The French Top 14 enters its ninth week this Saturday and there are some enticing fixtures in-store including blockbuster clashes between Bordeaux and Clermont as well as Toulouse and Racing.
Saturday 30 October
Toulon 1/5 | Draw 25/1 | Biarritz 38/10 (15:00)
Toulon will be looking to bounce back from their 39-6 humbling at the hand of La Rochelle when they take on a Biarritz side that snapped a four-game losing streak in style as they beat Brive 37-9 last weekend.
The visitors have struggled on the road this term and all their victories have come on home soil. Toulon haven’t exactly made the Stade Mayol a fortress and have lost and drawn a game at the stadium already.
Verdict: Toulon 1/5
They are such a hit and miss side but I’ll be backing Toulon to take the spoils here.
Castres 2/15 | Draw 28/1 | Brive 54/10
Next up it’s sixth-placed Castres versus ninth-placed Brive. The two sides have endured indifferent starts to the campaign with Brive winning only three of their opening eight games while Castres have won four and drawn one of their eight.
Both sides were highly disappointing in Round 7 with Brive hammered 37-9 by new boys Biarritz and Castres failing to register a point during their 41-0 defeat to log-leaders Toulouse.
Verdict: Castres 2/15
Castres are by far the better team and they should return to form on home soil.
Perpignan 33/20 | Draw 20/1 | La Rochelle 52/100 (15:00)
A bang in form La Rochelle team will be looking to make it five wins from their last six starts when they take on a Perpignan side that are rooted to the foot of the table and have a -94 points differential.
The visitors were in scintillating form last weekend as they smashed Toulon 39-6. Former Auckland Blues pivot Ihia West had a solid outing and he could well play a key role here.
Perpignan, on the other hand, had a weekend to forget as they went down 39-19 to the Bordeaux Begles.
Verdict: La Rochelle 52/100
La Rochelle are looking more and more like the complete package with every passing week. My money is on them putting up a big score over the league strugglers.
Pau 42/100 | Draw 20/1 | Stade 2/1
Next up we’ve got two sides in the mid-table mire with Stade taking on Pau. The visitors have started to turn things around in recent weeks winning three games on the trot with their latest victory last weekend’s 23-18 win over Lyon.
Conversely, Pau are on a three-match losing streak and went down 42-20 to Clermont last weekend. They seem to be trying to implement a more expansive game plan this term that hasn’t really borne fruit.
Verdict: Stade 2/1
I think the good times will keep on rolling for Stade. They’re really starting to click and I fancy them for the win here.
Montpellier 46/100 | Draw 20/1 | Lyon 37/20 (17:00)
Montpellier and Lyon are next up and the visitors head for the Altrad in dire need of a result having gone down by five points to Stade last weekend. This was their third defeat in five outings and it leaves them third on the Top 14 ladder, six points off second-placed Bordeaux.
Montpellier had a much better time of it in Round 8 as they produced something of a shock in beating Racingg 21-32 in Paris. They had lost their two games prior – against Bordeaux and Clermont – by rather narrow margins and this was just reward after their consistent improvement over the last few weeks.
Verdict: Montpellier 46/100
They’re starting to find form and reckon they’ll take the honours here
Bordeaux 7/20 | Draw 20/1 | Clermont 24/10 (21:05)
The penultimate game of the weekend should be an absolute cracker as second-placed Bordeaux square off with seventh-placed Clermont.
Bordeaux have enjoyed a magnificent opening eight games only tasting defeat once, while drawing once and winning all of their other fixtures. One of the aforementioned victories came last weekend where they picked up a bonus point after thrashing Perpignan 39-13.
Clermont have been far more patchy during the first third of the season, losing four and winning four. They do head into this clash off the back of two victories with their latest win being last weekend’s 42-20 defeat of Pau.
Verdict: Bordeaux 7/20
They have been sold on their own turf while Clermont have struggled on the road. All signs point to a home win here.
Sunday 31 October
Racing 47/100 | Draw 22/1 | Toulouse 18/10 (22:05)
Racing and Toulouse will bring the curtain down on the Round 9 action when they lock horns in Paris.
The loss of Springbok flyer Cheslin Kolbe has not hampered Toulouse at all as they have only lost one game this term and sit top of the pops on the Top 14 ladder. They were impressive last weekend as well as they racked up a 41-0 win over Castres.
Racing have endured a more rocky start to their season with the Parisians winning five and losing three of their fixtures. They suffered a major upset last weekend as they were beaten 21-32 by Montpellier.
Verdict: 47/100
Toulouse are miles ahead of the rest this term and their quality should show through here.
