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Top 14, r20 preview: Focus returns to
the league as play-off hopefuls battle for points
18 February 2010
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Eye on the ball: Brive scrum-
half Shaun Perry
Photo: Michael Paler |
Top 14 returns this
weekend with a crucial round of fixtures set to be played
out without any of France's 23-man Six Nations squad
participating. This will obviously affect some teams more
than others, with Stade Toulousain (seven absentees) and
Clermont Auvergne (five) the two hardest hit by the LNR's
decision.
Stade Toulousain boss Guy
Noves made his feelings clear on the matter this week -
especially regarding the availability
of Jean-Baptiste Poux - and the visit of Toulon
to the 17-time champions is one of the standout fixtures
scheduled for Saturday.
Elsewhere, there are a
number of critical clashes with Biarritz entertaining Brive
in a match that could major implications for two sides both
seeking to make up ground for a coveted top six finish.
Leaders Perpignan travel
to Montauban looking to consolidate top spot, and an away
win could prove doubly beneficial with nearest challengers
Castres also on the road as they journey to Paris to take on
Racing-Métro 92.
Top 14 Table
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Top 14 try-scorers
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Top 14 Results
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Top 14
Fixtures
Third-placed Clermont Auvergne
look to have a regulation home win in sight (despite their
international absentees) as they play host to basement club
SCA Albi, while Stade Francais continue their season-long
quest for an away win as they go to 12th-placed Bourgoin.
Defeat for the latter could see them drop down into the
relegation zone if Bayonne can continue their recent revival
with a precious away victory at Montpellier.
It all adds up to a
mouth-watering round of fixtures, and with just six more
league games to go after this one it is now time to stand up
and be counted.
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 /
Round 16 /
Round 17 /
Round 18 /
Round 19 /
Top 14, Round 20 fixtures
(Current league position in brackets)
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Biarritz (9th) |
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Brive
(7th) |
Parc des Sports Aguilera,
19/02/10, 20.45 |
Biarritz may be flying the
flag for France in the Heineken Cup but time is running out
for them in Top 14 as they seek to make up the considerable
nine point gap that currently separates them from
sixth-placed Toulon. There are only six more league games
after this weekend and should the Basques fail to make up
that ground they face the unenviable task of having to win
this season's Heineken Cup to qualify again for next
season's competition. That they should find themselves in
such a scenario is mystifying given their squad strength, so
the stakes could not be higher in this Friday night showdown
with Brive - one of three realistic contenders (along with
Biarritz and Stade Francais) battling it out to gain that
last top six spot from Toulon. To make matters worse for the
home side Brive arrive full of confidence after losing just
twice in their last nine league games, and with a four-point
advantage over their opponents. They may be shorn of England
internationals Riki Flutey and Steve Thompson - as well as
France's Alexis Palisson - but Biarritz will also be far
from full strength. Club totem Imanol Harinordoquy is with
France, while Damien Traille, Dimitri Yachvili, Fabien
Barcella, Magnus Lund and Paul Couet-Lannes are all out
injured. Indeed, Couet-Lannes will take no further part this
season after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his
right knee while playing for France Under-19s against their
South African counterparts last Friday. The triple absence
of Harinordoquy, Yachvili and Traille is a massive blow to
Biarritz, and they rarely reach their potential without
their three musketeers. Iain Balshaw will start at
full-back, with fellow England international Ayoola Erinle
at inside centre, while Julien Peyrelongue and Valentin
Courrent make up the half-back pairing. Brive -
who have allowed Andy Goode to join
Natal Sharks on loan - will have Fabrice Estebanez
available after being released from the French squad, and
Ugo Mola's team will fancy nicking a crucial away win to
bolster their own play-off hopes. They are currently five
points behind Toulon, but with the latter away to Stade
Toulousain this weekend is shaping up to be a make-or-break
set of fixtures.
Last season:
Biarritz 24
Brive 5
Brive 19
Biarritz 15
This season:
Brive 12 Biarritz 15
Verdict: Brive win
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Racing-Métro 92
(5th) |
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Castres
(2nd) |
Stade
Yves du Manoir,
20/02/10, 14.15 |
Ambitious Racing know
there's little room for manoeuvre as they seek to
consolidate their top six ambitions, so the visit of
high-flying Castres provides another stern test for Pierre
Berbizier's men. The home side are still unsure whether
Sébastien Chabal will be fit enough to play following his
recent back problems, but they will definitely be without
club captain Lionel Nallet and Italian international Andrea
Masi. They will once more look to their powerful pack to
provide a platform for impressive fly-half Jonathan
Wisniewski, but Castres also have energy to burn up front
with former All Black Chris Masoe leading their own
rampaging forwards. The match at Castres saw the home side
win a gritty battle 9-6 and it's likely to be another tight
affair at the Stade Yves du Manoir as both teams go for the
win. Castres will be without injured prop Luc Ducalcon.
Last season: Racing-Métro were in ProD2
This season:
Castres 9 Racing-Métro 6
Verdict: Racing win
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Clermont Auvergne
(3rd) |
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SCA Albi
(14th) |
Stade Marcel
Michelin,
20/02/10, 14.30 |
Clermont will be missing
French internationals Thomas Domingo, Julien Pierre, Julien
Bonnaire, Morgan Parra and Julien Malzieu, but will surely
still have sufficient firepower to overcome basement boys
SCA Albi with the likes of Kevin Senio, Brock James, Napolioni Nalaga and
Brent Russell all available. They could also include Italian
centre Gonzalo Canale, while former Springbok centre Marius
Joubert is in the squad after more than a year out with
groin and hamstring problems. The Stade Marcel
Michelin is a daunting venue for the best of teams, and Albi
are certainly far from that. Eric Béchu's team have
registered just three wins from 19 so far this season and
it's impossible to see that ratio improving on Saturday. A
negative points aggregate of -220 tells its own woeful story
and Clermont will be additionally motivated by having lost
33-24 at Racing-Métro in their last league match. Vern
Cotter's team have targeted a top two finish to secure an
automatic semi-final play-off berth, so nothing but a
resounding home win will be expected here.
Last season: SCA Albi were in ProD2
This season:
SCA Albi 8 Clermont Auvergne 40
Verdict: Clermont Auvergne win
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Bourgoin
(12th) |
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Stade Francais
(8th) |
Stade Pierre Rajon,
20/02/10, 14.30 |
The quest goes on as far as Stade Francais
are concerned with Saturday's trip to lowly Bourgoin
presenting them with their latest opportunity to register
their maiden away win in Top 14 this season. It is an
extraordinary statistic for a team which began the season
with ambitions of winning the French title, and their
cause will not be helped by a plethora of absentees. French
internationals Sylvain Marconnet, Dimitri Szarzewski, Pascal
Papé and Mathieu Bastareaud are all unavailable, as are
banned duo Julien Dupuy and David Attoub. Sergio Parisse
remains on the crock list and the Bergamasco brothers are
also doubtful. To add to Jacques Delmas' concerns his team
are facing up to a Bourgoin side desperate for points to
ease their relegation fears, especially now Bayonne appear
to have found some form and are breathing down their necks.
Bourgoin will take comfort from the fact they have won six
of their last seven home league games, with their scalps
including Biarritz, Racing-Métro 92, Perpignan, Brive and
Castres. The Stade Pierre Rajon will give the Parisians a
traditionally warm welcome and anything but a win for the
visitors would prove another hammer blow to their end of
season play-off hopes. They are currently six points adrift
of sixth-placed Toulon, and with games running out they face
the very real prospect of being excluded from France's
showpiece play-offs. That would also rule them out of
automatic qualification for next season's Heineken Cup,
unless (like Biarritz) they manage to claim their place by
winning this year's competition.
Last season:
Bourgoin 25 Stade Francais 32
Stade Francais 53
Bourgoin 3
This season:
Stade Francais 20 Bourgoin 6
Verdict: Bourgoin win
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Montauban
(11th) |
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Perpignan
(1st) |
Stade Sapiac,
20/02/10, 14.30 |
Defending champions and
current leaders Perpignan will be keen to extend their
three-match winning streak with victory at the Stade Sapiac
over a Montauban team that is still far from secure in its
own Top 14 status. The hosts are presently just four points
ahead of 12th-placed Bayonne and have lost six of their last
eight league games as they continue to stutter. Perpignan,
on the other hand, are beginning to find something of the
form that saw them win their first French title in 54 years
last season. The Catalans will be without centres David
Marty (with France) and Maxime Mermoz (injured), although
the latter could return to action in round 21. France prop
Nicolas Mas is also unavailable, but they should still be
strong enough to make it four wins on the spin as they try
to firm up their own top two standing to seal an automatic
semi-final slot.
Last season:
Montauban 6 Perpignan 9
Perpignan 19
Montauban 9
This season:
Perpignan 28
Montauban 9
Verdict: Perpignan win
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Montpellier
(10th) |
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Bayonne
(13th) |
Stade Yves du
Manoir,
20/02/10, 14.30 |
Relegation-threatened
Bayonne can boost their hopes of Top 14 survival with what
would be a crucial away win in Montpellier if they can
triumph on Saturday. Their hosts have been frustratingly
inconsistent this season, but with French internationals
Francois Trinh-Duc and Fulgence Ouedraogo both ruled out
Montpellier will be shorn of two top quality players.
Bayonne, by contrast, have Italy fly-half Craig Gower and
national team-mate Salvatore Perugini both back in their
squad as they go in search of a win that could see them
climb out of the bottom two, depending on how Bourgoin fare
at home to Stade Francais. The Basques have won three of
their four games under new head coach Christian Gajan, and
they surely won't lack for motivation. Montpellier, on the
other hand, are comfortable in the relative safety of 10th
spot, and could just be there for the taking.
Last season:
Montpellier 20
Bayonne 11
Bayonne 42
Montpellier 9
This season:
Bayonne 26
Montpellier 3
Verdict: Bayonne win
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Stade Toulousain
(4th) |
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Toulon
(6th) |
Stade Municipal,
20/02/10, 16.25 |
The final game of the
weekend could be the pick of the bunch in round 21, with
Stade Toulousain out to avenge their 18-13 away defeat to
Toulon earlier in the season. Toulon also came within a
point of winning in Toulouse last season, and will take
heart from the fact Guy Noves' team lost their long home
unbeaten run in their last match in Toulouse - when they
went down 16-15 to Clermont Auvergne. The home side will be
seriously handicapped by French internationals Jean-Baptiste Poux,
William Servat, Thierry Dusautoir, Frederic Michalak,
Yannick Jauzion, Vincent Clerc and Clement Poitrenaud all
being unavailable, while Jean-Baptiste Elissalde is also
ruled out through injury. Toulouse will still be able
to field a quality side however, while Toulon will also have
to make do without England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson. In
Felipe Contepomi they have a quality ready-made replacement,
but they have proved vulnerable on the road this season,
losing seven of their last nine away games in Top 14. Given
that record and their weekend opponents then Philippe
Saint-André would probably settle for a defensive bonus on
Saturday night.
Last season:
Stade Toulousain 19
Toulon 18
Toulon 14
Stade Toulousain 6
This season:
Toulon 18
Stade Toulousain 13
Verdict: Stade Toulousain win
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