Top 14 kicks-off in France
France's competitive, wealthy Top 14 kicks off this weekend. It kicks off with a bang.
The very first match on the first day is a repeat of last season's final - Clermont Auvergne vs Perpignan, when, after 10 failed finals, including the three prior to this one, Clermont beat the holders of the Bucclier de Brennus for the first time since its foundation in 1911.
Just to make it harder for the new tile-holders, the match will be played at the home of the team that they took it from them - Stade Aimée-Giral, the citadel of Catalan rugby. This is a tough start to the season for both sides, but more so for the visitors who will be without scrumhalf Morgan Parra and prop Davit Zirakashvili.
There are two newly promoted sides this year who are going to be keen to emulate two recent promotees, Toulon and Racing-Métro who have more than just survive and in fact have challenged the men at the top, though their playing personnel are not all that French. But then that is what goes in French rugby at present.
Those missing this year are Albi and Montauban. Poor Montauban have dropped right out of professional rugby because of their poor financial state last season.
The newly-promoted teams are not newcomers to the Top 14. In fact Agen have been France's champions on eight occasions, the last time in 1988. They will be glad to be back but have no easy start when they head down to Toulouse to take on one of the strongest clubs in world rugby, a club which will be smarting from last season's lower-than-usual position at fourth and then its nonappearance in the final. That is not the Toulouse way
La Rochelle do not have Agen's pedigree but they too were recently in the Top 14 before spending four seasons in Pro D2, always near the top of the log. They are at least at home but against a side that challenged the best last season - Castres. That is the only Saturday match this weekend.
The encounter between Brive and Racing-Métro should be a pretty even one with the home advantage going to Brive who at one stage last season looked to be heading for play-offs and the Heineken Cup.
Toulon host Bayonne who have spent money on strengthening their side after avoiding relegation at the end of last season only because of Montauban's parlous financial state. Still it's hard to see them coming close to beating RCT at Stade Félix-Mayol.
Stade Français should not be troubled by troubled Bourgoin who still have an uphill battle to get onto a sound enough financial footing to be allowed to play the players they have contracted.
Atlantic meets Mediterranean when Montpellier go up the Biarritz. Biarritz had a season of sickening mediocrity last season and will be looking for a good start. Starting with a disciplinary suspension of their Zimbabwean Yank Takudzwa N'Gwenya and their Fijian flier Ilikena Bolakoro is not promising.
One of the points of interest this weekend will be to see how the new signings settle in. They would include Carl Hayman and Rudi Wulf at Toulon, Juan Martín Hernandez and Mirco Bergamasco at Racing and Sylvain Marconnet at Biarritz.
Fixtures, Round One - 13/14 August 2010:
Friday, 13 August:
18.45: Toulouse vs Agen at Stade Ernest Wallon
19.00: Biarritz vs Montpellier at Parc des Sports d'Aguilera
19.00: Brive vs Racing Métro 92 at Stade Amédée Domenech
19.00: Stade Français vs Bourgoin at Stade Charlety
19.00: Toulon vs Bayonne at Stade Mayol
21.00: Perpignan vs Clermont Auvergne at Stade Aimée-Giral
Saturday, 14 August:
20.45: La Rochelle vs Castres at Stade Marcel Deflandre
Log after Round 26 last season:
1. Perpignan 80
2. Toulon 80
3. Clermont 78
4. Toulouse 74
5. Castres 73
6. Racing-Métro 64
7. Biarritz 59
8. Stade Français 58
9. Brive 58
10. Montpellier 55
11. Bourgoin 50
12. Montauban 49
13. Bayonne 47
14. Albi 24
Match officials for this weekend:
Toulouse vs Agen
Referee: Laurent Cardona
Assistant referees: Bruno Bessot, Jean-Michel Schutz
Television match official: Daniel Irazoqui
Brive vs Racing-Metro 92
Referee: Mathieu Raynal
Assistant referees: Jérôme Lamirand, Jean-François Lavocat
Television match official: Vincent Azoulay
Biarritz vs Montpellier
Referee: Sébastien Minery
Assistant referees: Patrick Péchambert, Patrick Dellac
Television match official: Bernard Dal Maso
Paris vs Bourgoin
Referee: David Rosich
Assistant referees: Jean-Marie Piraveau, Christophe Malterre
Television match official: Daniel Gillet
Toulon vs Bayonne
Referee: Cédric Marchat
Assistant referees: Bachir Akim Hadj, Jean-Luc Gonzalez
Television match official: Philippe Bonhoure
Perpignan vs Clermont
Referee: Jérôme Garcès
Assistant referees: Romain Poite, Pascal Ubeda
Television match official: Laurent Sclafer
La Rochelle vs Castres
Referee: Cyril Lafon
Assistant referees: Christophe Labaune, Patrick Bellet
Television match official: Eric Gauzin