We are back to a full Top 14 fixtures list after last weekend’s four catch up games. This weekend’s games look pretty tasty with the big ticket affairs seeing La Rochelle take on Clermont and the Bordeaux Begles and Racing 92 locking horns.
Saturday 19 February
Pau 81/100 | Draw 22/1 | Toulouse 21/20 (16:00)
We kick things off with a clash between Pau and Toulouse. The visitors have been on a horrid run of form of late which continued last weekend where they lost their catch-up fixture against Stade Francais 28-29. The loss has seen them drop to sixth on the Top 14 ladder.
Pau were also involved in catch-up fixture action and they also suffered a defeat going down 35-29 to Racing. They did manage to claim a losing bonus point from the fixture, which is a decent return considering they played away from home.
Toulouse will have a number of their French internationals back this weekend so we should see a far better showing. My money is on them taking this one by 17 points or more.
Brive 12/10 | Draw 22/1 | Montpellier 72/100 (18:00)
Our next fixture pits high-flying Montpellier up against 11th-placed Brive. The visitors sit only six points behind log-leaders Bordeaux and have two games in hand over their rivals for top spot.
The hosts will head into this one in a buoyant mood having beaten Clermont 27-20 this past weekend. Montpellier weren’t involved in the round of catch-up fixtures but I was impressed during their last outing beating Pau 29-12 a fortnight ago.
Montpellier are in cracking form at the minute and have performed well away from home this term. My money is on visitors taking the spoils here.
Stade Francais 1/14 | Draw 33/1 | Biarritz 15/2 (18:00)
Stade Francais take on Biarritz in our next fixture and the hosts will be looking to build on last weekend’s one-point victory over Toulouse that saw them move up to eighth spot on the ladder.
While Stade were claiming a famous away day victory over Toulouse, Biarritz will have been plotting how to get off the foot of the log during their bye week. They are only three points off 13th placed Toulon and two points further off 12th-placed Perpignan so an upset victory for them here could well see them leapfrog Toulon and edge closer to avoiding relegation.
Stade have been so hit and miss this season that I just can’t back them with any real conviction. I personally will not be having a bet on this one but my tip would be just to take the hosts on the straight as if they do win, it won’t be by much.
Toulon 2/13 | Draw 28/1 | Perpignan 46/10 (18:00)
We’ve got a relegation battle of note next up with 13th-placed Toulon taking on 12th-placed Perpignan. Only two points separate the sides on the standings and a win for either would go a long way to easing their relegation worries.
While Perpignan were not involved in last weekend’s catch-up fixtures, Toulon certainly were with the mega-rich club registering a crucial victory over log-leaders Bordeaux. While Bordeaux were missing a couple of their French internationals, the 21-18 win did prove that Toulon can mix it with the big boys when they’ve got their collective mindsets.
Toulon are at home and coming off a morale-boosting win. If Toulon can’t win this one then there is no hope for them at all.
Castres 9/20 | Draw 20/1 | Lyon 19/10 (18:00)
Saturday’s penultimate fixture sees fourth-placed Clermont tackle third-placed Lyon. This is another one of those games that could go a long way to shaping the make-up of the play-offs with only three points separating the two sides on the ladder.
Neither side was in action last weekend but both come into this in solid form with Lyon winning all four of the domestic fixture they have played since the turn of the year while Castres have won three of the four domestic games in 2022 with their only defeat coming at the hands of log-leaders, the Bordeaux Begles.
I have to side with the hosts here, although I do reckon this will be a very close run affair.
La Rochelle 21/100 | Draw 25/1 | Clermont 37/10 (22:05)
Our final fixture for Saturday will see a desperate Clermont side take on a La Rochelle outfit that sits just inside the play-off places. The mid-table log jam is illustrated perfectly by these two sides with Clermont, who sit in ninth spot, only three points off seventh-placed La Rochelle.
While La Rochelle had last weekend off, Clermont endured an agonising defeat as after taking an early lead, they ultimately went down 27-20 to Brive.
Again, I expect this to be another tight affair that is just edged by side with hosting rights.
Sunday 20 February
Bordeaux Begles v Racing 22:05
We bring proceedings to a close with the clash of the weekend as log-leaders Bordeaux will be looking to bounce back from their catch-up fixture defeat to Toulon when they take on fifth-placed Racing.
Bordeaux will be rather annoyed with last weekend’s defeat to a struggling Toulon side as they were only a point off their opponents heading into the final 15 or so minutes of a game. Thye then shipped a converted try and a penalty, and while they did respond with a late try of their own, it wasn’t enough to turn things around.
Racing weren’t involved in the round of catch-up fixtures but head into this one off the back of a solid victory having beaten Brave 57-19 a fortnight ago.
I reckon a return to home soil will be just the tonic for the hosts who should bag the win at 47/100.
