failure will have cut deep at the Catalan club - especially with four other French teams having made the last eight - but at least they are now free to put all of their energies into retaining their Top 14 crown. A visit from lowly Bourgoin should give them the ideal opportunity to pick up four or five points, especially with revenge in the offing after slipping to a shock 17-6 defeat at Bourgoin earlier in the season. The visitors, for their part, are unlikely to have targeted this match despite their 12th-placed standing. Not many teams go to the Stade Aimé Giral and win - or emerge with a defensive point - and Bourgoin still have four home games on which to concentrate. They also have the further handicap of having played (and won) their ACC match at Leeds on Sunday afternoon, two days later than Perpignan's Heineken Cup game in Treviso. Bearing all that in mind it seems likely to be a straightforward night for Perpignan, who this week have also confirmed that 21-year-old Yohan Vivalda has become their latest player to sign a contract extension (for three more years).
Last season:  
Perpignan 40 Bourgoin 14
Bourgoin 16 Perpignan 22
This season:
Bourgoin 17 Perpignan 6
Verdict: Perpignan win

SCA Albi (14th)

Stade Toulousain (3rd)

Stade Municipal d'Albi 28/01/10, 19.00

Basement club Albi go into this game on the back of three successive league defeats and knowing that nothing but a victory will suffice if their dreams of Top 14 survival are to stay alive. But they are not without hope - they may have gone down 15-17 to Brive in their last home outing but their two previous home league games brought victories against Perpignan and Biarritz respectively. At present Eric Béchu's side are 11 points away from safety - having played a game more than 12th-placed Bourgoin - so another home defeat here would take them to the verge of a swift return back to ProD2. They will take heart from having pushed Stade Toulousain all the way earlier in the season, eventually earning a bonus point after going down 19-13, but Guy Noves' men have found more consistency since then despite losing at home to Clermont in their previous league match.
Last season:
SCA Albi were in ProD2
This season:
Stade Toulousain 19 SCA Albi 13
Verdict: Stade Toulousain win

Bayonne (13th)

Biarritz (8th)

Stade Jean Dauger, 28/01/10, 20.45

New Bayonne coach Christian Gajan acknowledged the extra dimension to this derby, admitting the outcome would be "crucial to both teams", although for vastly differing reasons. Bayonne are currently languishing in 13th spot and are six points behind nearest rivals Bourgoin - although with a game in hand - while Biarritz desperately need points to push them up into the top six. Bayonne go into the match on the back of eight defeats in their last nine league games, although Gajan has begun his reign as the club's third head coach this season with back-to-back victories in the Amlin Challenge Cup, including a 27-14 home win against high-flying Racing-Métro 92. But, as with most derbies, form can largely been thrown out of the window as the passion and pride of local rivalries takes precedence over logic. And they don't come much more local than this, with just eight kilometres separating the two clubs' stadiums. Last season there was a double surprise with the respective away teams triumphing on both occasions, but Biarritz won out earlier this campaign, even if their 12-6 victory was actually achieved in San Sebastian, Spain. The Heineken Cup quarter-finalists have been infuriatingly inconsistent in the league this season, and as ever on these occasions it will come down to which team has the greater desire on the night.
Last season:
Bayonne 15 Biarritz 19
Biarritz 12 Bayonne 14
This season:
Biarritz 12 Bayonne 6
Verdict: Bayonne win

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