Top 14 - Round 13 Preview
19 December 2008
It’s
back to Top 14 action this weekend for the final round of
games this year before players take a two-week break for
Christmas, and there are plenty of enticing clashes to get
the festive juices flowing.
Second-placed Stade Francais against fourth-placed Bayonne
looks the pick of the bunch, but there’s also Dan Carter’s
home league debut as Perpignan entertain relegation
threatened Castres at the Stade Aime Giral.
Elsewhere, it’s top versus bottom as Toulouse host
Mont-de-Marsan, while underperforming Biarritz could slip to
a seventh successive defeat when they travel to Montauban.
In-form
Brive host lowly Bourgoin and there’s also the third
consecutive meeting between Montpellier and Toulon as the
league season reaches its halfway stage.
Certainly beats Christmas shopping!
Dax v Clermont (20.35,
19.12.08, Stade Maurice Boyau)
Dax’s
away win at Toulon in Round 12 lifted Thomas Lièvremont’s
side up to the dizzy heights of ninth, but a home game
against Clermont will test their resolve to the full. The
visitors have been appalling away from home so far in Top 14
but their recent double-header with Heineken Champions
Munster should have given Vern Cotter’s men renewed
confidence. Canadian lock Jamie Cudmore will be unavailable
after picking up a five-match ban for his red card in
Ireland, but Aurelian Rougerie is set to return. Dax also
welcome back Argentine scrum half Nicolas Vergallo and
winger Matthieu Lièvremont.
Verdict: Clermont win
Perpignan v Castres (14.30,
20.12.08, Stade Aime Giral)
Carter-mania continues at the Stade Aime Giral with the All
Black fly-half making his Top 14 debut following a
successful first outing against Leicester Tigers in the
Heineken Cup. Returning Scottish scrum-half Chris Cusiter is
hoping that a half-back pairing with the world’s best No 10
will revive his international ambitions as the Catalans seek
to keep the pressure on Stade Francais and Toulouse.
Castres, meanwhile, remain deep in the relegation mire and
with troubles both on and off the pitch. Highly rated
scrum-half Sebastien Tillous-Borde is apparently ready to
commit to a contract extension, but another defeat would
leave the visitors with a nervy fight for Top 14 survival in
the second half of the season.
Verdict: Perpignan win
Toulouse v Mont-de-Marsan
(14.30, 20.12.08, Stade Ernest Wallon)
Leaders
Toulouse entertain bottom club Mont-de-Marsan looking for a
13th consecutive win in all competitions and
buoyed by the probable return to first team action of winger
Vincent Clerc. The French international has been absent
since rupturing knee ligaments in April and is set to be
included after just one run out with the ‘Espoirs’. Coach
Guy Noves clearly sees Mont-de-Marsan as the ideal opponents
for Clerc’s continued comeback, and has also taken the
opportunity to rest several first-team regulars, including
Byron Kelleher, Cedric Heymans, Thierry Dusautoir and Dan
Human. Injuries have also ruled out David Skrela,
Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, Maleli Kunavore and Man Ahotaeiloa,
but they should still have way too much for ‘Les Montois’,
despite the league's bottom club winning their last two Top
14 matches.
Verdict: Toulouse win
Brive v Bourgoin (14.30,
20.12.08, Stade Amédée Domenech)
Free-scoring Brive take on 11th-placed Bourgoin
looking for a fourth successive win as they seek to
consolidate their Heineken Cup aspirations. Consecutive
victories against Clermont, Montauban and Montpellier have
propelled Brive up to sixth, with English fly-half – and Top
14 highest scorer - Andy Goode key to their revival after a
sticky start. Bourgoin won on the road last time out
(against Castres) but are still just two points ahead of
their vanquished relegation rivals.
Verdict: Brive win
Montpellier v Toulon (14.30,
20.12.08, Stade Yves Du Manoir)
The
third and final instalment of a bizarre trilogy sees Toulon
travel to Montpellier boosted by last week’s 30-9 home
victory in the European Challenge Cup. It was arguably
Toulon’s best performance since the opening day of the
season – when they beat Clermont – but will count for
nothing if they go down at the Stade Yves Du Manoir.
Ex-Springbok coach Jake White has already completed his
consultancy role, but the Toulon rumour mill continues
unabated with Sebastien Chabal, Luke McAlister, George Smith
and Philippe Saint-Andre all linked with the club this week.
Montpelier, meanwhile, go into the match on the back of
successive defeats against Bayonne and Brive, and desperate
to avoid being drawn into a belated relegation battle.
Verdict: Montpellier win
Stade Francais v Bayonne
(16.30, 20.12.08, Stade Jean Bouin)
How will
Stade Francais respond to their double defeat to Harlequins
in the Heineken Cup? More worryingly, have they got the
desire and spirit to overturn a recent run of five defeats
in seven games? The continued absence of fly-half Lionel
Beauxis is playing havoc with their limited game plan and
fourth-placed Bayonne will fancy their chances despite
losing heavily to Toulouse last time out. Bayonne skipper
Remy Martin will be especially focused as he lines up
against the club he served loyally for seven years before
his summer transfer. "This really is a special match for
me," he admitted this week. Could be the best game of the
weekend, and don’t be surprised if the visitors pull off
another notable scalp.
Verdict: Bayonne win
Montauban v Biarritz (20.35,
20.12.08, Stade Sapiac)
The home
side may have gone three league games without a win, but
Biarritz are a team in crisis at the moment and have slipped
worryingly down to 10th spot on the back of six
successive defeats – including four in Top 14. Returning
president Serge Blanco has threatened wage cuts and
terminated contracts, but the team appears so bereft of
confidence it is hard to see anything other than another
away day to forget. And just to make matters worse they have
lost team totem Imanol Harinordoquy for up to a month
following ankle surgery.
Verdict: Montauban win
|
