The French Top 14 regular season will come to a close this weekend. Darry Worthington previews the final set of regular season fixtures below.
While there are a number of dead-rubbers in the Top 14 this weekend, it’s set to go down to the wire in the battle for the play-off berths with only three points separating fourth-laced Racing and seventh-placed La Rochelle.
Agen v Racing Metro 92
Saturday 25 May
Stade Armandie
16:15
To Win (80 Mins)
Agen 9/2
Draw 25/1
Racing 1/8
We kick the day’s action off with a tie between Agen and Racing. The hosts are safe from relegation while Racing need to take at least two points from this game to ensure they make the play-offs.
The two sides head into this one off of contrasting results with Racing hammering Perpignan 14-52 last weekend and Agen going down 10-17 to Castres.
Verdict: Racing 1/8
This could be a rather interesting game with Agen likely to cut loose with the threat of relegation now gone and Racing likely to take a pragmatic approach to it with a play-off berth still not guaranteed. I can see the visitors edging this one by a very narrow margin.
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La Rochelle v Bordeaux Begles
Saturday 25 May
Stade Marcel-Delfrandre
16:15
To Win (80 Mins)
La Rochelle 1/12
Draw 33/1
Bordeaux 6/1
La Rochelle really need a win against Bordeaux to put themselves in the driver’s seat for a play-off berth. The hosts currently sit level on points with sixth-placed Montpellier but the inferior points differential sees them in seventh.
‘The Mariners’ saw there three-game domestic streak come to an end last weekend as they went down 29-19 to third-placed Lyon. This was their second defeat in succession as they went down to Clermont in the Challenge Cup final a week prior.
Bordeaux have also endured a tough old couple of weeks with the visitors currently on a four-game losing streak, with their latest defeat coming at the of Toulouse.
Verdict: La Rochelle 1/12
They may be enduring a mini-slump but Bordeaux will offer the ideal opportunity for La Rochelle to bounce back. I can see the hosts taking this one by more than 13 points.
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Castres v Toulon
Saturday 25 May
Stade Pierre-Fabre
16:15
To Win (80 Mins)
Castres 1/10
Draw 25/1
Toulon 11/2
Castres need a minimum of two points to ensure their place in the play-offs with the reigning champions three points clear of seventh-placed La Rochelle. They’ll have every chance of doing this as they take on a Toulon side who really do struggle on the road.
Both head into this one with rather patchy recent records with both having won three of their last five. They head into this one off a set of solid results though with Toulon beating Clermont 32-11 and Castres beating Agen 10-17.
Verdict: Castres 1/10
Toulon really don’t enjoy an away game and I cannot see them getting one over a Castres side who need a win.
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Grenoble v Lyon
Saturday 25 May
Stade des Alpes
16:15
To Win (80 Mins)
Grenoble 21/20
Draw 15/1
Lyon 8/10
Lyon will be looking to grab a minimum of a bonus point from their clash with already relegated Grenoble as one point would ensure they have hosting rights and take on the sixth-placed side in the play-offs.
The visitors should be able to achieve this as Grenoble have been in poor form over the past month and head into this one on a three-game losing streak, with their latest defeat being a 22-0 loss to Pau.
Verdict: Lyon 8/10
There’s some decent value here as Lyon will likely put a few of their bigger names in the starting line-up as they still need to claim a point to ensure they host a play-off.
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Stade Francais v Pau
Saturday 25 May
Stade Jean-Bouin
16:15
To Win (80 Mins)
Stade 1/10
Draw 25/1
Pau 5/1
We have a match which will undoubtedly feel like some of an exhibition fixture with lower mid-table occupants Stade Francais and Pau locking horns in a game neither side really wants to play.
Both teams have endured late-season slumps and head into this game with identical records of two wins in their last five outings. They experienced completely different fortunes in Round 25 as Pau beat Grenoble 22-0 and Stade went down 42-25 to Montpellier.
Verdict: Pau 5/1
I think Stade are a defeated team. They really looked it against Montpellier and I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see them lose here.
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Clermont v Montpellier
Saturday 25 May
Parc des Sports Marcel-Michelin
16:15
To Win (80 Mins)
Clermont 4/10
Draw 18/1
Montpellier 2/1
The penultimate fixture of the Top 14’s regular season will see already qualified semi-finalists, Clermont, play host to play-off hopefuls Montpellier. The visitors currently occupy the final play-off berth but a loss here could well see them miss out on the next phase of the competition.
With there being a two-weeks until the semi-finals, Clermont are likely to field a large number of their first stringers. They’ll also want the win here to give them a bit of a confidence boost as they went down 32-11 away to Toulon last week.
Montpellier had a far better Round 25 as they beat Stade 42-25. With the bonus point victory ensuring they’d lie in the play-off berths on the final round-robin weekend.
Verdict: Montpellier 2/1
I get this feeling Montpellier will take it. They’ve looked a much better side in recent weeks.
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Toulouse v Perpignan
Saturday 25 May
Stade Ernst-Wallon
16:15
To Win (80 Mins)
Toulouse 1/100
Draw 25/1
Perpignan 14/1
We close out the regular season with a true ‘David versus Goliath’ encounter as table-toppers Toulouse take on cellar-dwellers Perpignan.
Toulouse registered their 20th win of the season last week as they beat Bordeaux 36-43 in an absolute try-fest. Perpignan, on the other hand, suffered their 23rd loss of the season as they went down 14-52 to Racing in a game that neatly summed up their ill-fated return to the French top flight.
Verdict: Toulouse 1/100
As much as I’d love to see an upset I suspect Perpignan are in for a tough old time at the Stade Ernst Wallon. I suspect the hosts will take it by more than 25 points.
Written by Darry Worthington for Hollywoodbets
