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Top 14, r26: Last day drama
guaranteed as Montpellier and Toulon go head-to-head
06 May 2011
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History in the making? Montpellier
captain Fulgence Ouedraogo
Photo: Eoin Mundow/Cleva Media |
It may not have been the
standout clash when the Top 14 fixtures were first unveiled
but there's no doubting that Montpellier's home game with
Toulon is the pick of Saturday's final round games.
Either or both sides could yet
make the play-offs, but Montpellier go into the match
knowing they simply have to win if they're to have any
chance of ending the season in the top six.
Top 14 League Table 2010/11
Toulon's all stars arrive with
Gavin Henson "reintegrated" and determined to make amends
for a difficult past fortnight, while president Mourad
Boudjellal will countenance nothing other than play-off
qualification.
Elsewhere there's a heavyweight
clash between Stade Toulousain and Clermont Auvergne, while
high-flying Racing-Métro journey across Paris to take on
city rivals Stade Francais.
Leading scorers in Top 14 2010/11
With the relegation issues now
done and dusted it is all about jostling for play-off
qualification and final positions on Saturday, with enough
permutations to keep the most hardcore statisticians busy on
their calculators. As things stand Montpellier and Bayonne
are the outsiders trying to break in, with Toulon and
Biarritz the two teams most at risk if results go against
them.
There will also be farewells
galore - be it La Rochelle and Bourgoin in departing Top 14,
or any of the dozens of players (and coaches) changing clubs
during the season.
Drama is guaranteed, with the
various conundrums likely to remain unresolved until the
final whistles blow at the respective games, around 6pm on
Saturday evening.
Top 14, Round 26 fixtures
(Current league position in brackets)
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Perpignan
(9th) |
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Castres
(4th) |
Stade
Aimé Giral, 07/05/11, 16.25 |
Perpignan, finalists in
the last two seasons, find themselves in the unusual (and
unwanted) position of having nothing but pride to play for
in the last game of the season. But pride is certainly
something the Catalans have in abundance, and the players
and supporters will surely want to provide a suitable send
off to departing head coach Jacques Brunel. Castres, by
contrast, have everything to play for as the jockey for
their final play-off position. As things stand they're
currently fourth, but level on points with third-placed
Clermont and just two behind second-placed Racing-Métro. The
incentive, clearly, is to try and win and hope other results
go their way to enable them a bye through to the
semi-finals, or failing that to finish either third or
fourth to ensure home advantage in the quarter-finals. Their
strength this season has once more been their home form, but
two wins in their last three away games suggest they may be
sorting out their travelling form too. A win at the Stade
Aimé Giral may prove beyond them, but they will surely go
all out for a victory which would smooth their play-off
aspirations considerably.
Last season:
Perpignan 17 Castres 15
Verdict: Perpignan win
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Stade Francais (10th) |
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Racing-Métro 92 (2nd) |
Stade
Charléty, 07/05/11, 16.25 |
Fixture planners surely
believed this would be a climactic match to end these two
clubs' league season, but Stade Francais woeful Top 14 form
means Saturday's Paris derby holds virtually no relevance
for the hosts. After six defeats in their last seven league
games Michael Cheika's team can only go down - they are 14
points behind ninth-placed Perpignan, but only three ahead
of 11th-placed SU Agen. They also have the small matter of
an upcoming Amlin Challenge Cup final against Harlequins to
consider as they seek a back door route into next season's
Heineken Cup. Racing have no such worries and are guaranteed
both a play-off berth and a second successive appearance in
the Heineken Cup. What's more, Pierre Berbizier's side are
currently lying second in the league and know that victory
against their city rivals would secure them a bye through to
the Top 14 semi-finals. What better way to secure that
notable achievement than by downing Stade and once more
underlining how the capital's rugby power has shifted. Last
season's 41-17 victory for Stade was a somewhat freakish
result given that Racing were essentially resting players
ahead of the play-offs, and a repeat result seems most
unlikely.
Last season:
Stade Francais 41 Racing-Métro 17
Verdict: Racing-Métro 92 win
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La Rochelle
(13th) |
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Bayonne
(7th) |
Stade
Marcel Deflandre, 07/05/11, 16.25 |
It's 'adieu' time for La
Rochelle and 'The Maritimers' will be all out to end on a
high as their Top 14 experience draws to a close. The
problem they face, however, is that Bayonne arrive on the
back of successive league wins against Racing, Montpellier
and Stade Francais, and still in with an outside chance of
making the play-offs. For that to happen Christian Gajan's
team need to first secure a win and then hope either
Biarritz or Toulon slip up - but their attention must
initially be on their own result. Ideally they would love to
emerge with victory and an attacking bonus, but the
difficulty with such permutations is often getting ahead of
yourself. Really, all they need do is carry on playing
as they have been of late, with the Basques having rattled
up 102 points in their last three games.
Last season:
La Rochelle were in ProD2
Verdict: Bayonne win
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Montpellier
(8th) |
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Toulon
(5th) |
Stade
Yves du Manoir, 07/05/11, 16.25 |
This is, without doubt,
THE clash of the weekend. Both sides have the chance to
qualify for the play-offs but it is highly unlikely to be
both - owing to sixth-placed Biarritz playing away at
basement club Bourgoin. Fifth-placed Toulon are in the box
seat going into the match as they are three points ahead of
their hosts, but Montpellier are not out of it either and
will be desperate attain the top six finish that seemed
theirs for the taking for so much of this season.
Unfortunately for Fabien Galthié and his team they have lost
form at the most inopportune moment, going down to Bayonne
and Brive in successive matches - with the former being
their first and only home loss so far this season. Club
skipper Fulgence Ouedraogo has labelled this as the most
important game in Montpellier's short history - the club was
only formed in 1986 - so the ability to handle the pressure
of the situation will be vital, to both sides. Toulon
undoubtedly have the more experienced squad and they go into
this match having won their last three league games -
against Stade Francais, Stade Toulousain and Perpignan
respectively. In the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, Joe Van
Niekerk and Juan Sébastien Lobbe they also have players who
should be more than capable of overcoming the importance of
the occasion - even at the end of a strange two weeks
dominated by the Gavin Henson affair. The Welsh centre has
been included in Toulon's squad for this game after being
handed a "last chance" by Philippe Saint-André and Mourad
Boudjellal, so what price he scores the winning try? It
would certainly help win back his popularity, and might lead
to some interesting celebrations too.
Last season:
Montpellier 21 Toulon 20
Verdict:
Toulon win
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SU Agen
(12th) |
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Brive
(11th) |
Stade
Armandie, 07/05/11, 16.25 |
Both of these sides go
into this match secure in their Top 14 survival after
flirting with the relegation zone all season. Thus, this
could become something of a benefit game with no pressure on
either team. Agen do have the incentive of going for their
sixth successive home win in Top 14, a result which could
also see them leapfrog Stade Francais and finish in 10th
position. For Brive it's a final chance for the likes of
Fabrice Estebanez, Alexis Palisson, Shaun Perry, Damien
Browne and Gerhard Vosloo to represent the Limousin club
before departing, but having secured their status it's
unsure what state of mind the visitors will arrive in. Clermont,
Toulon, Perpignan, Racing and Biarritz have all fallen at
the Stade Armandie this season, so an Agen home win to end a
rewarding season appears the most likely outcome.
Last season:
SU Agen were in ProD2
Verdict: SU Agen win
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Stade Toulousain
(1st) |
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Clermont Auvergne (3rd) |
Stade
Ernest Wallon, 07/05/11, 16.25 |
First versus third, European champions versus
French champions... this has all the makings of a
heavyweight classic on paper, but circumstances could
dictate something entirely different. Stade Toulousain are
coming off the back of a demoralizing Heineken Cup loss and
already know they are guaranteed a semi-final berth in the
Top 14 play-offs. That effectively gives Guy Noves free
licence to rest whoever he wants with the knowledge that
even a first home defeat of the season would have negligible
impact - other than perhaps allowing Racing-Métro the option
of choosing which day they preferred to play their
semi-final on (provided Racing win at Stade Francais, either
with the bonus or Toulouse fail to even get a losing bonus).
As with other clubs this game will provide a home farewell
for several departing stars, the biggest of which are
Frédéric Michalak, Cédric Heymans and David Skrela.
Sentiment may be the overriding emotion in Toulouse on
Saturday, although visitors Clermont will arrive with
victory very much on their mind. Clermont's main problem
this season has been their dire away form, but they did win
last time out on their travels (at Stade Francais) and will
surely go into this match with greater incentive than their
hosts. Victory could yet see them leapfrog Racing into
second place and this match could yet prove a prologue to
the eventual Top 14 final. But we're getting ahead of
ourselves...
Last season:
Stade Toulousain 15 Clermont Auvergne 16
Verdict: Clermont Auvergne win
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Bourgoin
(14th) |
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Biarritz
(6th) |
Stade
Pierre Rajon, 07/05/11, 16.25 |
After 16 successive
defeats it is finally time for Bourgoin to say farewell to
Top 14, but it is almost impossible to believe that record
won't be extended to 17 with the visit of Biarritz.
Bourgoin's last league win was more than seven months ago
and no matter how much they may want to go out with a bang
it is hard to bet against a Biarritz win as the Basques
still need victory to ensure their participation in the
play-offs. The visitors will have Imanol Harinordoquy back
on the bench, poised to come on if required, but in truth
they have more than enough firepower to win this one
comfortably. Victory, even with a bonus point, is unlikely
to affect their end position significantly, although they
could move ahead of Toulon, Castres and Clermont if all
results went their way.
Last season:
Bourgoin 22 Biarritz 17
Verdict: Biarritz win
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