Oyonnax test key for Stade
The Paris side, impressive winners of Europe's top club competition last year, are currently third from bottom following their 25-35 loss away to Bordeaux on Sunday.
The only clubs below them are bottom dogs Agen on 21 points and Oyonnax on 22, 10 points behind Stade with four games to play till the end of the regular season.
The bottom two teams in the Top-14 are relegated which leaves scrumhalf Julien Dupuy concerned what might happen if the Parisians fail to see off Oyonnax at their Stade Jean Bouin stadium.
"We are up against it, that's for sure," said Dupuy. "It's been a complicated season for us.
"For the moment what matters most is that we stay in the Top-14 and then we can take a good look at everything at the end of the season.
"It's all about the survival of the club, but also the survival of a group of players.
"But we cannot allow ourselves to think like that otherwise we will get all stressed out. It's just a match of rugby and we are about to play a good team in Oyonnax – that's all."
The 32-year-old Dupuy, capped eight times for France but no longer in the international reckoning, said that despite the loss to Bordeaux there had been glimpses of what Stade were capable of.
But it was a third straight loss and Oyonnax had a confidence booster last weekend with a 17-16 win over La Rochelle.
"It's a key match. It's up to us to play our own game. We are not the kind of team that can take the easy way out."
Agence France-Presse
