Preview: Top 14, Round Nine
The defending European champions, seeking a fourth successive European title, slumped to a shock 6-32 defeat to Wasps on Sunday while last season's runners-up Clermont edged Ospreys 34-29.
"We have to quickly recover for Clermont," said Toulon's Argentina flank Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe.
"We have a very good group to be among the top teams in both competitions," he said in reference to the intensely tough Top 14 and European Cup.
Lobbe added: "Everyone has taken a hit after that defeat. We've lost matches in the last two seasons but have gone on to win.
"We weren't very effective in defence and conceded 14 points very quickly against Wasps. Thirty points is a lot.
"It was a bad game, there weren't many highlights for us and we weren't very efficient. They had five chances and scored four tries. We'll watch the video and put it into the next game."
Clermont's nail-biting victory over the Ospreys also came at a price, the French club handing the Welsh region two invaluable bonus points for scoring four tries and finishing within seven points of the winners, who themselves took home a bonus point.
Clermont dominate the formbook over Toulon at home, never having lost to the Bernard Laporte-coached club in Auvergne in 26 games since their first match-up in 1936.
Hooker Benjamin Kayser said Clermont, league leaders with 29 points from eight games – seven ahead of fourth-placed Toulon, needed to buckle down.
"We were all over the place against the Ospreys," the France international said.
"We need to be more focused, it's imperative. There were too many defensive mistakes for a team of our level.
"We need to show more control of the game."
Second-placed Toulouse, who laboured past Oyonnax 24-18 in European Cup action, face a tough outing away at third-placed Racing 92, the Parisians having dispatched Scarlets 29-12 last weekend.
Brive, sitting in fifth spot, travel to Oyonnax, while Jake White's Montpellier open proceedings at home against La Rochelle on Friday.
Saturday's other games see Bordeaux-Begles host Pau while Castres are at bottom-placed Agen.
Defending Top 14 champions Stade Francais, in 11th spot, will look to get their season back on track at Grenoble in Sunday's sole fixture.
Fixtures (all times GMT):
Friday:
Montpellier v La Rochelle
Venue: Altrad Stadium, Montepellier
Kick-off: 19.45
Referee: Salem Attalah
Assistant referees: Romain Poite, Laurent Sclafer
TMO: Patrick Péchambert
Saturday:
Racing Metro v Toulouse
Venue: Stade Yves Du Manoir, Colombes
Kick-off: 13.45
Referee: Cyril Lafon
Assistant referees: Luc Ramos, Laurent Amic
TMO: Vincent Azoulay
Oyonnax v Brive
Venue: Stade Charles Mathon, Oyonnaz
Kick-off: 17.30
Referee: Cédric Marchat
Assistant referees: Christophe Mallet, Bruno Gabaldon
TMO: Eric Gauzins
Bordeaux-Begles v Pau
Venue: Pau at Stade Chaban Delmas, Bordeaux
Kick-off: 17.30
Referee: Maxime Chalon
Assistant referees: Vincent Blasco Baque, Eric Soulan
TMO: Daniel Irazoqui
Agen v Castres
Venue: Stade Armandie, Agen
Kick-off: 17.30
Referee: Jérôme Garcès
Assistant referees: Tual Trainini, Thomas Déjean
TMO: Jean-Pierre Pellaprat
Clermont v Toulon
Venue: Parc Sports Marcel Michelin, Clermont
Kick-off: 19.45
Referee: Mathieu Raynal
Assistant referees: Sébastien Minery, Christophe Malterre
TMO: Hervé Dubes
Sunday:
Grenoble v Stade Francais
Venue: Stade Des Alpes, Grenoble
Kick-off: 15.15
Referee: Pascal Gauzère
Assistant referees: Ludovic Cayre, Thierry Guilloton
TMO: Gérard Borreani
Agence France-Presse
