La Rochelle will be looking to pull off a Houdini act and qualify for the Top 14 play-offs when they take on Stade Francais on Saturday the 5th of May.
La Rochelle will need a victory against Stade this weekend and for results to go their way if they are to qualify for next weekend’s play-offs. The hosts currently sit two points off sixth-placed Castres, who take on Oyannax, and will need the minnows to do them a favour should they wish to advance to the next round.
La Rochelle v Stade Francais
Saturday 5 May
Stade Marcel-Deflandre
21:00
To Win (80 Mins)
La Rochelle 1/6
Draw 24/1
Stade 39/10
La Rochelle
It’s incredible that La Rochelle find themselves heading into the final game of the regular season with their fate out of their hands. I mean this was a side that was duking it out for first place on the standings just before the turn of the year.
La Rochelle endured a horrific start to the year and come into this one off the back of yet another loss, going down 19-14 to the high-flying Toulouse last weekend.
Stade Francais
The once giants of French Rugby have seen their stocks plummet yet again this season. The multiple competition champions currently lie in 12th place and could find themselves involved in a play-off should Oyannax pull off a shock win over Castres.
However, there is some hope for Stade as they do come into this one off the back of a moralising 18-30 away victory over Lyon. Although Lyon pose nowhere as big a threat as La Rochelle do with ball-in-hand.
Verdict: La Rochelle 1/6
It’s backs against the wall for last season’s semi-finalists. I think the pressure will help rather than hinder and I can see them claiming a narrow yet vital win here.
Written by Darry Worthington for @Hollywoodbets.net
