Top 14 Preview: Round 21
Will Biarritz be able to hang on to a Clermont side out to prove a point ?
Clermont travel to Biarritz on Friday in the game of the weekend as both teams try to make amends for defeats last week.
With six rounds to play, the semi-final places to look set to go to Clermont, Toulouse, Stade Français and Perpignan.
With the strugglers at the opposite end of the table - Dax, Albi and Brive - facing heavyweight opposition this weekend, we might have to wait another week to get a clearer picture as to who will join Auch in the ProD2 next season.
In the middle of the table, Montpellier are losing ground to Montauban in the race for the last Heineken cup spot and with Toulouse their visitors this week, things aren't looking good.
Fixtures:
Friday May 9
Biarritz Olympique v Clermont Auvergne
Saturday May 10
Stade Français v Albi
Auch v Bayonne
Bourgoin v Dax
Montauban v Perpignan
Sunday May 11
Castres Olympique v Brive
Montpellier v Stade Toulousain
Tables after Round 20
1 Clermont Auvergne 77
2 Stade Toulousain 75
3 Stade Français 65
4 Perpignan 61
5 Biarritz Olympique 53
6 Castres Olympique 51
7 Montauban 46
8 Montpellier 40
9 Bayonne 39
10 Bourgoin 38
11 Brive 37
12 Albi 36
13 Dax 30
14 Auch14
Previews:
Biarritz Olympique v Clermont Auvergne
The match of the weekend has the peculiarity of seeing two of France's biggest clubs meet at Parc Aguilera while coming off the back of defeats.
Biarritz's loss away to Perpignan was no shock compared to Clermont's humbling home defeat at the hands of Castres and the championship leaders will be out to make a point
Clermont can actually secure guaranteed qualification for the semi-finals with a bonus point victory, but that seems unlikely considering that Biarritz have conceded just nine points in their last four home games.
Nevertheless, expect Les Jaunards to be in full attack formation as they attempt to rekindle the scintillating form that was so strangely absent on home turf a week ago.
If this clash doesn't have it's usual glamour, it's because Biarritz have been a shadow of their former selves this year. Completely drained psychologically, BO coach Patrice Lagisquet made his intention of gradually stepping away from his role abundantly clear and took a week's leave after their 16-3 loss on the Catalan coast that no doubt signalled the end of their semi-finals campaign.
Full of self doubt and seriously lacking in attacking firepower, Biarritz will do well to lift themselves from the seemingly uncontrollable downward spiral they find themselves in.
Inspirational captain Aurélien Rougerie will be back for the team in yellow who were 12-9 home winners of the fixture in Clermont early this year.
Venue: Parc Aguilera
Kick-off: 21:00
Stade Français v Albi
It's time for Stade Français to start living up to their title of defending champions. The Parisian club have been steadily picking up points week in and week out but have failed to impress of late.
Safe in the knowledge that they have little to worry about in terms of semi-final qualification (they are 12 points clear of fifth placed Biarritz), Fabien Galthié's team needs to start building some momentum for the play-offs.
After scrapping to victory in the closing stages against Bourgoin last week, the hosts have the perfect opportunity to get their ball rolling as Albi make the trip to Paris with a below strength team.
Albi have justifiably made the decision to choose their battles carefully. On the edge of the relegation zone and with a handful of winnable games to come, there is little sense in risking key players while on a hiding to nothing in the French capital.
Stade have relied on a few key players to get them through their battles recently but this weekend they will have to do without front row stalwarts Dimitri Szarzewski and Sylvain Marconnet.
Szarzewski has a fractured eye socket thanks to an unwelcome head butt against Bourgoin and will be out for six weeks, essentially missing the rest of the Top 14. Marconnet has intercostal cartilage damage to his ribs and could be absent for a while yet.
Venue: Jean Bouin
Kick-off: 15:00
Auch v Bayonne
After going five games without a win, Bayonne finally lifted their heads above water last week by beating Montpellier.
Nine points ahead of Dax and the relegation zone, the Basques have an ideal opportunity to give themselves a little breathing room. A task easier said than done against a Auch pack that is difficult to push around on home soil.
Venue: Moulias
Kick-off: 15:00
Bourgoin v Dax
Despite losing in Paris last week, Bourgoin confirmed in that performance that their form is on an upward curve.
In tenth place and eight points behind seventh place that could see them maintain their place in the European Cup, if Bourgoin are going to launch a late sprint, now is the time to do it.
Against Dax, Eric Catinot's team will be aiming for a bonus point win, anything less just won't do.
Venue: Pierre-Rajon
Kick-off: 17:30
Montauban v Perpignan
Perpignan are the next big club to visit the frightful Sapiac in Montauban where only Toulouse have managed to walk away with a win. All other visitors have succumbed to Montauban's irresistible home form and a partisan crowd without equal.
The Catalans should be up for the challenge though having gone ten games without losing - including eight consecutive victories. Perpignan's turnaround has seen them climb from eleventh to fourth on the table.
Montauban will be looking to bounce back from their loss to Dax last week where their away form let them down again. Back at fortress Sapiac the MTG will be desperate for points to keep Montpellier at bay in the race for Heineken cup qualification.
Perpignan will be without wing Adrien Planté, injured during the game against Biarritz and Scottish international lock Nathan Hines is a doubtful starter. Rimas Alvarez-Kairélis and Nicolas Laharrague will however be back for the Catalans who were winners by 20 points the last time the teams met.
Venue: Sapiac
Kick-off: 18:30
Castres Olympique v Brive
After producing the shock of the season so far against Clermont last Friday, Castres came down to earth with a bump against Toulouse on Wednesday. With that defeat, any hopes of a semi-final spot disappeared, but CO's real ambitions lie in making next season's Heineken Cup. In sixth spot, they look set to do just that.
Having rotated their squad for Wednesday's game, it remains to be seen how fresh Castres are in their third match in eight days. Either way, on the strength of their recent performances, Alain Gaillard's team start favourites against Brive despite having gone down 26-13 in the away leg.
Castres have received some reinforcements in the form of Namibian international prop Kees Lensing who has joined the Tarn team from the Sharks as a medical joker for the rest of the season.
Centre Lionel Mazars and lock Colin Gaston will play no further part in Castres campaign having sustained season-ending injuries in the game against Clermont and influential fly-half Cameron McIntyre will miss Brive's visit.
Venue: Pierre-Antoine
Kick-off: 17:00
Montpellier v Stade Toulousain
Toulouse continue to impress. After walking all over Auch and putting Castres back in their box- with makeshift teams on both occasions- the 'big red machine' travels along the Mediterranean coast to Montpellier.
All the talk about Toulouse being ravaged by injuries seems to have done little to stop their march towards a European and French Championship double.
Guy Novès said on Wednesday that he will take another 'experimental' team to Montpellier, but just ask Auch and Castres about the strength in depth of the Toulouse bench and it will be become very clear that the young Herault team have a big task on their hands.
Just two points behind Clermont at the Top of the table, Toulouse would like nothing better than to maintain their momentum ahead of their Heineken Cup Final.
Eighth and six points behind Montauban in the race for a place in Europe, Montpellier are desperate for points. While having assured their place in the Top 14 for next year, their priority for the season, Montpellier are the perfect example of the gap that exists between the 'big four' (or five) and everyone else in France.
Able to compete with, and even beat everyone else, Montpol have come a cropper against the heavyweights of French rugby. Their only home defeats this season have come against Clermont, Biarritz and Stade Français.
When Toulouse roll into Yves Manoir on Sunday, the hosts will be looking to take a page from the Castres handbook and upset one of the big boys. Good luck to them, because they're going to need it.
Venue: Yves Manoir
Kick-off: 19:00