The Top 14 returns this weekend, with Round 18 of the season throwing up a very enticing fixtures list.
*All odds to be added on release.
Saturday 2 March
Racing 92 v La Rochelle
15h45
La Defense Arena
Eighth-placed Racing 92 still have a shot at clawing their way into playoff contention and a win over La Rochelle in fourth can advance their cause. The recent news that Dan Carter will be returning to his former club would have brought a smile to Jacky Lorenzetti’s lips, with Racing’s club owner still determined to bring a first Champions Cup title to Paris.
While this weekend may be too early to see Carter back in the fold, one would still expect the Parisians to come out of the blocks firing after last week’s poor performance away at Castres. La Rochelle, whose home defeat to Stade Francais allowed Lyon to overtake them, will also be looking to bounce back this weekend. That said, you’d have to back the home side in this case.
Verdict: Racing by seven or more
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Montpellier v Bordeaux-Begles
19h00
GGL Stadium
Montpellier have been in free fall this season after topping the pile last time out. Coach Vern Cotter has struggled to find the right balance this term and their six wins so far in 2018-19 is a poor return for a side with a host of Rugby World Cup winners within its ranks.
Last week’s 27-14 loss to table-toppers Toulouse was far from an upset but has nevertheless resulted in an eight-point gap between them and Racing 92 in eighth; it will take a big shift to catch them now. Bordeaux last week recorded an emphatic 47-31 win over lowly Grenoble. They will be favorited when they take to the field at the GGL Stadium this weekend.
Verdict: Bordeaux-Begles
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Clermont v Grenoble
19h00
Stade Marcel Michelin
Second-place Clermont’s unexpected 19-13 loss has seen them lose even more ground to Toulouse at the top of the standings, but they will be confident of taking maximum points at home this weekend against a struggling Grenoble side. The visitors’ latest defeat to Bordeaux has seen them remain in 13th-place with just three-wins all season.
The Marcel Michelin may not be as much of a fortress as it was three-odd years ago, but teams still fear going there. Clermont should claim a comfortable win this weekend.
Verdict: Clermont by 14-points or more
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Pau v Agen
19h00
Stade du Hameau
11th hosts 12th on Saturday as Agen travel to Pau for what is sure to be a fiercely contested mid-table encounter. The visitors beat bottom of the table Perpignan 20-13 away from home last week to maintain the pressure on the likes of Pau and Toulon just a few points ahead of them.
A bonus-point victory at the Stade du Hameau will see them leapfrog a Pau side low on confidence after a dismal 38-11 defeat at Toulon. That said, the hosts won’t fancy dropping a place and will doubtless be up for the challenge.
Verdict: Pau by seven or more
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Lyon v Castres
21h45
Matmut Stadium Gerland
Lyon in third have bags of confidence after seeing off Clermont 19-13 at home last week, but are up for another stern examination this Saturday in the shape of the defending champions Castres. Christophe Urios’ men in seventh are one spot and one-point off of the playoff places but will take heart from a win over one of the competition’s front-runners.
This weekend’s clash is certainly one of, if not the standout fixture of the round but one would expect the home team to maintain the pressure at the top of the standings with a win here.
Verdict: Lyon by 10-points or more
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Sunday 3 March
Perpignan v Toulon
13h30
Stade Aime Giral
Bottom-placed Perpignan will find the going tough coming up against a Toulon side that crushed Pau 38-11 last weekend. The hosts have picked up just one-win all season and they seem to be well out of their depth playing in the upper echelons of French rugby.
Admittedly, Toulon have blown hot and cold yet again this campaign but that big win over Pau, a side they leapfrogged on the standings, could well signal a change in fortunes for the three-time European champions. In any case, they should get the result at the Stade Aime Giral.
Verdict: Toulon by 14-points or more
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Stade Francais v Toulouse
17h50
Stade Jean Bouin
Toulouse will look to head into the Top 14’s bye week by stretching their lead at its summit with a win away at Stade Francais. The table-toppers have been in fine fettle this season, sweeping virtually all before them on their way to collecting 13-wins from their 17-matches thus far. They look well set to pip Clermont to first-place, even at this stage, but the unpredictable nature of the French league can always throw a spanner in the works. Stade will aim to keep hold of their place in the playoffs (sixth) by taking a home win, but the odds are certainly not in their favour.
Verdict: Toulouse by seven-points or more
Written by Shaun Goosen for Hollywoodbets.
from Hollywoodbets Sports Blog https://ift.tt/2StZBVP
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