Top 14 respite for French fans
Fans in France will be looking forward to some domestic respite from the woes surrounding the national team in the Six Nations with the Top 14 in action this weekend.
Critics have rounded on Philippe Saint-Andre's France team after their 20-13 defeat by Wales, with questions raised - amongst many others - over the team's lack of flair, the coach's future in a World Cup year and even the number of foreign players in the Top 14 and the youth set-ups of the league's clubs.
But France is a country where the national set-up at times seems a million miles removed from the lucrative Top 14, to which all eyes have moved.
League leaders Clermont will be seeking to bounce back from their February 21 draw with fourth-placed Racing-Metro at home to Bayonne.
Centre Aurelien Rougerie and Canada lock Jamie Cudmore make their returns from injury for Clermont, who are, however, without France international scrumhalf Morgan Parra (knee) and centre Wesley Fofana (hamstring).
France hooker Benjamin and Wales centre Jonathan Davies are also rested against a Bayonne side missing a raft of first-choice players with one eye on two upcoming home games against bottom club Castres and Racing-Metro.
Rougerie insisted it was just a question of coming together as a squad for a match between two Six Nations games.
"It's always delicate," said the centre, quoted by the Midi rugby newspaper. "But we're used to this sort of situation.
"We try to set the squad alive without the internationals. We try to hold our course and when they come back, we're happy to see them and they resume the voyage."
Wales fullback Leigh Halfpenny stays on international duty, allowing Delon Armitage a run-out at 15.
Toulon slumped to a 28-23 defeat by Bordeaux-Begles last time out, but will fancy a convincing home victory over a team lying in 11th spot.
Stade Francais, soundly beaten 23-8 by Bayonne last month, travel to Bordeaux with an injury doubt over inspirational captain and No 8 Sergio Parisse.
The Parisian club were also recently beaten at home by Oyonnax, and Bordeaux's forwards coach Regis Sonnes predicted what Stade might face.
"We'll try to stay on the same dynamic we showed in the second-half against Toulon," Sonnes said.
Stade Francais' capital neighbours Racing-Metro host Grenoble missing star Ireland fly-half Jonathan Sexton and Wales centre Jamie Roberts.
Racing's forwards coach Laurent Travers denied moving the game from Paris to Le Havre was a risk.
"A match is never easy to prepare for," Travers said.
"Certainly it would be easy to find excuses, but that's out the question. What matters if to find ways to win. The calendar is the same for all the teams and we knew that."
It is Toulouse's turn to travel to Oyonnax with a spot in the top six for either side to play for.
Toulouse coach Guy Noves has rested France internationals Thierry Dusautoir, Yoann Maestri and Yoann Huget, while English fly-half Toby Flood is injured.
"It's sure that to pull off an exploit and try to survive this hell, we'll need a very good Toulouse side," Noves said of travelling to Oyonnax, currently in eighth spot four points behind Toulouse.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Friday, March 6: Oyonnax v Toulouse (19.45)
Saturday, March 7: Bordeaux-Begles v Stade Francais (13.45), Castres v Lyon, Clermont v Bayonne, Montpellier v La Rochelle, Racing-Metro v Grenoble (all 17.45), Toulon v Brive (19.45)
Top 14 table (played, won, drawn, lost, points for, points against, bonus points, total points):
Toulon 18 11 0 7 494 350 8 52
Stade Francais 18 11 0 7 413 391 7 51
Racing-Metro 18 10 1 7 363 325 5 47
Toulouse 18 10 0 8 376 356 5 45
Bordeaux 18 9 0 9 492 392 8 44
Grenoble 18 9 0 9 425 510 6 42
Oyonnax 18 9 0 9 361 358 5 41
Montpellier 18 9 0 9 359 347 4 40
Bayonne 18 7 1 10 339 353 7 37
Brive 18 8 0 10 357 420 3 35
La Rochelle 18 7 1 10 351 476 4 34
Lyon 18 7 0 11 321 413 5 33
Castres 18 6 0 12 335 442 5 29
Agence France-Presse