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Team announcements for the Top 14 on a Friday evening signal the end of the working week and the start of a weekend of rugby gluttony. Top 14 clubs have long seasons and large squads to help them deal with that. Every club in the league must - and does - rotate and juggle its players, but when they decide to rest the big names and when to go hammer and tongs is a game of chess in itself. So welcome to this week’s guide to which teams are going for it and which teams have possibly already thrown in the towel…
Here we are then, the return of the Top 14. The majority of the French clubs seem to have spent the last two weekends in limbo in anticipation of the pain et buerre of their domestic league. Given the mixed bag of performances in the Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup from a lot of Top 14 clubs, they better have had something exceptional cooking over the last two weeks, otherwise they really did just waste everyone’s time by picking rotated sides.
In fairness to the Top 14 clubs, each game this weekend will have a massive impact on league positions. Hyperbole? No, factually correct. In a remarkably peculiar turn of events - less than a 0.02% chance according to the official Top 14 social media accounts - every single fixture of the seven this weekend features two teams next to each other in the league. 1st vs 2nd, 3rd vs 4th… and so on.
Have the Top 14 coaches gone all out then to try and get the better of their nearest rivals? Read on to find out!
Union Bordeaux Bègles v Stade Français
UBB swept all before them in the Champions Cup, with bonus point victories in each game, but it has been far from plain sailing for them in the Top 14 this season, even at Stade Chaban Delmas. The visit of 3rd placed Stade Français will be a stiff test. The Parisians may have only won one of their seven away games, but they have secured losing bonus points (for being within 5 points) in four of them.
Union Bordeaux Bègles:
Of the eight players named in the France squad, only Cameron Woki and Louis Bielle-Biarrey are rested
Starting pack looks strong. Boris Palu has played in all 18 of UBB’s games this season, but this is the first time he features in the back row - clearly a ploy to counter Stade’s power game
Forward replacements look relatively weak for UBB, and getting outmuscled at the back end of games is already an area of concern for them
Back line looks incredibly strong given three of them are likely to be playing on Thursday evening against Ireland.
All eyes on Damian Penaud after his omission from the France squad this week.
Arthur Retière returns from injury so Joey Carbery doesn’t have to cover scrum-half from the bench
Stade Français:
All the (VERY) big hitters are there in the tight five, including two props on the bench who have had a huge impact late on in games - could be an area they look to target UBB
Back row looks a bit lacking in ball carrying with neither of Yoan Tanga (on the bench) or Sekou Macalou starting
Paul Abadie has become third choice scrum half in recent weeks behind Tawera Kerr Barlow and the young Thibaut Motassi - but starts against his former club
No sign of Noah Néné (included in the France squad this week) so we are denied the opportunity to see how he fares against the likely France centre pairing.
Elsewhere, its full noise in the back line
Perpignan v Montauban
In terms of potential repercussions for the rest of the season, this game is the biggest of the weekend by far. If Montauban were to lose, the gap between them and USAP would be between five and seven points. It may not sound like much (less than two wins) with 11 games still to go, but the way that these two sides are trending would suggest it is game over for Montauban. Perpignan have won two of their last three Top 14 games (at home to Clermont, then Toulouse) and had some success in the Challenge Cup, whereas Montauban haven’t won a game of any kind since they beat Perpignan at the end of October.
Perpignan:
Strangely, neither side looks like they are quite at full strength. But Perpignan have the deeper squad and that could well make all the difference.
The front row could be where USAP have the edge, Kieran Brookes could be the game breaker for them at the scrum yet again.
Benjamin Urdapilleta gets the nod at fly-half. The Argentinian has looked fairly rusty in his four games since coming out of retirement, with his kicking out of hand and off the tee.
The centres is where USAP have the clearest advantage: two big physical units. Alivereti Duguivalu is comfortably the standout player in either back line
The bulk USAP can bring off the bench should seal the deal.
Montauban:
Thomas Bué is building a strong reputation. Montauban won’t have a chance of competing if he can’t hold off Kieran Brookes.
The back five of the pack has plenty of mobility, with all five of them capable in any of the positions in the back five of the pack - and its similar on the bench. Probably Montauban’s greatest area of strength.
They will be reliant on Vaea Fifita to provide them some X factor, especially as neither of their X factor wingers (Josua Vici and Segundo Tuculet) are available.
The back line looks weak - there are plenty of backlines in Pro D2 that would look stronger.
Bayonne v Castres
Bayonne were the worst team in the Champions Cup this season, but they have won 20 home games in a row in the Top 14. The last Top 14 side to beat them at Stade Jean Dauger was Castres, over 18 months ago in the final game of the 2023/24 season. Can Castres repeat their away day heroics from last weekend?
Bayonne:
A big back five with Arthur Iturria on the flank and Rodrigo Bruni at no. 8, and the two giants of Lucas Paulos and Ewan Johnson in the second row.
With Esteban Capilla still out through injury, the pack lacks a bit of pace - Bayonne could get exposed by the pace of Santiago Arata around the fringes and two wingers who like to get involved off their flanks.
Guillaume Martocq in for Manu Tuilagi (who picked up a slight knock against Leinster).
Expect Bayonne’s game to be fairly direct and tight
Tevita Tatafu named on the bench (after being included in the France squad this week). Huge hopes for him as France’s long term tight head, but this is his first game of the season.
Alex Moon also returns on the bench. His first game since Round 5 - a huge boost for Bayonne.
Castres:
Tom Staniforth celebrates his France call up with a start. Signs that Castres’ key man is starting to return to his best form after a year out.
Some of Castres’ other key men return from injury: Abraham Papali’i back on the bench and Vilimoni Botitu was in stunning form throughout December.
The prospect of Botitu and Vuate Karawalevu in the centres (and up against countryman Sireli Maqala too!) is a delicious one.
A back three of Remi Baget, Adam Vargas and Geoffrey Palis suggests that Castres are expecting an aerial battle as this is not their out and out quickest back three. All three are inventive in attack.
Toulon v Montpellier
Two of the few teams who can look back on the European pool stages with some positivity. Toulon had to go strong in both of the last two weeks, while Montpellier were able to rotate and get some game time into their squad players; competition for places will now be fierce at Montpellier. These are two of the biggest and most aggressive packs in the Top 14, so could end up being a bit of a slug fest.
Toulon:
Only a couple of changes from the side sent to Gloucester last week. Dany Priso, Baptiste Serin, Esteban Abadie and Setariki Tuicuvu the men to come in, and all the players they replace are included on the bench. This is a strong Toulon 23.
England U20s star Junior Kpoku set to make his first appearance for Toulon since joining mid-season from Racing 92.
Toulon looked better in attack last week with some nice touches from 20 year old Oliver Cowie, who linked well with that devastating back three.
Montpellier:
Starting pack is back to absolute full strength, notably that front row and their two main ball carriers (Lenni Nouchi and Billy Vunipola)
Neither of Nouchi or Vunipola featured in any of the Challenge Cup games - shows their importance.
Ali Price and Domingo Miotti have been in good form this season in terms of their game management, but it is not a backline that has much creativity or subtlety.
Some really strong options on the bench, including Alex Masibaka who scored two tries last week but only got selected for the Scotland A squad and not the full international side.
Racing 92 v Lyon
Two teams who were in the hunt for the Challenge Cup last season, but inexplicably decided not to bother at all with the competition this season. It will take some doing for either of these sides to make the play-offs.
Racing 92:
Critical to Racing’s game is their two Georgian props, and only one of them starts here in Guram Gogichashvili. He could be the trump card in this game against a wobbly looking Lyon tight five.
Racing opt for a more lightweight, athletic pair of flankers than usual, and there is an athletic trio of back five players on the 6-2 bench - could this game be played at a fast pace?
Gaël Fickou returns to the centres (perhaps because of his omission by France?) after playing on the wing in the previous two Top 14 games.
Backline looks threatening with the inventive Ugo Seunes capable of calling on some absolute blockbusters.
Lyon:
Sam Simmonds has been excellent this season, clearly enjoying being Lyon’s main man at number 8. He didn’t play in any of the Challenge Cup games.
Baptiste Couilloud has a point to prove after being overlooked by Fabien Galthié. He is without Lyon’s two first-choice fly-halves (Léo Berdeu and Paddy Jackson), and Martin Méliande can blow hot and cold.
The back three could cause absolute havoc and the midfield pairing of Théo Millet (the ‘glue’ player) and Iosefo Masi (the X factor player) looked really threatening in the early parts of the season.
The bench shows that Lyon are struggling with injuries.
Toulouse v Pau
Pau toppled Toulouse at the Stade du Hameau back in October with a try in the last play of the game. Despite that, speaking on this week’s episode of The Rosbifs Rugby Podcast, Pau scrum half Dan Robson set out the reasons why facing Toulouse at the Stade Ernest Wallon at 9pm local time on a Saturday evening is an entirely different prospect.
Toulouse:
Fair to say that Toulouse look strong: all twelve of their representatives named in the France squad are set to feature, including 7/8ths of the starting pack.
François Cros makes his first start of the season.
Thomas Ramos switches to fly-half, with Blair Kinghorn reverting to full-back. This should work much better for Toulouse’s game plan and get more out of both players than we saw in recent games. Is the Dupont-Ramos half-back pairing a sign of things to come for France…?
Josh Brennan selected in the backrow ahead of Jack Willis - is it a sign that Toulouse are slightly worried about Pau’s excellent line out? Or one that they think they can take them on up front with superior physicality?
Pau:
Julian Montoya makes his first start since November.
Thomas Laclayat and Jimi Maximin have points to prove after being left out of Fabien Galthié’s squad despite appearing for France in the Autumn - their presence has been game-changing for Pau’s historically weak scrum.
The back row is aggressive and in-your-face, and that’s where Pau got the better of Toulouse in the reverse fixture.
Émilien Gailleton returns from injury after nearly two months out. He will be looking to get himself back into the France squad at some point over the 6 Nations. His partnership with Fabien Brau-Boirie is part of what makes Pau so deadly and enjoyable to watch. Fascinating match up against Kalvin Gourgues.
The back three has plenty of pace - all three were selected in the France squad. Théo Attissogbe plays in what many think is his best position.
Plenty of experienced heads on a bench that you would describe as ‘industrious’ rather than ‘explosive’. It may not have enough for Toulouse in the last 20 minutes.
Sunday - Clermont v La Rochelle
Two teams where fans will be expecting them to finish higher than their current Top 14 position. No team news for this one yet, but Clermont will be going as strong as they can having sent an incredibly young side to South Africa to last weekend’s fixture against the Sharks. For La Rochelle, their Champions Cup exit places even more pressure on their need to improve their away form (they’ve conceded over 150 points in their last three away games in the league) in order to be able to mount a title challenge.
