Top 14, r6 preview - Blanco comments add further spice to Basque derby, in north Spain

11 September 2009

The Top 14 season hit fast forward recently - with three games in eight days - but it's back to the more sedate pace of one match per week again now, starting with round six this weekend.

The revved up pace proved too hot for Stade Francais - who parted company with their Ewen McKenzie/Christophe Dominici coaching team this week - but suited champions Perpignan just fine as they emerged as the only side to have won all three games.

In so doing they also climbed above the likes of Clermont Auvergne, Stade Toulousain and Toulon to claim top spot with just under 20% of the regular season already gone.

This weekend they travel to a Bourgoin side still bouncing around on the emotions of their early season traumas, and also licking their wounds after Sunday's 53-6 hammering at Bayonne. Inspiration could, however, come from the crowd with Bourgoin having switched the venue to the Stade des Alpes, home ground to FC Grenoble.

Stade Francais, on the other hand, begin life under the new coaching duo of Jacques Delmas and Didier Faugeron with yet another tricky match as they play host to Castres - the only team still boasting an unbeaten record in Top 14. Indeed, Castres have currently got a 100% win record and are sitting pretty in fifth position, despite having played two fewer games than all those above them.

What state the Parisian squad will be in remains to be seen, but talk is already rife about possible future comings and goings - never the most settling environment for a team already struggling.

Elsewhere, the Basque derby between Biarritz and Bayonne is sure to be a feisty affair, especially with Biarritz opting to move the venue to Real Sociedad's Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastien, northern Spain. This will be the second Top 14 match played there this season, following Bayonne's 'home' game against Stade Francais in round two, and Biarritz president Serge Blanco has further pepped up emotions with some choice comments to the press (see below).

Second-placed Clermont Auvergne will be hoping to build on their 19-12 home win against Stade Toulousain when their entertain Racing-Metro 92, while Toulouse themselves could take out their frustration on bottom-of-the-table SCA Albi.

Toulon face a difficult task as they seek to bounce back from their first defeat of the season - an away trip to Montpellier - while in-form Montauban are at home to Brive. It all makes for another potentially riveting weekend, starting with tonight's round six opener between Bourgoin and Perpignan.

Round 1 review: Brive lead Top 14 after Thompson try sets up bonus point win
Round 2 review: Stade Toulousain crush Brive; Montpellier stun Perpignan
Round 3 review: Wilkinson's boot fires Toulon up to third; Perpignan beat Toulouse
Round 4 review: Toulon and Toulouse share top spot as Stade Francais crash again
Round 5 review: Stade Francais slip into bottom two; Clermont beat Toulouse

Top 14, Round 6 fixtures (Current league position in brackets)

Bourgoin (12th)

Perpignan (1st)

Stade des Alpes, 11/09/09, 20.35

First against 12th looks a healthy mismatch on paper - and nine points already separate these two teams after just five games - but Bourgoin have summoned the spirit of defiance in winning their only two home games to date, against Biarritz and Racing-Metro. Perpignan obviously present a far tougher challenge, but Bourgoin welcome back several rested players after sitting out Sunday's 53-6 mauling in Bayonne - including captain Julien Frier, lock Levast Camille, hooker Jean-Philippe Genevois and backs David Janin and Albert Vulivuli. They will also be playing in front of a far bigger home crowd than normal because the match has been moved to FC Grenoble's Stade des Alpes. Perpignan, apart from sole slip at Montpellier, have looked perfectly functional so far this campaign, playing with a belief that comes from being champions. Another win here would set them up nicely for their forthcoming pair of home games - against Montauban and Clermont Auvergne. They will have to make do without injured centre David Marty (bruised ribs), as well as props Nicolas Mas (appendicitis) and Benoit Bourrust (thigh strain). South African back Philip Burger will also be unavailable until September 22nd after picking up a 30-day suspension following his red card for "verbal abuse of a referee" against Montpellier, and they are also set to be without last weekend's half-back pairing of Nicolas Laharrague and David Mélé. Better news for Perpignan, however, comes in the shape of the returns (from injury) of Gerrie Britz, Damien Chouly and Christophe Manas. 
Last season:
Bourgoin 16 Perpignan 22
Perpignan 40 Bourgoin 14
Verdict: Perpignan win

Stade Francais (13th)

Castres (5th)

Stade Jean Bouin, 12/09/09, 14.30

The stunning double sacking of Ewen McKenzie and Christophe Dominici is still reverberating around France, with the Paris glamour club dominating headlines after the duo's swift dismissals this week. The squad will now have to re-align under Jacques Delmas and Didier Faugeron - who previously coached Brive and SU Agen - but what scars have been left by a turbulent 10 days. In that time Stade shipped a hatful of points and tries as they went down 35-40 at home to Montauban, then failed to rise to the challenge again as they lost 30-22 away to an erratic Biarritz. Three days later they had lost their head coach and his assistant, and on Saturday they play host to Castres - the only unbeaten team left standing in Top 14. Castres are just about to get very, very busy indeed as they embark on a run of six games in three weeks in an effort to make up for their two postponements (due to sine flu), so another victory here would be just the tonic as the two Laurents (Labit and Travers) seek to continue their team's winning run. Delmas - who was sacked as Biarritz' assistant coach last season - instead believes this match could mark the beginning of a beautiful adventure: "There is a challenge ahead and it is exciting," he said this week, although it appears that he's trying to limit expectations at the same time. "There is work to be done, but for all players and coaches there is a single goal - to finish in the top six," he added. 
Last season:
Stade Francais 19 Castres 12 
Castres 16 Stade Francais 21
Verdict: Castres win

Stade Toulousain (3rd)

SCA Albi (14th)

Stade Ernest Wallon, 12/09/09, 14.30

Injuries and a tough set of fixtures have so far largely held Stade Toulousain in check, so the visit of basement club SCA Albi - still winless after four matches - should prove a welcome prospect. Guy Noves' team will be primed for a quick return to winning ways after last week's 9-12 reverse at Clermont, and Albi at home would appear to be the sacrifice. Eric Bechu's men lost 17-43 against Toulouse in a pre-season game, but the mighty south west giants are a different challenge altogether when it comes to the serious stuff. A tricky trip to Toulon looms around the corner for Toulouse in round seven, so the they must surely be on the quest for maximum points at the Stade Ernst Wallon. Albi centre Saula Radidi will be absent after picking up a torn thigh muscle. 
Last season: SCA Albi were in ProD2
Verdict: Stade Toulousain win

Montpellier (11th)

Toulon (4th)

Stade Yves du Manoir, 12/09/09, 14.30

Montpellier's Jekyll and Hyde season will be put to the test again on Saturday when high-flying Toulon stroll in to town to test their impressive home record. Victories over both Perpignan and Biarritz have given Montpol understandable confidence, but their woeful away form continues to undo them in terms of league position. Toulon rock up on the back of their only reverse of this campaign so far - a narrow 21-18 defeat at Montauban - but Philippe Saint-André can recall several key players who were rested for that game, including England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson and their first-choice back row featuring Juan Martin Lobbe, Joe van Niekerk and Joe El Abd. Montpellier will also be boosted by the returns of captain Fulgence Ouedraogo and fellow French internationals Francois Trinh-Duc and Benjamin Thiéry, but prop Sébastien Petit is absent after breaking his nose and a thumb against Castres, while Julien Tomas is also ruled out.   
Last season:
Montpellier 33 Toulon 8
Toulon 23 Montpellier 3
Verdict: Toulon win

Montauban (10th)

Brive (6th)

Stade Sapiac, 12/09/09, 14.30

Life's looking pretty good at Montauban going into this weekend, which is quite a turnaround from their unhappy position just two weeks ago. At that stage they were rooted to the foot of Top 14 after losing their opening two games and then having their third postponed due to Castres' swine flu problems. Successive wins - away to Stade Francais and at home to Toulon - have altered the picture somewhat now, with Marc Raynaud's team beginning to gain in substance. On Saturday they face up to a Brive side still fluctuating in form as the new recruits settle in. Andy Goode's injury frustrations continue as he remains sidelined yet again, while news of Riki Flutey's ongoing shoulder problems is causing concern - both with England and Brive. South African utility back Ronnie Cooke is also out injured. The Limousin club rediscovered their attacking verve against Albi last week, but Montauban's Stade Sapiac could prove hostile territory come Saturday afternoon. The home side have been boosted by the DNACG's decision to unblock three player licences, enabling summer signings Alejandro Campos, Mirko Lozupone and Joel Koffi to finally make their debuts. 
Last season:
Montauban 15 Brive 10
Brive 33 Montauban 28
Verdict: Montauban win

Biarritz (7th)

Bayonne (8th)

Estadio Anoeta, 12/09/09, 16.25

It's all off to Spain again as Biarritz and Bayonne renew Basque rivalries, this time at San Sebastien's Estadio Anoeta. The carnival atmosphere when Bayonne played Stade Francais there earlier in the season was great to watch, and ticket sales point to a coffer-swelling full house by the time kick arrives late on Saturday afternoon. That's good news for Biarritz - the designated 'home' side - but comes hot on the heals of club president Blanco accusing Bayonne of encouraging supporters not to attend, so as not to give 'Les Biarrots' thir hard earned cash. Wow! Well, that sure ain't gonna make Monsieur Blanco public friend No 1 in Bayonne, especially after his earlier calls for the match to be a "derby celebration, not conflict". Form and history went out the window last season as both teams were beaten at home, so who wins on so-called neutral territory remains anyone's guess. Biarritz have been in roller-coaster form so far this season, while Bayonne have been impressive at home, and as this was previously used by them for a 'home' game then maybe they hold the advantage. Basque derbies have an understandable tendency to be tight and hard-fought affairs, but an attacking flair lies deep within both sides could make this a spectacle to delight in.
Last season:
Biarritz 12 Bayonne 14
Bayonne 15 Biarritz 19
Verdict: Biarritz win

Clermont Auvergne (2nd)

Racing-Métro 92 (9th)

Stade Marcel Michelin, 12/09/09, 16.30

The weekend's final match sees Clermont Auvergne play host to Racing-Métro 92 as 'Les Jaunards' seek to build on Sunday's impressive 19-12 home win against Stade Toulousain. That result (and performance) confirmed Vern Cotter's team once more as serious contenders for this season's honours, and another home win against Racing will also maintain their promising start. Racing, by contrast, will be hoping to pick up another defensive bonus as they near the end of an horrific fixture list which will eventually see them play five of their first seven matches away from home.    
Last season: Racing-Métro 92 were in ProD2
Verdict: Clermont Auvergne win

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