Top 14, r22 preview - Basque derby and top two clash dominate mouthwatering fixtures

24 March 2011

Top 14, Round 22 fixtures (Current league position in brackets)

Castres (3rd)

Toulon (7th)

Stade Pierre Antoine, 25/03/11, 19.15

Third-placed Castres go into this match having won four of their past five league games and seeking to protect their season-long unbeaten home record. The Stade Pierre Antoine will be packed to the rafters for their penultimate home match of the campaign, and if they can see off Toulon they could deal Philippe Saint-André's side a terminal blow in their own hopes of making the play-offs. FRC columnist Joe El-Abd described this clash as a "must-win match" for Toulon, and if they did manage to triumph they could even end the weekend on the same points total as their hosts, such is the congested nature of Top 14 - only six points separates the seven clubs between third and ninth positions. To that end Toulon will gleefully welcome back fly-half and talisman Jonny Wilkinson, who should be suitably refreshed after two months away playing a bit-part in England's Six Nations campaign. His game management and goal-kicking has been badly missed by Toulon during that time, so his return could not be better timed. On Friday night he will go up against Castres full-back Romain Teulet in the goal-kicking stakes, with the home favourite currently well clear as the leading points scorer in Top 14 - Teulet has 260 compared to Wilkinson's 213. Toulon could include yet-t-debut Gavin Henson in an extended travelling squad of 25, but they will be without El-Abd as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Castres will definitely be without fly-half Cameron McIntyre after he was sidelined for three to four weeks with an ankle injury. Castres have not lost at home in the league since going down 17-11 against Perpignan on April 3rd last year, but Toulon have the potential to end that run on Friday night.        
Last season: Castres 21 Toulon 19
Verdict: Toulon win

La Rochelle (12th)

Perpignan (9th)

Stade Marcel Deflandre, 26/03/11, 14.30

In common with most fixtures this weekend this is a game that neither side can afford to lose. La Rochelle are currently one point ahead of Brive as they stay just above the drop zone, but the Maritimers will be more than aware that Brive are at home to hapless Bourgoin on Saturday, so anything but a win could see them slip back down into the relegation mire. A visit from the 2009 champions is probably not what they wanted then, especially as Perpignan appear to be on something of a roll after four successive league wins, including two on the road. The Catalans will, however, have to make do without suspended duo David Marty and Grégory Le Corvec - who will both also sit out the club's forthcoming Heineken Cup quarter-final against Toulon - while Maxime Mermoz is still sidelined with a shoulder injury. Perpignan, though, are desperate for the points to continue their late push for a play-off berth. Five of La Rochelle's six wins this season have come at the Stade Marcel Deflandre - their other was away to Bourgoin - and the hosts will take inspiration from their 20-16 home win against Montpellier in the previous round.         
Last season: La Rochelle were in ProD2
Verdict: Perpignan win

Racing-Métro 92 (2nd)

Stade Toulousain (1st)

Stade Yves du Manoir, 26/03/11, 14.30

A mighty clash if ever there was one, as the league's top two sides go head to head up in Paris. Both sides will be bolstered by a hefty return of international stars, with Racing's Italian contingent no doubt in celebratory mood after Andrea Masi was voted as the Player of the Tournament in the just-completed RBS Six Nations. The two teams will also feature players determined to make amends after being dropped by France coach Marc Lièvremont following his side's shock defeat to Italy. In Racing's case that could mean an angry Sébastien Chabal on the war path, while Toulouse's Yannick Jauzion also knows he needs a string of eye-catching performances to try and work his way back into France's World Cup squad. Racing will be without the injured Argentine Juan Martin Hernandez, but fly-half Jonathan Wisniewski is fit and raring to go having just signed a three-year extension with the club. Both sides go into this clash with good form behind - as you would expect of the top two sides - but the outcome of this game could have a telling impact on the end-of-season play-offs. Should Racing win and maintain their unbeaten home record this season they will close the gap on Toulouse to three points at the most - and consolidate their own hopes of securing a bye through to the semi-finals - while if Toulouse manage to secure their fourth away win of the campaign they will be virtually home and dry in terms of avoiding a quarter-final play-off. That is clearly the goal for Guy Noves' team given their twin assault on Top 14 and the Heineken Cup, but they will have to make do without injured duo Byron Kelleher - who hasn't played since December 10th - and Argentine lock Patricio Albacete.       
Last season: Racing-Métro 27 Stade Toulousain 20
Verdict: Racing-Métro win

Brive (13th)

Bourgoin (14th)

Stade Aimé Giral, 26/03/11, 14.30

Battling Brive may be back down in the relegation zone but this game presents them with the perfect opportunity to haul themselves out as they entertain a hapless Bourgoin side that is currently on a run of 12 successive league defeats. Victory is of course the minimum requirement, but a five-point return would be the ideal situation for a team which has fought gamely without getting the results they perhaps deserve over the past three months. In that time (since Dec 29th) they have only won only two of their eight league games, but they have still managed to accumulate 13 points thanks to some stubborn and determined defence. Beating Bourgoin should thus be a straightforward task, but the bad news for Brive is they've been hit by a catastrophic run of injuries this week. Italian fly-half Luciano Orquera has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury picked up on international duty, while Welsh flanker Alix Popham (elbow), prop Pascal Idieder (neck) and hooker Guillaume Ribes (knee) are also unlikely to play again this campaign. That puts an extra burden on the likes of Gerhard Vosloo, Fabrice Estebanez and Alexis Palisson to shine, especially as the Limousin club needs at least three tries to secure the attacking bonus they so desperately need.            
Last season: Brive 25 Bourgoin 15
Verdict: Brive win

SU Agen (11th)

Clermont Auvergne (4th)

Stade Armandie, 26/03/11, 14.30

SU Agen are currently the best-placed of the three clubs vying to avoid dropping down with Bourgoin at the end of this season, but that favourable outlook could change considerably following this weekend's fixtures. Agen are presently two points ahead of Brive (who are at home to Bourgoin) and one point in front of La Rochelle (who are at home to Perpignan) so they go into this match against defending champions Clermont Auvergne knowing anything but a win could see them slip back down into the relegation zone. Three defeats in their last four games underlines how precarious their position still remains, but they will take heart from the fact they have Bayonne, Bourgoin and Toulon in their last three home matches. A repeat of those results would do nicely for the hosts, and they must fancy their chances against a Clermont side which has lost its last eight away games in Top 14, and has managed just one solitary victory on the road all season (at Bourgoin). Clermont will, of course, be without Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga - who has now been released from his contract with the club - while Italian centre Gonzalo Canale is suspended following a dangerous tackle on Simon Danielli in last weekend's Six Nations defeat by Scotland. Aurélien Rougerie is also suspended, but against that they will have the likes of Morgan Parra, Julien Pierre, Alexandre Lapandry and Thomas Domingo back from international duty.
Last season: SU Agen were in ProD2
Verdict: SU Agen win

Biarritz (6th)

Bayonne (8th)

Estadio Anoeta (San Sebastian), 26/03/11, 15.30

Just three points separates these two Basque rivals as they head into their latest derby clash - once more being held across the border at the impressive Estadio Anoeta in northern Spain's San Sebastian. Biarritz are currently tied with fifth-placed Montpellier on 57 points, while Bayonne are three back in eighth position. Biarritz also hold bragging rights from earlier in the season having won the away leg of this most keenly contested derby 22-19. But form, as ever, means little going into a match that means so much to both supporters and players, and Bayonne will be going all out for revenge. Their cause has been hindered somewhat by the suspensions handed out to Aretz Iguiniz and Jean-Jo Marmouyet following their ill-tempered clash with Perpignan in Round 21 - which they lost 25-19 - while injury will also deprive them of Pepito Elhorga, Troy Flavell and Julien Puricelli. But Bayonne will be able to include scrum-half Cedric Garcia, who was passed fit in midweek, while discarded French winger Yoann Huget is back among club colleagues after being jettisoned from Lièvremont's squad. Biarritz will also be bolstered by international returns with Imanol Harinordoquy, Damien Traille and fit-again scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili all expected to feature. The hosts have only one more 'home' league match after this, so they will be keen as mustard to make this result count as they seek to consolidate their top six position, while Bayonne have the continuing behind-the-scenes power struggle to contend with. Head coach Christian Gajan this week admitted he was fed up with the ongoing distraction, claiming his work was being undermined by outside forces.        
Last season: Biarritz 12 Bayonne 6
Verdict: Biarritz win

Montpellier (5th)

Stade Francais (10th)

Stade Yves du Manoir, 27/03/11, 21.00

After five successive away defeats in the league Montpellier simply must win their remaining three home matches to ensure their presence in the end of season play-offs. Fabien Galthié's side certainly deserve such a reward after an excellent campaign, but their margin for error has been undermined by that recent poor form on their travels, epitomized by going down down 20-16 at La Rochelle in Round 21. They remain in the top six going into this weekend, but only just as they are tied on 57 points with Biarritz. Toulon (two points back), Bayonne (three) and Perpignan (four) are all pushing hard to break into that top six, so Montpellier need to take at least four points against the continually erratic Stade Francais. The Parisians look set to miss out on the play-offs for a second successive season, and their need to qualify for the Heineken Cup now looks like resting on success in the Amlin Challenge Cup - Europe's second tier club competition. Their next game in that competition is an all-French quarter-final against.... you guessed it, Montpellier. Stade may well start favourites for that clash - owing to home advantage - but they will be outsiders to win Sunday's game after losing three of their last five league matches and only just squeezing to a 22-18 home win against Agen last time out. They should at least have some of their internationals back, but the likes of English duo James Haskell and Tom Palmer may well be spared from starting owing to exhaustion. Stade boss Michael Cheika is expected to make some serious squad changes during the off-season and has already started to look ahead by replacing forwards coach Didier Faugeron with retiring Clermont and Argentina hooker Mario Ledesma.       
Last season: Montpellier 25 Stade Francais 23
Verdict: Montpellier win

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