England to 'take some heads off' in France
TOP 14 PREVIEW: Clermont centre Irae Simone says Bayonne’s former England star Manu Tuilagi will “want to take some heads off” as he returns to action when the teams meet in the French Top 14 on Saturday.
Powerhouse Tuilagi, 34, has been sidelined since mid-January with a knee injury and forms a dangerous centre partnership for the Basque club alongside fleet-footed Fiji midfielder Sireli Maqala.
Clermont are fifth in the table ahead of this weekend’s game, while 12th-placed Bayonne are without a win in six games and sacked coach Gregory Patat last week.
“They’ve definitely got X-Factor in Maqala,” Simone told AFP.
“You’ve got Tuilagi there, who’s a bigger body, who’s probably going to just crash ball. I think he’s coming back from injury, so he’s probably wanting to take some heads off for sure.
“For us, we need to work together as a team to try to shut those boys down.”
Simone, 30, joined Clermont in 2022 from the Brumbies, having made the last of his three Australia appearances weeks before the move to central France.
He still holds out hope for a call-up for Australia in time for the 2027 Rugby World Cup on home soil but also qualifies for Samoa through his parents.
“I’d still like to put my hand up for Wallabies,” Simone said.
“I can also be eligible to play for Samoa if the Wallabies weren’t interested. There are those two options.”
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Chase on for top two
Simone’s deal at the two-time French champions is up at the end of the campaign with his future yet to be sorted, but he is focused on finishing the season on a high.
Clermont are five points off Pau in the second and final automatic semifinal spot as they eye a last-four berth for the first time since 2019.
“I think we’re pretty content where we are, but we’re trying to chase that top two,” said Simone.
Clermont’s bid for a top-two finish resumes this weekend as a struggling Bayonne head to a sold-out, 19,000-capacity Stade Marcel Michelin.
Bayonne head coach Patat was dismissed a week ago after a dire run of losses stretching back to early January, with New Zealander Gerard Fraser stepping into the vacant role.
“There’s been a lot of things going on at Bayonne but we can’t write them off,” Simone said.
“They’re still a bloody good team. Knowing that they haven’t won in six games means nothing.”
Elsewhere, 19 members of France’s Six Nations squad will be rested for this weekend’s Top 14 action ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Scotland in their bid to claim back-to-back titles.
Les Bleus winger Gael Drean and scrumhalf Baptiste Serin will be available for Toulon as they travel to Lyon, but head coach Pierre Mignoni will again be absent as he continues his period of “leave” following the February 14 home defeat to Clermont.
League leaders Toulouse are without Antoine Dupont due to his Test commitments as they host bottom side Montauban, while centre Yoram Moefana is set to feature for Bordeaux-Begles at Pau, making his first appearance since suffering an injury for France against Ireland earlier this month.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Saturday
Clermont v Bayonne (13.30)
Lyon v Toulon (15.35)
Montpellier v Racing 92 (15.35)
Stade Francais v Perpignan (15.35)
Toulouse v Montauban (all 1535)
Castres v La Rochelle (20.00)
Sunday
Pau v Bordeaux-Begles (20.05)
