With just seven more rounds of the regular season to go and no conflict weekends with the 6 Nations, a load of smaller sides will be looking to take advantage of the big boys missing their international stars.
Saturday 25 February
Stade 17/20 | Draw 25/1 | Montpellier 5/2
Handicap
Stade (-7.5) 17/20 | Montpellier (+7.5) 17/20
We kick things off at the Stade Jean-Bouin where second-placed Stade Francais wll play host to eighth-placed Montpellier. The hosts have a seven point buffer between themselves and seventh place but they can’t afford to lose too many more games with fifth-placed Racing 92 only a bonus point win away from usurping them on the ladder.
Montpellier find themselves in a far dire situation than that of their opponents with the reigning champions five points adrift of the play-off places. They are also headed into this one in wretched form with last weekend’s 31-21 defeat to fellow play-off hopefuls, Lyon, being their third consecutive domestic loss.
Stade also head into this one off the back of a poor run of domestic form with the Parisian outfit losing to Perpignan (31-24) and Bayonne (29-26) in two of their last three fixtures. Their other result was an unimpressive 12-6 win over the Bordeaux Begles.
Both sides are struggling for form at the minute but I reckon homeground advantage will be enough to swing it Stade’s way. Montpellier on the plus.
Lyon 38/100 | Draw 22/1 | Racing 43/20
Handicap
Lyon (-6.5) 17/20 | Racing (+6.5) 17/20
We’ve got another battle for the play-off berths next up with third-placed Lyon taking on fifth-placed Racing 92. Only two points separate these sides on the Top 14 ladder, so there’s a lot riding on this one.
Both sides head into this one off the back of solid and vital victories with Lyon beating Montpellier 31-21, while Racing registered a 34-24 win over a Brive side battling relegation.
The recent head-to-head results between the sides make for interesting reading with Racing winning four of the last five games being won by the side who was hosting the fixture. Their games tend to be tight as well with three of the last four games decided by four pints or less.
While I expect Lyon to win it, I don’t think they’ll win by much. Get on Racing at (+6.5) 17/20.
Bordeaux 1/11 | Draw 33/1 | Perpignan 6/1
Handicap
Bordeaux (-16.5) 17/20 | Perpignan (+16.5) 17/20
Perpignan will be looking to pull out of the relegation zone when they take on a Bordeaux side that have their sights firmly set on grabbing a play-offs berth. The hosts currently sit in 12th on the ladder but are only two points adrift of 11th-placed Castres. Bordeaux find themselves further up the ladder and currently lie seventh, and they could well have moved up into the play-off berths come the close of this weekend.
The visitors have been on a brilliant domestic run of late winning their previous three fixtures. Some of the skulps they have claimed have been really eye-catching as well as they beat Stade 31-24 and Brive 22-24 away from home.
Bordeaux have been far more hit-and miss losing two of their last three domestic fixtures. They do head into this one off the back of a very tidy 18-9 win over Clermont, however.
While Perpignan are in cracking form, I think a win at the Stade Chaban-Delmas is not on the cards. Bordeaux knows how to grind out wins at home and I reckon they will do just that this weekend. Perpignan on the plus.
La Rochelle 1/11 | Draw 33/1 | Brive 6/1
Handicap
La Rochelle (-16.5) 17/20 | Brive (+16.5) 17/20
We head over to the Stade Marcel Delfrandre for our next installment which will see fourth-placed La Rochelle take on cellar-dwellers, Brive. The two sides have vastly contrasting aims for the rest of the season with the visitors looking to stave off relegation, while the hosts are looking to move deeper into the play-off spots.
Last weekend was not kind to Brive as they suffered their 13th defeat of the campaign going down 34-24 to Racing 92. La Rochelle had a far better time of it, beating Castres 17-32.
Brive are in horrid form and I can’t see them getting one over this La Rochelle outfit. The hosts should clear the ‘cap.
Bayonne 9/20 | Draw 22/1 | 19/10
Handicap
Bayonne (-5.5) 17/20 | Castres (+5.5) 17/20
Saturday’s penultimate game pits this season’s surprise package, Bayonne, up against last season’s runners-up, Castres. The two sides have had very different campaigns with Bayonne punching above their weight division and gunning for a play-off berth, while Castres have been caught up in a relegation battle, which they now seem to be getting out of.
Bayonne produced another stunning result this past weekend as they registered a 29-26 win over second-placed Stade Francais. They showed in the previous round that they could mix it with the big boys going down by just two points away to Toulouse.
Castres had a far tougher time of it in Round 18 as they went down 17-32 to La Rochelle. This was their tenth loss of the season and their second domestic defeat on the trot.
Bayonne are arguably the form team in the comp at the moment and I cannot see this struggling Castres side stopping Bayonne’s momentum. Hosts on the minus.
Toulouse 1/6 | Draw 25/1 | Pau 44/10
Handicap
Toulouse (-13.5) 17/20 | Pau (+13.5) 17/20
Our penultimate game of the weekend will see ladder-leaders Toulouse play host to 12th-placed Pau in a ‘David versus Golliath’ styled battle at the Stade Ernest Wallon.
The hosts suffered only their fifth defeat of the campaign last weekend as they went down 17-6 away to Toulon. Paualso head into this one off the back of a defeat as they went down 49-29 to fellow relegation battlers, Perpignan.
While usually Toulouse on the minus handicap would be the way to go, I think the Top 14 leaders will struggle once again without their internationals, who are away on 6 Nations duty. As such, I’m leaning towards Pau on the plus handicap.
Sunday 26 February
Clermont 47/100 | Draw 22/1 | Toulon 18/10
Handicap
Clermont (-5.5) 17/20 | Toulon (+5.5) 17/20
The final game of the weekend should be an absolute cracker with a desperate Clermont side squaring off with old rivals Toulon. The hosts currently sit tenth on the ladder and are eight points adrift of the play-off places, while Toulon are in eighth, only a point adrift of the play-offs.
Clermont had a weekend to forget going down 18-9 away to Bordeaux. This stifled the little bit of momentum they were creating having beaten Castres 41-26 the round prior.
Toulon had a far better time of it in Round 18 as they beat Toulouse 17-6. This followed on from a very solid 18-20 away win over reigning champions Montpellier.
The hosts are one of the sides who have coped really well with the loss of their international stars. I can see them claiming another win this Sunday. Clermont on the minus.
