Toulon and La Rochelle begin the weekend with a mouth-watering clash before Lyon look to continue their impressive early season form at Racing 92 in Saturday’s evening game.
On Sunday, league leaders Montpellier will hope to respond to last weekend’s heavy defeat when they take on bottom-placed Brive.
Saturday
Toulon vs La Rochelle
Oyonnax vs Bordeaux-Bègles
Pau vs Stade Français
Toulouse vs Agen
Racing 92 vs Lyon
Sunday
Montpellier vs Brive
Castres vs Clermont
Toulon vs La Rochelle
Stade Mayol, Toulon
Following their crucial away victory over Stade Français last weekend, Toulon will look to back up that result against their fellow play-off hopefuls.
The hosts are beginning to find their feet under Fabien Galthie and a win could take them above Patrice Collazo’s men in the table.
They will, however, be facing the league’s best attack. Having already scored 171 points in the opening five matches, La Rochelle boast a number of quality options and Galthie will be wary of their off-loading game.
Last year’s result: La Rochelle won 23-20
Kick-off: 14:45 local (12:45 GMT)
Referee: Romain Poite
Assistant Referees: Stephane Boyer, Jean-Luc Rebollal
TMO: Denis Grenouillet
Oyonnax vs Bordeaux-Bègles
Stade Charles-Mathon, Oyonnax
With Brive struggling, that has rather eased the pressure on the two promoted sides, but Adrien Buononato will see this as an opportunity to pull further clear from the bottom.
Following two difficult away games at Racing 92 and La Rochelle, Oyonnax now have successive matches at the Stade Charles-Mathon to boost confidence.
Despite Bordeaux’s superbly dominant 47-17 triumph over leaders Montpellier in round five, Jacques Brunel’s men have struggled on their travels.
They have conceded an average of 41 points away from the Stade Chaban-Delmas and the hosts will look to capitalise on Saturday.
Last year’s result: Did not play
Kick-off: 18:00 local (16:00 GMT)
Referee: Maxime Chalon
Assistant Referees: Vivien Praderie, Akim Hadj-Bachir
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure
Pau vs Stade Français
Stade du Hameau, Pau
These are two teams that are currently enduring contrasting fortunes with Pau finding their form over recent weeks and Stade struggling in the relegation play-off position.
Although Simon Mannix’s men are only in ninth position, three successive victories – including a vital 20-14 triumph at Agen – has taken them to within one point of the top-six.
The Parisians, meanwhile, have only been on the right side of the result once this season and have been truly atrocious on the road.
After going down to Bordeaux 30-10, they went onto concede over 50 points at Toulouse and it is difficult to see their form altering at a confident Pau outfit.
Last year’s result: Pau won 23-6
Kick-off: 18:00 local (16:00 GMT)
Referee: Ludovic Cayre
Assistant Referees: Jonathan Gasnier, Patrick Pechambert
TMO: Eric Briquet-Campin
Toulouse vs Agen
Stade Ernest-Wallon, Toulouse
Les Rouge et Noir have enjoyed a resurgence at the start of 2017/18 and a game against Agen should offer them a chance to break into the top-two.
With La Rochelle and Lyon facing difficult away games this weekend, it would cap a remarkable turnaround for Ugo Mola, who was under pressure following an awful campaign last season.
It does, however, come with the caveat that the fixtures have fallen rather kindly for Toulouse. By the end of round six they will have faced the two promoted sides, as well as Brive – a team that have yet to taste success in the Top 14 so far this year.
Mola’s men will be expected to dispatch Agen but, from hereon in, it will get much tougher for the 19-times French champions.
Last year’s result: Did not play
Kick-off: 18:00 local (16:00 GMT)
Referee: Jonathan Dufort
Assistant Referees: Laurent Millotte, Bruno Gabaldon
TMO: Eric Gauzins
Racing 92 vs Lyon
Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes
Lyon have already dispatched one of the Paris-based outfits in the capital and they will be looking to repeat the feat on Saturday night.
They have been very impressive over the last two weeks, overcoming both Bordeaux and Castres comfortably, but Racing should offer sterner resistance.
The hosts have yet to truly hit their stride, despite being in fifth place, but it is the nature of French rugby that playing at home should hugely benefit the Parisians.
Last year’s result: Racing won 29-16
Kick-off: 20:45 local (18:45 GMT)
Referee: Pierre Brousset
Assistant Referees: Mathieu Noirot, Sebastien Hebert
TMO: Eric Gonthier
Montpellier vs Brive
Altrad Stadium, Montpellier
This is top versus bottom and it is difficult to see anything other than one outcome. In fairness to Brive, they were much improved in the second half of last weekend’s narrow defeat to Toulouse, but ultimately came up short for the fifth successive game.
Nicolas Godignon is boosted by the fact that Sunday’s opponents were thrashed 47-17 by Bordeaux-Bègles, suggesting that they are not quite the indomitable force their early season form would suggest.
Brive will be prepared for a backlash, though, and Montpellier should make it six defeats in a row for the basement-dwellers.
Last year’s result: Montpellier won 42-13
Kick-off: 12:30 local (10:30 GMT)
Referee: Thomas Charabas
Assistant Referees: Tual Trainini, Laurent Perrin
TMO: Patrick Dellac
Castres vs Clermont
Stade Pierre-Antoine, Castres
Successive triumphs have put Clermont back on track but this will be another test of their credentials.
Stade Français and Racing 92, the 2015 and ‘16 victors of the Top 14, followed up their trophy-winning campaigns by underperforming the year after.
Auvergne have threatened to follow suit, despite it being early in the season, but wins over Brive and Racing will have eased their fears.
However, Les Jaunards will need to back up those wins against a Castres side that have lost four of their five matches so far this year.
Last year’s result: Castres won 26-16
Kick-off: 16:50 local (14:50 GMT)
Referee: Cyril Lafon
Assistant Referees: Julien Castaignede, Frederic Chazal
TMO: Mourad Zitoun
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