Top14: Parisian pride at stake in derby
Top 14: Capital pride will be at stake when Stade Francais take on cross-Paris rivals Racing-Metro, while table-toppers Toulon host struggling Toulouse.
While lacking the verbal jousts since Max Guazzini left Stade Francais, his successor as chairman Thomas Savare and Racing counterpart Jacky Lorenzetti continue in their bid to sell rugby in the hardest of markets, albeit with the highest number of registered players (48,000) in France – the Parisian region of Ile de France.
"Stade Francais are at home and they will want revenge [for last year's loss].
"We can't be relaxed going into the match because a loss [against Stade Francais] is the defeat that hurts the most in a season. It's the match I absolutely want to win over all other matches because it's the derby in the eye of fans, sponsors and officials," Lorenzetti said.
A Parisian derby maybe, but unlikely to be a sell-out at the magnificent Jean-Bouin stadium, host of the recent Women's Rugby World Cup finals.
"It's a problem of choice with all other activities Parisians can do when they're there at the weekend.
"It's up to us to attract them, to show them that it's a high-quality show in a beautiful stadium," Savare said.
Champions Toulon, at the head of the table on 28 points after six victories in eight outings, entertain former four-time European title winners Toulouse in a late kick-off on Sunday.
The occasion will see Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny finally make his Toulon debut following his switch from Cardiff Blues in the off-season.
The British and Irish Lions kicker has suffered a frustrating start to life in the south of France and even had to listen to club president Mourad Boujellal threaten to tear up his contract over his injury problems.
Toulouse, 19-time French champions, ended a five-match losing streak last week with a 22-10 win over Stade Francais (sitting fourth from bottom) but just two points ahead of last-place Oyonnax.
Under-fire Toulouse coach Guy Noves will have to watch the match from the stands, however, after picking up a one-game ban for having bad-mouthed an assistant referee in last month's loss to Bayonne.
Better news for Toulouse came when former All Black hooker Corey Flynn was cleared to play, after receiving a red carded for stamping on an opponent's ankle in that same game.
Second-placed Clermont will seek to rebound from their shock 51-21 thrashing at Bordeaux-Begles when they host La Rochelle.
Montpellier are at home to basement dwellers Oyonnax, with Castres travelling to fifth-placed Bordeaux-Begles and Bayonne away at Lyon.
Injury-hit Grenoble play Brive in Friday's match.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Friday, October 10: Grenoble v Brive (18.45)
Saturday, October 11: Bordeaux-Begles v Castres (12.35), Clermont v La Rochelle, Lyon v Bayonne, Montpellier v Oyonnax (all 13.00), Stade Francais v Racing-Metro (14.35)
Sunday, October 12: Toulouse v Toulon (19.00)
Top 14 table (played, won, drawn, lost, points for, points against, bonus points, total points):
Toulon 8 6 0 2 255 140 4 28
Clermont 8 6 0 2 199 139 3 27
Racing-Metro 8 5 0 3 189 174 3 23
Montpellier 8 5 0 3 176 146 2 22
Bordeaux 8 5 0 3 215 187 2 22
Stade Francais 8 5 0 3 172 183 2 22
Grenoble 8 4 0 4 198 216 4 20
Bayonne 8 3 0 5 171 169 4 16
La Rochelle 8 3 0 5 189 250 3 15
Castres 8 3 0 5 180 206 3 15
Toulouse 8 3 0 5 165 177 2 14
Lyon 8 3 0 5 141 188 1 13
Brive 8 3 0 4 160 225 1 13
Oyonnax 8 2 0 6 171 184 2 12
Source: AFP
