Preview - Top 14, Round 16
Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:52
They have sold 36 000 seats for the Toulouse-Biarritz match. That's house full. It's a big one, but they are all big in France's Top 14.
One presumes that Biarritz will not to Toulouse what Toulouse did to Stade Français. Toulouse took a much, much weakened team to Stade de France, packed with 80 000 spectators. their full team and no do what Toulouse,
Biarritz have already declared their determination to do well, and in any case their position at the bottom of the top four, in other words just within the semifinal group is too precarious with Castres and Perpignan breathing down their necks. Biarritz are not playing well enough to feel comfortable as Castres and the Catalans go speeding up the ladder. The Basques have Jean-Baptiste Gobelet and Imanol Harinordoquy back to boost their squad.
Toulouse went for so long unbeaten but they have now lost three.
The other crunch match is between Auch and Dax but for a different reason., Auch look set to be guillotined at the end of the season and Dax are only just above them. They are in that anxious group of the bottom four. With Albi likely to lose to the Auvergnats, Dax would like to get above them.
Brive are also not out of danger but at least they are at home.
For ambitious Perpignan and Castres and even for Montauban and Bourgoin, this is a crucial week for their hopes.
Fixtures for Round 16
The big match of the weekend is on Friday, the rest on Saturday.
Toulouse vs Biarritz
Bayonne vs Stade Français
Clermont Auvergne vs Albi
Auch vs Dax
Castres vs Montpellier
Brive vs Montauban
Bourgoin vs Perpignan
Predictions: We think that Toulouse, Stade Français, Clermont Auvergne and Castres will win, which means that Castres would go into fourth place, which is quite dramatic. We believe that Perpignan, despite their recent surge, will not win against Bourgoin away and nor will Montauban against desperate Brive, but we believe that Auch will try hard but that Dax will win.
Standings after Round 15
1. Toulouse 58
2. Clermont 57
3. Paris 44
4. Biarritz 41
5. Perpignan 40
6. Castres 40
7. Montauban 35
8. Bourgoin 34
9. Bayonne 33
10. Montpellier 30
11. Brive 27
12. Albi 25
13. Dax 20
14. Auch 10
Teams:
When/if we get the teams we shall publish them.
Clermont Auvergne will be without prop Martín Scelzo who has damaged a shoulder and big new wing Julien Malzieu who has a damaged ankle.
Auch squad: Christophe Clarac, Brice Salobert, Hamid Arif, Jérôme Cholley, Tao Tapasu, Robins Tchale Watchou, Sergio Valdès, Antoine Battut, Nicolas Bontinck, Alexandre Ricaud, Stéphan Saint Lary, Raphaël
Bastide, Patrick Bosque, Pierre Aguillon, Benoît Albert, Thierry Brana, Nicolas Pagotto, Frédéric Couzier, David Spicer, Pascal Idieder, Grégory Menkarska, Fabien Barcella, Sébastien Bortolucci, Julien Campo
Bayonne squad: Pierre-Philippe Lafond, Julian Fiorini, Avto Kopaliani, Aretz Iguiniz, Arnaud Heguy, David Roumieu, Andrew Springgay, Mikaera Tewhata, Nicolas Lafitte, Guillaume Bernad, Jean-Joseph Marmouyet, Louis Massabeau, Jacques Deen, Anthony Salle-Canne, Mickaël Lopez-Herrero, Manny Edmonds, Henri-Pierre Vermis, Dwayne Gower, Richard Dourthe, Sam Gerber, Vincent Inigo, Benjamin Lhande, Pépito Elhorga.
Biarritz: 15 Nicolas Brusque, 14 Takudzwa Ngwenya, 13 Philippe Bidabé, 12 Damien Traille, 11 Benjamin Thiery, 10 Marcelo Bosch, 9 Dimitri Yachvili, 8 Imanol Harinordoquy, 7 Jacques Cronjé, 6 Serge Blanco, 5 David Couzinet, 4 Jérôme Thion (captain), 3
Benoît Lecouls, 2 Olivier Noirot, 1 Eduard Coetzee
Replacements: 16 Benoît August, 17 Denis Avril, 18 Benoît Bourrust, 19 Steeve Malonga, 20 Julien Peyrelongue, 21 Henry Fa'afili, 22 Jean-Baptiste Gobelet
Bourgoin squad: Mickaël Forest, Morgan Parra, Wessel Jooste, Julien Pierre, Bryce Williams, Chris Wyatt, Julien Frier, Yann Labrit, Sylvain Nicolas, Aurélien Diotallevi, Brice Monzeglio, Jean-François Coux, Anthony Forest, David Janin, Mathieu Nicolas, Florian Denos, Rudi Coetzee, Yann David, Matias Viazzo, Benjamin Boyet, Sébastien Laloo, Benoît Cabello, Pablo Cardinali, Olivier Milloud, Olivier Sourgens, Arnauld Tchougong, Karena Wihongi, Rémy Vigneaux
Brive: 15 Barry Davies, 14 Ronnie Cooke, 13 Suka Hufanga, 12 Ben Johnston, 11 Ben Cohen, 10) Luciano Orquera, 9 Jean Baptiste Péjoine, 8 Simon Azoulai, 7 Vincent Forgues, 6 Alex Manta, 5 Pierre
Capdevielle, 4 Jawad Djoudi, 3 Davit Kinchagishvili2 Jawad Djoudi, 1 Pierre Capdevielle
Replacements: 16 Kevin Buys, 17 Steve Thompson, 18 Charl van Rensburg, 19 Antonie Claassen, 20 Damien Neveu, 21 Maxime Petitjean, 22 Fabrice Estebanez.
Castres: 15 Anthony Lagardère, 14 Laloala Milford, 13 Phil Christophers, 12 Laurent Marticoréna, 11 Brad Fleming, 10 Cammie McIntyre, 9 Sébastien Tillous-Borde, 8 Julien Puricelli, 7Leiataua Tomiki , 6 Alexandre Bias, 5 Lionel Nallet (captain), 4 Losefa Tekori, 3 Danie Saayman, 2 Romain Terrain, 1 Carl Hoeft.
Replacements: 16 Mathieu Bonello, 17 Luc Ducalcon, 18 Jérérmy Castex, 19 Colin Gaston, 20 Florian Faure, 21 Steve Kefu, 22 Kevin Senio
Clermont Auvergne squad:
Forwards: Laurent Emmanuelli, Thomas Domingo, Mirko Lozupone, Mario Ledesma, Davit Zirakashvili ; Loïc Jacquet,
Thibaut Privat, Christophe Samson ; Alexandre Audebert, Julien Bonnaire, Fabien Alexandre, Sam Broomhall.
Backs: Pierre Mignoni, John Senio, Brock James, Seremaïa Baï, Marius Joubert, Pierre-Emmanuel Garcia, Raphaël Chanal, Napolioni Nalaga, Vilimoni Delasau, Benoît Baby.
Dax squad: Kasiano Lealamanua, Julien Brugnaud, William Bonet, Mathieu Paul, Nicolas Descamps , Regis Rameau, Antony Mazel, Manu Sierra, Rudolph Berek, Vincent Deniau, Thomas Lievremont, Mathieu Lievremont, Kane Thompson, Pierre Caillet, Nicolas Morlaes, Julien Lesgourgues, Charlie Hore, Paul Dabrin, Duncan Bell, Gavin Williams, Bruno Hiriart, Horacio Agulla, Laurent Diaz, Sébastien Roque
Montauban squad: Patrick Blanco, Benjamin Sa, Pascal Peyron, Pablo Henn, Gregory Arganese, Camille Traversa, Rowan Frost, Scott Murray, Matthias Rolland, Marc Raynaud, Yannick Caballero, Matthew Clarkin, Fabrice Soldan, Cédric Garcia, Petre Mitu, Sébastien Fauqué, Fabien Fortassin, Rida Jahouer, Jean-Philippe Viard, Yoan Audrin, Denis Cech, Jean-Emmanuel Cassin, Johan Dalla-Riva, Sylvain Jonnet.
Perpignan squad: Kisi Pulu, Sébastian Bozzi, Perry Freshwater, Nicolas Mas, Guilhem Guirado, Michael Ladhuie, Gerrie Britz, Nathan Hines, Christophe Porcu, Yohan Vivalda, Damien Chouly, Jean-Pierre Perez, Ovidu Tonita, Nicolas Durand, Henry Tuilagi, Chris Cusiter, Nicolas Laharrague, Cédric Rosalen, Jean-Philippe Grandclaude, David Marty, Adrian Planté, Christophe Manas, Julien Candelon, Jérôme Porical, Percy Montgomery
Stade Français squad:
Forwards: Mathieu Blin, Damien Weber, Rodrigo Roncero, David Attoub, Pedro Ledesma/Sylvain Marconnet, Boela du Plooy, Cliffie Milton, Lukutua Lokotui/Saïd Hireche/Loïc Charlon, Rémy Martin, Antoine Burban, Sergio
Parisse, Simon Taylor
Backs: Jérôme Fillol, Terry Bouhraoua, Lionel Beauxis, Juan Martín Hernández, Mirco Bergamasco, Guillaume Bousses, Mathieu Bastareaud, Julien Arias, Julien Saubade, Nicolas Jeanjean, Djibril Camara
Toulouse: 15 Cederci Heymans, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 YannickJauzion, 12 Maleli Kunavore, 11 Maxime Médard, 10 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 9 Byron Kelleher, 8 Shaun Sowerby, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6 Jean Bouilhou, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Fabien Pelous, 3 Omar Hasan, 2 William Servat, 1 Daan Human.
Replacements: 16 Alberto Vernet Basualdo, 17 Jean-Baptiste Poux, 18 Grégory Lamboley, 19 Yannick Nyanga, 20 Maxime Mermoz, 21 Valentin Courrent, 22 Manu Ahotaeiloa
Match Officials
Bourgoin vs Auch
Referee: Akim Hadj Bachir
Touch judges: Gérard Gacon, Jean-Luc Gonzalez
Assessor: Jean-Paul Goyard, Yves Bressy
Television match official: Bruno Bessot
Castres vs Montauban
Referee: Jean-Pierre Matheu
Touch judges: Fernand Pereira, Guy Pince
Assessor: Jean Izquierdo, Daniel Gillet
Television match official: David Rosich
Montpellier vs Clermont Auvergne
Referee: Christophe Berdos
Touch judges: Olivier Migne, Claude Tajan
Assessor: Pierre Guichard, Marc Daroque
Television match official: Serge Marzullo
Stade Francais vs Toulouse
Referee: Franck Maciello
Touch judges: Hervé Gilard, Maurice Duny
Assessor: Jean-Marie Combe, Claude Rouve, Patrick Thomas
Television match official: Gérard Borreani
Perpignan vs Albi
Referee: Jean-Christophe Gastou
Touch judges: Jean-Louis Suau, Jean-Christophe Clot
Assessor: Michel Sicard, Bernard Perez
Television match official: Daniel Irazoqui
Dax vs Bayonne
Referee: Jean-Luc
Rebollal
Touch judges: Patrick Dellac, Denis Grenouillet
Assessor: Jean-Marie Peyramaure, Roger Duhau
Television match official: Jean-Claude Levrier
Biarritz vs Brive
Referee: Eric Gauzins
Touch judges: Patrick Bellet, Pierre Marie Masson
Assessor: Pierre Beneuf, Michel Messan
Television match official: Daniel Dartigea
