Preview: Top 14, Round Seven
Hot feet: Biarritz wing Takudzwa Ngwenya
The chips are down on the Atlantic coast as Biarritz host Montpellier in the pick of the Round seven fixtures.
On the Mediterranean coast, Perpignan host Southern rivals Toulon while in the south-west Toulouse make a short journey to struggling Castres.
One week ahead of the start of European hostilities, this weekend will also be a gauge of the form of France's Heineken Cup clubs. Toulouse, Clermont, Stade Français, Perpignan, Castres, Biarritz and Montauban will be out to stretch their legs.
The European competition will also have an influence on selections as coaches must decide between allowing players to gain match fitness (Lionel Nallet at Castres for example) or giving stars a rest (like Byron Kelleher at Toulouse).
Montauban have a tough few weeks ahead of them. After travelling to Paris to face the leaders on Saturday they will make their Heineken Cup debut in Ireland away to defending champions Munster.
Stade Français and Toulon have each been fined 5000 Euros for their general punch up in the match a few weeks ago. Big deal for the two biggest spenders in the league!
Fixtures:
Friday, October 3
Castres v Toulouse
Saturday, October 4
Stade Français v Montauban
Biarritz v Montpellier
Perpignan v Toulon
Brive v Mont-de-Marsan
Bourgoin v Clermont
Dax v Bayonne
Standings:
1 Stade Français 26
2 Bayonne 20
3 Toulouse 19
4 Montpellier 18
5 Perpignan 17
6 Clermont 16
7 Montauban 14
8 Toulon 13
9 Biarritz 12
10 Dax 10
11 Bourgoin 9
12 Brive 9
13 Castres 8
14 Mont-de-Marsan 7
Previews:
Castres Olympique v Stade Toulousain
Stade Pierre-Antoine, Castres
This south-west derby is being billed as a clash of two monster packs. Rightly so as both sets of forwards have been outstanding this year with the arrivals of Benoît Lecouls in Toulouse and Namibian Kees Lensing in Castres making waves in the murky world of the front rows.
Castres have not beaten Toulouse since November 2004, but points are like gold dust at the moment for the club who sit second from bottom. Don't let Castres's place on the table fool you. A win against Clermont two weeks ago is proof enough of their credentials.
The champions on the other hand will be looking to build on their comprehensive 30-20 win over Perpignan and seeking a confidence-boosting win before their crunch pool tie in the European Cup against England's leading club Bath a week Sunday.
Guy Novès was heavily critical of his side's performance last week against Perpignan and their decision-making in particular. Fly-half David Skrela wasn't at his best and is clearly taking a while to find his top form after a long injury lay-off.
Jean-Baptiste Elissalde is back from a three week absence due to a torn muscle. The half-back trained normally with the team this week and will start at scrum-half with Byron Kelleher on the bench.
For Castres, lock Rodrigo Capo Ortega is expected to return to the starting XV after being rested last week, as is French international scrum-half Sébastien Tillous-Borde, who is back from an injury lay-off.
Prediction: Both teams may be European sides, but based on recent form, Toulouse are the clear favourites. Toulouse to win by ten points.
Kick-off: 20:30 (18:30 GMT)
Referee: Romain Poite
Touch judges: Jacques Laplace, Gilbert Darrieutort
Television match official: Vincent Azoulay
Stade Français v Montauban
Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris
Stade Français are not the clear leaders for nothing - the Parisians are looking the part in every aspect of the game, which is certainly good news for the upcoming European season.
The club from the capital will take to their match this weekend with a certain amount of caution as Montauban have been a bit of a bogey team for them in recent times.
Juan Martin Hernandez has been in scintillating form, and has promised to get even better as the season progresses. He'll start at full-back on Saturday.
Good news for the Stade Français front row is the return of experienced prop Sylvain Marconnet from injury. Hooker Dimitri Szarzewski, flank Mauro Bergamasco, wing Stéphane Glas and scrum-half Falie Oelschig return to the matchday squad. Djibril Camara, who marked his return from suspension with a try for the junior team last weekend, is also back. Australian rugby league international Marc Gasnier is set to start on the wing again.
Montauban arrive packing some serious firepower. Top of the list, quite literally, is the championship's top try-scorer so far, flying Fijian Vilimoni Delasau, who has touched down five times and is clearly enjoying getting more game time than he did at Clermont. The green team have a handful of injured players, most notably fly-half Cédric Rosalen.
Bad news for Stade, in fact for anyone who isn't colour-blind, is the launch of the Parisians' third jersey. Following on from their bright-pink tie-dye shocker, the latest shock to rugby's traditionalists features Andy Warhol-style polychromatic prints of Blanche of Castile - twice ruler of France in the 13th century. Yuk.
Prediction: Stade Français look unstoppable at the moment, at home they should rack up their seventh straight win. Stade Français to win by fifteen points.
Kick-off: 14:30 (12:30 GMT)
Referee: Patrick Pechambert
Touch judges: Régis Gabard, Alain Rongier
Television match official: Daniel Irazoqui
Biarritz Olympique v Montpellier HRC
Parc Aguilera, Biarritz
The vultures are circling in Biarritz and a big performance this weekend is sorely needed if the coaching team are to save their skins. Two very disappointing results should be enough to fire up the Basques, who, it must be said, are unbeaten at home this season.
But their visitors have been enjoying their time on the road. Two wins from three away games have left the Héraultais brimming with confidence. Montpellier didn't go home after beating Mont-de-Marsan last week but rather stayed in the Landes region, where they scored both those away wins.
But the Montpol coaching team have admitted that the short trip to Biarritz will be the sternest test yet of their form. The return of star loose forward Louis Picamoles is a boost.
Biarritz lock and captain Jerome Thion has not been in the best of form and like the Basques' coaching team, has come in for some criticism. Au contraire Zimbabwean-American wing Takudzwa Ngwenya has already struck four times this season.
Prediction: Parc Aguilera can be a frightful place - and we don't necessarily mean for the visiting side. Biarritz will grind out a win at any cost. Biarritz to win by three points.
Kick-off: 14:30 (12:30 GMT)
Referee: Eric Gauzins
Touch judges: Claude Tajan, Olivier Migne
Television match official: Daniel Dartigeas
USA Perpignan v RC Toulon
Stade Aimé-Giral, Perpignan
It could be a very long afternoon for the Toulon scrum that has struggled since the start of the season. The Varois front row has promised to work harder than ever on their set-piece but against a solid Perpignan pack at home at Aimé-Giral they will have their work cut out for them.
Both sides lost last weekend leaving Toulon walking a mid-table tightrope.
Toulon's South African flanker Joe Van Niekerk played down the fact his team has only notched up 86 points in the first six games of the season, 12 less than the next-lowest scorer.
"Once we know each other a little better, we'll be able to play a more attractive brand of rugby and score some tries because we have the players and team to do it," said the Springbok.
Perpignan welcome back France prop Nicolas Mas but Tonga flanker Viliami Vaki (ankle), centre Maxime Mermoz (abs) and fly-half Nicolas Laharrague (thigh) have been ruled out.
Toulon have recruited Kiwi wing Sinoti Sinoti as a medical joker to replace Fijian Khaled Zagar who is suffering from a 'tropical virus.'
Prediction: If your pack is not up to scratch, don't expect to get any sympathy in Catalogne. Perpignan to win by ten points.
Kick-off: 14:30 (12:30 GMT)
Referee: Akim Hadj Bachir
Touch judges: Jean-Christophe Clot, Patrick Dellac
Television match official: Jean-Christophe Gastou
CA Brive-Corrèze v Stade Montois
Stade Amédée-Domenech, Brive
After their first win of the season against Dax last week, Brive will be rubbing their hands at the prospect of doubling their win-column tally against the relegation favourites, who have yet to win away from home.
It took a while for English fly-half Andy Goode for find his feet at Brive, but did so in outstanding fashion last week, scoring 19 of his team's 41 points.
His opposite number this Saturday is the championship's top points scorer so far (77), but Benat Arrayet did not have an auspicious day last weekend, missing 15 kickable points.
Brive's Argentine prop Pablo Henn has also come in for lots of praise and the black-and-white brigade look to have started to find their rhythm. The hosts will however have to make do without Alexis Palisson and Englishman Ben Cohen is a doubtful starter due to a sprained ankle.
There has been some 'interesting' news coming out of Brive this week. Lock Arnaud Méla was voted the team's player of the month. His reward? A miniature pet pig imported from China! His name is Gan-Young.
Feeling a little left out while their foreign team-mates receive French lessons, a group of twelve French players have asked for English lessons! Brive's Frenchmen will now receive tuition in Shakespeare's language every Wednesday.
Prediction: Money can't buy you everything, but it can buy you a lot of good players (and foreign language classes). Brive to win by ten points.
Kick-off: 14:30 (12:30 GMT)
Referee: Jean-Pierre Matheu
Touch judges: Fernand Pereira, Eric Briquet Campin
Television match official: Jean-Claude Levrier
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu v Clermont Auvergne
Stade Pierre-Rajon, Bourgoin
Will Clermont win their first game away from home? ASMCA haven't scored a try outside of Clermont since Aurélien Rougerie touched down in Toulon on the opening day. In fact, last year's record-breakers have the worst attacking record away from home in the Top 14 this season.
A win is vital for Clermont's psyche before they host Sale next week in the Heineken Cup. Three former Bourgoin players, Julien Bonniare, Julien Pierre and Benoît Cabello, will lead the charge as the jaunards aim to win the local derby.
Bourgoin will have no lack of motivation to make their visitors' lives difficult as a poor start to the season has left them languishing near the basement.
Bourgoin fly-half Benjamin Boyet returned to training this week after a month off with a thigh injury and is expected to be in line-up on Saturday. Clermont fly-half/full-back Benoît Baby is part of the travelling group, but is an uncertain starter
Prediction: When Clermont have their tails up, and are doing their basics right, there are few teams in the world that can compete with them. Clermont to win by ten points.
Kick-off: 16:30 (14:30 GMT)
Referee: Pascal Gauzere
Touch judges: Didier Dussaut, Alain Moretto
Television match official: Jean-Pierre Pellaprat
US Dax v Aviron Bayonnais
Stade Maurice-Boyau, Dax
The next round of the Basque-Landais derbies heads to Dax as Bayonne, led by their formidable pack, aim to continue their super start to the season.
Dax have already beaten the more famous of the Basque clubs - Biarritz- this season and will be out to score their third home win against their near-neighbours. Coach Thomas Lièvrement read his team the riot act after being hammered by Brive last week, accusing them of losing focus after successive wins.
It will be a strange experience for Bayonne manager Richard Dourthe and coach Jean-Pierre Coyola, who both come from and still live in Dax. Likewise for former Dax player Mathieu Maillard.
"We know everybody over there," said former France international Dourthe.
"We will try to be professional. We prepared as we would do for an away match, there's no difference for us, apart from having dozens of friends in the stands."
Prediction: Bayonne will not be victims of the same complacency that brought Biarritz down. Bayonne to win by seven points.
Kick-off: 20:30 (18:30 GMT)
Referee: Hervé Dubes
Touch judges: Frédéric Ducatez, Denis Grenouillet
Television match official: Daniel Gillet