Montpellier and Racing 92 go head-to-head in the weekend’s big Top 14 clash at the GGL Stadium, but there are also several other interesting encounters.
At the other end of the table, the bottom two face-off when Toulon hosts Perpignan at the Stade Mayol on Saturday evening, while play-off chasers Lyon and Stade begin proceedings on Sunday.
Saturday
Grenoble vs Clermont Auvergne
Castres vs Pau
La Rochelle vs Agen
Toulon vs Perpignan
Toulouse vs Bordeaux-Bègles
Sunday
Lyon vs Stade Francais
Montpellier vs Racing 92
Grenoble vs Clermont Auvergne
Stade des Alpes
Buoyed by picking up their first away points of the campaign, Grenoble will go into this encounter against the league leaders full of confidence.
Having drawn against Agen at the Stade Armandie, the recently promoted outfit will think that they can at least challenge Les Jaunards.
Logic dictates that Clermont should win this game fairly comfortably and their performances throughout the campaign suggest that they will be too strong on Saturday afternoon, but it is rarely that easy in the Top 14.
Auvergne still go in favourites and will likely pull away in the latter stages, but do not be surprised if Grenoble give them a fright first.
Last season’s result: Did not play
Kick-off: 14:45 local (13:45 GMT)
Referee: Pierre Brousset
Assistant referees: Tual Trainini, Laurent Breil
TMO: Eric Briquet-Campin
Castres vs Pau
Stade Pierre-Fabre
Following a couple of domestic results which will have still stung Castres, they will be looking to get back on track this weekend.
Christophe Urios’ men have suffered back-to-back defeats in the league after going down to both Stade Francais and Clermont Auvergne.
Those two of course reside at the top of the division but, after starting the campaign impressively, the defending champions have stuttered of late.
However, Urios will hope that a match with Pau will provide the perfect tonic. Although Simon Mannix’s charges are in play-off contention and just one place below Castres, the hosts should have too much quality.
Last season’s result: Pau won 29-27
Kick-off: 18:45 local (17:45 GMT)
Referee: Jonathan Dufort
Assistant referees: Julien Castaignede, Richard Duhau
TMO: Bruno Bessot
La Rochelle vs Agen
Stade Marcel-Deflandre
After an inconsistent opening to the campaign, La Rochelle’s victory over Toulon provided a huge fillip and they will be expecting to make it three successive wins in the Top 14.
The Stade Marcel-Deflandre outfit initially struggled having effectively gone into the campaign without their boss – Jono Gibbes is set to join soon – but they should be on an upward curve when the New Zealander begins in earnest.
Agen have once again been stubborn at home but Philippe Sella’s men have faltered on their travels and a repeat of last season’s result between the sides is very plausible.
Last season’s result: La Rochelle won 47-6
Kick-off: 18:45 local (17:45 GMT)
Referee: Thomas Charabas
Assistant referees: Francois Bouzac, Eric Soulan
TMO: Mourad Zitouni
Toulon vs Perpignan
Stade Mayol
While not the most enticing game on paper, it is perhaps the most important as the bottom two teams go head-to-head.
Toulon, despite being seven points ahead of Perpignan, are a club in crisis after losing six of their opening eight domestic matches. While the Catalans are yet to win a game in either the Top 14 or Challenge Cup, much more is expected of Patrice Collazo’s men.
Lose this encounter and it is difficult seeing the former La Rochelle head honcho keeping his job beyond the international break. In total, three of their next four matches are at home, so it does provide an opportunity to garner some momentum, but they have underwhelmed so far in 2018/19.
Don’t expect a free-flowing affair but whoever claims the honours will be mightily relieved come the end of the weekend.
Last season’s result: Did not play
Kick-off: 18:45 local (17:45 GMT)
Referee: Maxime Chalon
Assistant referees: Flavien Hourquet, Jean-Claude Labarbe
TMO: Akim Hadj-Bachir
Toulouse vs Bordeaux-Bègles
Stade Ernest-Wallon
The late game on Saturday sees two ambitious outfits face off when third takes on fifth at the Stade Ernest-Wallon.
Bordeaux produced their best performance of the season to defeat Lyon last weekend, overcoming difficult conditions to claim a 35-13 bonus-point victory, but they will be heading to the home of another in-form team.
Toulouse have won four on the bounce, including an excellent Champions Cup triumph over Leinster, and are in confident mood, despite having to contend with a few injuries.
UBB have improved over recent weeks but Les Rouge et Noir should maintain the pressure on the top two.
Last season’s result: Toulouse won 38-37
Kick-off: 20:45 local (19:45 GMT)
Referee: Ludovic Cayre
Assistant referees: Laurent Millotte, Patrick Pechambert
TMO: Eric Gauzins
Lyon vs Stade Francais
Matmut Stadium de Gerland
Another intriguing game in Round Nine with a developing Stade Francais side heading to the Matmut Stadium de Gerland to take on Lyon.
Former South Africa boss Heyneke Meyer has done an excellent job in the capital so far, leading them to six victories in eight matches in the Top 14.
Although Stade suffered a setback by succumbing to Parisian rivals Racing 92 a few weeks ago, they have responded superbly and edged Montpellier last weekend.
Going into the international break, they will look to take another scalp, but Pierre Mignoni’s men will be hurting after their disappointing performance at Bordeaux, so expect a backlash from the sixth placed team.
Last season’s result: Lyon won 44-3
Kick-off: 12:30 local (11:30 GMT)
Referee: Adrien Descottes
Assistant referees: Sebastien Boyer, Bruno Gabaldon
TMO: Denis Grenouillet
Montpellier vs Racing 92
GGL Stadium
The final match of the weekend sees Montpellier looking to respond to their agonising loss to Stade Francais when they face fellow title hopefuls Racing 92.
It is a battle between the teams that finished the previous campaign in the top two, but both have underwhelmed at times this season.
Vern Cotter’s men were much-improved, however, against Stade after a couple of poor displays in the Champions Cup, while the Parisians secured a comfortable victory over Pau following their reversal at home to Lyon before the European break.
It should prove to be the game of the round and will hopefully be more entertaining than the corresponding fixture from 2017/18, which ended in a comfortable triumph for the hosts.
Last season’s result: Montpellier won 41-3
Kick-off: 16:50 local (15:50 GMT)
Referee: Pascal Gauzere
Assistant referees: Vincent Blasco-Baque, Jean-Luc Rebollal
TMO: Patrick Dellac