Top 14, preview: Biarritz and Racing battle for sixth; Toulon and Perpignan for the lead

15 April 2010

Top 14, Round 25 fixtures (Current league position in brackets)

Clermont Auvergne (4th)

Castres (3rd)

Stade Marcel Michelin, 16/04/10, 20.45

This may be a top-of-the-table clash (between 4th and 3rd) but the key word going into this match is 'response' - how will Clermont (and Brock James in particular) respond to their Heineken heartbreak at Leinster? And how will Castres respond to their first home defeat (to Perpignan) in round 25? Both sides have already secured play-off berths but the result of this match will go a long way towards deciding whether either can yet by-pass the quarterfinals by securing a top two finish to progress straight through to the semi-finals. Clermont will be out to banish their Heineken hangover, but go into this match having lost three of their last four games, including away defeats at Bayonne and Stade Francais. Their home form has remained consistent all season with just one reverse - against Biarritz - and another victory here could see them move back into the top two, especially with leaders Perpignan travelling to play second-placed Toulon. To that end the return of Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga will be welcomed after he was forced to sit out the Leinster defeat. Castres, like Clermont, will be after the win for the same reason and will be out to show their mettle after the 17-11 home loss to Perpignan. Both sides will also be aware they face hugely difficult final games next weekend with Clermont travelling to Biarritz and Castres at home to Stade Toulousain. The forward battle will be key between two of the league's most proficient packs, while the Friday night clash also pits the division's two top scorers in direct competition with Castres' Romain Teulet (225 pts) and James (200) going head-to-head. James openly talked about how his "rubbish" performance last weekend had cost his side a Heineken Cup semi-final and the Australian will need to banish his Irish nightmare if 'Les Jaunards' are to return to winning ways.
This season:
Castres 9 Clermont Auvergne 9
Verdict: Clermont Auvergne win
Remaining games
Clermont Auvergne: Biarritz (a)
Castres: Stade Toulousain (h)

Bourgoin (12th)

Stade Toulousain (5th)

Stade Gerland (Lyon), 17/04/10, 14.30

Lowly Bourgoin must banish the continuing uncertainty surrounding Montauban's future to ensure they are not relegated themselves should the Tarn and Var club manage a Houdini-esque escape at the last minute. Bourgoin are currently just two points off the drop zone and will have to pick themselves up from last weekend's ACC quarterfinal defeat away to Connacht. Stade Toulousain, by contrast, could not go into the game on a more confident note after dismantling Stade Francais 42-16. Bourgoin's best hope is that result may have bred over-confidence, or the Toulouse players are still groggy after what is bound to have been a week of celebration. The 17-time champions will be without the hugely impressive Yannick Jauzion - Man of the Match last weekend - and hooker William Servat, but such is their strength in depth they can easily fill those gaps. Their could also be a club debut for recent signing Vilimoni Delasau - captured from Montauban as a medical joker following Yves Donguy's cruciate ligament injury. Skipper Thierry Dusautoir told frenchrugbyclub.com at the weekend that he would chose European success above domestic another triumph this season, perhaps indicating where the club's true priorities lie at present. Having said that, Toulouse will know that a victory here would nudge them ever-closer to a prized top two finish. Bourgoin go into the match on the back of three successive defeats and knowing that another reverse here could really drop them in the poo, with their final game away to fellow relegation strugglers Montpellier.
This season:
Stade Toulousain 41 Bourgoin 3
Verdict: Stade Toulousain win
Remaining games
Bourgoin: Montpellier (a)
Stade Toulousain: Castres (h)

Montauban (11th)

Montpellier (10th)

Stade Sapiac, 17/04/10, 14.30

What to say of Montauban? Relegated already on financial grounds and then thumped 42-13 by Biarritz in their final game - morale surely cannot be good. The collapse of a potential rescue package on Monday will not have eased minds either and there is still talk of not playing their final match - away to fellow relegation battlers Bayonne. The latest development saw them launch a public appeal for funds on Thursday as the hunt for a solution becomes increasingly desperate. The one thing head coach Marc Raynaud will have been trying to impress on his troops this week, surely, is that to have any hope of surviving in Top 14 they must first ensure they do not finish 13th. At present they are just two points above 13th-placed Bayonne and defeat here could see them drop back down. That will certainly be Montpellier's aim, with the Hérault club just two points ahead of Montauban and still uncertain of their own Top 14 future. Last time out they spanked already relegated SCA Albi 62-17 and should have enough class to stay up - especially with their final game away to Bourgoin - but Francois Trinh-Duc and company can spare themselves any final day anxieties by completing the job at the Stade Sapiac. The atmosphere is bound to highly charged, however, with Montauban's fans understanding that this could be the club's last home game in Top 14 for many years should it fall into liquidation - and thus drop down a massive five divisions to Fédérale 3. They key for Montauban will be to try and block out the distractions, or to use the emotions to charge themselves up.
This season:
Montpellier 19 Montauban 0
Verdict: Montauban win
Remaining games
Montauban: Bayonne (h)
Montpellier: Bourgoin (h)

Bayonne (13th)

Brive (8th)

Stade Jean Dauger, 17/04/10, 14.30

This is another must-win game for both these sides, with 13th-paced Bayonne desperate for the win to escape the drop zone while Brive simply have to triumph to keep alive their slim play-off hopes. To that end Brive must put aside thoughts of the crucial clash between Racing and Biarritz, while Bayonne must banish any ideas they have that relegation will simply be avoided due Montauban's mountain of problems. Head coach Christian Gajan oversaw a run of six wins in eight games after taking over, but successive defeats to Castres (26-10) and Toulon (31-13) has left them back in the mire and two points adrift of both Bourgoin and Montauban - whom they travel to pay next weekend. Thus, a home win here is absolutely essential to guard against the drop. Brive are currently level on points with Biarritz as they hunt down Racing - and the final pay-off slot. The Parisians are currently three points to the good, but the visit of the Basques could yet play into Brive's hands. Last season they managed a final-day squeeze which saw them slip into the last Heineken Cup berth, so there is recent history on their side. Two weeks ago they beat Bourgoin 25-15 and snuck a last-ditch bonus point, and a repeat of that outcome could yet see them climb to sixth by the end of this weekend.
This season:
Brive 19 Bayonne 14
Verdict: Brive win
Remaining games
Bayonne: Montauban (a)
Brive: Toulon (h)

SCA Albi (14th)

Stade Francais (9th)

Stade Municipal d'Albi, 17/04/10, 14.30

Dead and buried with nothing to play for... and that's just Stade Francais! Last weekend's 42-16 rout by Stade Toulousain effectively ended their season in terms of having something to play for, although optimists will point to the fact they could yet (mathematically at least) finish in the top six. It would certainly take a freakish set of results for that to happen, but they still should be plenty good enough to overcome an Albi team that has been relegated for some weeks now. Having said that, there's nothing a doomed club likes more than putting one over on their supposed superiors and Albi's fans will be urging their team on to finish with a home win before dropping back down to ProD2. They hosts have only managed three league victories all season, but they were all at home - against Bayonne, Perpignan and Biarritz. That's not a bad trio of scalps and Albi will be desperate to add Stade Francais to that list. Form, however, is most definitely not on their side with the home team going into this match on the back of 11 straight defeats, five of which have been on their own turf. For Stade it's a question of pride, and perhaps future contracts, with the selection (or not) of James Haskell likely to attract questioning eyes. The England flanker was inexplicably dropped from Stade's match-day squad last weekend in what seemed a clear matter of revenge from Max Guazzini following Haskell's non return during the blank weekend in the recent Six Nations. Head coach Jacques Delmas insisted the move was tactical, but he appeared like a condemned prisoner reading from a rehearsed script. Albi came mighty close to pulling off a surprise win in Paris earlier in the season - eventually losing 23-18 - and Stade's woeful away form - only one league win this season - hardly inspires confidence.
This season:
Stade Francais 23 SCA Albi 18
Verdict: SCA Albi
Remaining games
SCA Albi: Perpignan (a)
Stade Francais: Racing-Métro 92 (h)

Toulon (2nd)

Perpignan (1st)

Stade Vélodrome, 17/04/10, 16.25

Title credentials and a sacred top two finish are on the line here as second-paced Toulon entertain leaders Perpignan at Marseille's impressive Stade Vélodrome. A 60,000 sell out crowd is guaranteed as Philippe Saint-André's side seek to both maintain their season-long unbeaten 'home' record and also, significantly, take over pole position in Top 14. Toulon go into the game on the back of seven straight league wins - and eight in total - but the Catalans have also hit form of late and last time out ended Castres' long unbeaten home record. Both teams have registered 16 league victories this season - two more than anyone else - but Perpignan's Achilles heal this year has been their indifferent away form, with all eight of their losses being on the road. Jonny Wilkinson's boot proved the decisive factor when Toulon beat Stade Toulousain 18-13 at the same venue earlier in the season, and momentum certainly appears to be Mourad Boudjellal's all star side. This week the frank talking club president likened Toulon's bid for the title to an armed bank robbery, but in truth they are where they're at on the back of solid defence, a sound kicking game and arguably the league's most proficient back row. Add in some highly talented backs - Sonny Bill Williams is in cracking form - and the on-field presence of assistant coach Tana Umaga and you have a formidable outfit. You also have the makings of an absolutely top drawer match.
This season:
Perpignan 25 Toulon 9
Verdict: Toulon win
Remaining games
Toulon: Brive (a)
Perpignan: SCA Albi (h)

Racing-Métro 92 (6th)

Biarritz (7th)

Stade Yves du Manoir, 17/04/10, 20.45

Last, but by no means least, is the sixth-placed shootout between faltering Racing-Métro and buoyant Biarritz. The Parisians have seen a seemingly assured play-off spot slowly slip from their grasp following a run of three defeats in four - and five in eight - while Biarritz have been charging up on the rails courtesy of some strong home form. Stade Toulousain and Montauban have both been defeated in recent weeks, while last weekend's Heineken triumph against the Ospreys will have boosted confidence further. Their problem, however, has been their away form with the Basques having lost their last six league games on their travels. Indeed, they have to go way back to November for their last away league win - at Clermont - although they do have a full pack of cards to choose from now. As they showed last weekend they have pace to burn out wide - in the shape of Takudzwa Ngwenya and Iain Balshaw - while Dimitri Yachvili's place-kicking and Damien Traille's adeptness at drop-goals means they have plenty of points-scoring potential. Racing, however, will be a tough nut to crack, with their forward-based power game backed by their own international stars in the backline - such as the ever-green Sireli Bobo and the highly talented Springbok Francois Steyn. This is yet another match that could come down to the success, or not, of the kickers, and the double goal of Heineken qualification and a play-off berth ensure the stakes could not be higher. Nerves and big-match temperaments will come to the fore - perhaps edging the tie towards Biarritz - but I just reckon Racing could have enough to finally secure the play-off slot that their season-long efforts deserve. A win would also complete a notable league double over the Basques, following their 23-20 win in Biarritz back in December.
This season:
Biarritz 20 Racing-Métro 23
Verdict: Racing-Métro win
Remaining games
Racing-Métro 92: Stade Francais (a)
Biarritz: Clermont Auvergne (h)

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