Clermont, Toulon in Top 14 spotlight
Clermont and Toulon return from European Cup heroics to the week-in, week-out travails of the topsy-turvy Top 14 this weekend.
Both sides safely progressed to the semifinals of the continent's elite club competition, Clermont overcoming Leicester and Toulon out-muscling Leinster.
But before more European sorties, the French heavyweights face home opposition.
Nine clubs in the Top 14 are still realistically in the hunt for a place in the end-of-season play-offs – granted to the top six finishers – with just two games of the regular season to play after this latest round.
Clermont host defending champions Castres on Friday, hunting a 76th successive home victory, while Toulon travel to Bordeaux-Begles on Saturday.
Montpellier head the standings on 66 points, with Toulon and Clermont in second and third spot, both on 65 points.
Castres sit in fourth (62), followed by a resurgent Racing-Metro (60), Toulouse, Bordeaux and Stade Francais all on 58, and Brive (55).
Clermont coach Vern Cotter was under no illusions that there would be no let-up, especially after Castres' "week off".
"We're anticipating a massive game," said Cotter, whose team then play away to Racing-Metro the week after before their European Cup semifinal against Saracens in Twickenham.
"The squad's bouncing after the victory last weekend, it was really big for us but I don't sense too many problems because I feel the players are already focused on this new goal.
"The Euro quarterfinal was good for us but I also know that it'll be different against Castres, we'll have to adapt."
Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal, after watching his star-studded team beat Leinster 29-14 to set up a European semi against Munster in Marseille, hinted that it would not be the same team running out on Saturday as last weekend.
"We're going to have an incredible fixture list: we also have to ensure Top 14 play-off qualification," Boudjellal said.
"I'm not saying that we'll head to Bordeaux in flip-flops but it won't be with the same team as this evening."
The importance of making the play-offs was shown by Stade Francais' decision to field a second-string team in their defeat by Harlequins in the Challenge Cup quarters.
Toulouse came out worse in the Cup quarters, with a 47-23 routing by Munster, and will entertain Brive on Saturday.
Coach Guy Noves said it was his job to pick his team straight back up for action to vie for a 21st consecutive appearance in the French league play-offs.
"My job is to ensure that in six days the team has the right attitude to kick off in the Top 14 again," Noves said.
"If I'm down and out, we'll only have two or three days and that would be too short.
"We won the right on the pitch to play a quarter-final, and we lost. We're not going to be beating ourselves up over it, we learn our lessons, we move on to another competition and we go right to the bitter end."
The bunfight to avoid relegation is also hotting up, Oyonnax's victory over Bordeaux having seen them jump up to 11th on 48 points, two points ahead of Perpignan, with Bayonne in 13th (44), and Serge Blanco's Biarritz already guaranteed a drop down into the ProD2 second division next season.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Friday, April 11:
Clermont v Castres (18.45)
Saturday, April 12:
Bordeaux-Begles v Toulon (12.55)
Bayonne v Stade Francais (16.30)
Grenoble v Montpellier (16.30)
Perpignan v Oyonnax (16.30)
Racing-Metro v Biarritz (16.30)
Toulouse v Brive (18.35)
AFP
