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ASM Clermont Auvergne
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Biarritz
Top 14 reaches the halfway stage this weekend as round 13 signals the return of league action after a two week break for international matches. It briefly threatened to become an unscheduled three week interlude when a proposed strike was mooted on Wednesday – over the government enforced loss of a current tax break in French sport – but club presidents eventually backed down and opted for a negotiated way forward, for the time being at least.
That means the eagerly anticipated Paris derby can go ahead as scheduled on Saturday as Racing-Metro 92 play host to Stade Francais for the first time since regaining their top flight status.
It is just one of several tasty encounters to whet the appetite, with others including high-flying Castres at home to Stade Toulousain in yet another test of the former’s staying power.
But the action kicks off on Friday night with what looks a classic mismatch on paper as basement boys SCA Albi welcome leaders and defending champions Perpignan. Albi go into the game rooted to the foot of the table after just one win in their opening 12 league matches, including a current five-game losing streak. Perpignan, by contrast, come in with confidence soaring after winning their last three league encounters as they overcame Stade Francais (20-14 away), Castres (17-15 at home) and Toulon (25-9 at home).
They are not infallible, however, and Albi will take what hope they can from the Catalans’ disappointing away defeats to the likes to Bourgoin, Montpellier and Benetton Treviso this season.
The Racing versus Stade Francais clash is the most eye-catching of Saturday’s games but the sad thing about the first Paris derby in a decade is that it might not even be a sell-out. Only 10,000 of the 14,000 tickets had been sold by Thursday, with the 2.30pm kick-off being just three and a half hours before France take on Samoa at the nearby Stade de France.
That has inevitably resulted in less interest than would be guaranteed on any other league weekend, especially with Stade Francais being stripped of so many of their international players. Indeed, Max Guazzini’s side go into the fixture with no less than 19 players unavailable, either through injury or international commitments.
One player who will be there, though, is Racing’s former France captain Lionel Nallet, who was given the weekend off by national coach Marc Lièvremont as he experiments with his line-up against Samoa.
Nallet will be without club-colleague Sebastien Chabal – who is playing against Samoa – but Springbok and IRB Player of the Year nominee Francois Steyn is available as Racing seek to extend their four-match winning run.
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