The Top 14 hits Round 11 this weekend with five games scheduled for Saturday before two mouth-watering fixtures take place on Sunday.
Saturday
Castres vs Toulon
La Rochelle vs Pau
Bordeaux-Bègles v Brive
Agen v Stade Français
Oyonnax v Clermont
Sunday
Racing 92 v Montpellier
Lyon v Toulouse
Saturday
Castres vs Toulon
Stade Pierre Fabre
It should be a tight affair with Castres seventh and Toulon eighth on the table.
The home side are on a three-match winning streak and are coming off the back of a highly impressive 31-15 win over La Rochelle last weekend.
By contrast, Toulon are on a two-match losing streak with their last match a demoralising 40-29 defeat to Racing 92 on Sunday.
The last time the sides met Toulon prevailed 26-22.
Last year’s result: Castres won 34-17
Kick-off: 14:45 local (13:45 GMT)
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz
Assistant referees: Laurent Cardona, Jean-Claude Labarbe
TMO: Éric Gonthier
Agen vs Stade Français
Stade Armandie
12th-placed Agen take on 11th-placed Stade Français in a bottom-of-the-table clash at Stade Armandie on Saturday.
European Challenge Cup winners Stade Français have blown hot and cold this season. Beating last season’s regular-season winners La Rochelle before losing to Toulouse 53-17 two weeks later has typified their inconsistency.
Stade Français have 18 points while Agen have 10 and are in deep trouble of propping up the table with Brive and Oyonnax nipping at their heels.
But every so often Agen come up with a surprise as they did three weeks ago stunning Top 14 finalists Toulon 26-24.
Last year’s result: Did not play
Kick-off: 18:00 local (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Thomas Charabas
Assistant referees: Cédric Clave, Thierry Guilloton
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure
Bordeaux-Bègles vs Brive
Stade Charles Mathon
Bordeaux will be looking to climb in to a play-off position when they take on Brive at the Stade Chaban-Delmas.
It has once again been an impressive season for the men from the south of France as they sit in sixth position currently but just one point of a play-off spot.
Brive are coming off the back of a 34-15 defeat to Pau last time out but were 20-19 winners over Stade Français two weeks ago. When they have won, Brive have been far from convincing but they have been on the receiving end of some convincing drubbings.
The last time the sides met it was a tight game in which Brive won 22-19 at home.
Last year’s result: Bordeaux-Bègles won 27-25
Kick-off: 18:00 local (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Cédric Marchat
Assistant referees: Nicolas Datas, Patrick Pechambert
TMO: Mourad Zitouni
La Rochelle vs Pau
Stade Marcel Deflandre
La Rochelle have been far from the unbeatable force they were last season and will be looking to at least finish 2017 strongly.
Third-placed La Rochelle are coming off the back of a shock 31-15 defeat to seventh-placed Castres last weekend.
Meanwhile, Pau have struggled to 10th place but secured a big 34-15 win over Brive last time out and will be in confident mood.
Last season, La Rochelle ran out comfortable 27-6 winners when the sides met, also at Stade Marcel Deflandre.
Last year’s result: La Rochelle won 27-6
Kick-off: 18:00 local (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Maxime Chalon
Assistant referees: Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy, Arnaud Blondel
TMO: Éric Briquet Campin
Oyonnax vs Clermont
Stade Charles Mathon
Oyonnax will be looking to get themselves off the bottom of the table when they clash with Clermont in Saturday’s late game.
Oyonnax are currently on a seven-match losing streak while Clermont come into the match in confident mood having flexed their muscles last weekend, knocking Lyon off first place on the table with a 39-18 masterclass.
The home side will need to keep a close eye on Alivereti Raka who grabbed a brace in Clermont’s landmark win last weekend.
Last year’s result: Did not play
Kick-off: 18:00 local (17:00 GMT)
Referee: Sébastien Minery
Assistant referees: Tual Trainini, Éric Soulan
TMO: Patrick Dellac
Sunday
Racing 92 vs Montpellier
U Arena
Racing 92 will be looking to make it four wins out of four when they entertain leaders Montpellier on in the pick of the action on Sunday.
But the home side will need to keep close tabs on the flying Fijian Nemani Nadolo who is in rampant form this season having grabbed 10 tries. He could however still be on international duty.
Montpellier have impressed as a unit and it has been a seamless transition for Aaron Cruden to life in the Northern Hemisphere.
Racing emerged 21-9 victors when the sides met previously in last year’s campaign.
Last year’s result: Racing won 21-9
Kick-off: 12:30 local (11:30 GMT)
Referee: Cyril Lafon
Assistant referees: Julien Castaignède, Jean-Luc Rebollal
TMO: Denis Grenouillet
Lyon vs Toulouse
Matmut Stadium Gerland
Lyon will be desperate to return to winning ways when they host Toulouse at Matmut Stadium Gerland in Sunday’s other game.
Having been stunned 39-18 by Clermont last weekend and beaten 19-15 by La Rochelle the weekend before that, Lyon will be looking to halt a two-match losing streak in its tracks.
They face a Toulouse side who have claimed some mighty scalps this season and find themselves not far off the pace in fifth place with 28 points.
Last year’s result: Lyon won 25-20
Kick-off: 16:50 local (15:50 GMT)
Referee: Ludovic Cayre
Assistant referees: Mathieu Noirot, Frédéric Chazal
TMO: Laurent Sclafer
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