Top 14 - Clermont to test Toulon

Eurosport - Wed, 02 Sep 21:11:00 2009

Toulon's championship credentials will be properly tested on Wednesday evening when unbeaten league leaders Clermont visit Stade Felix-Mayol for the fourth round of the Top 14.

Jonny Wilkinson Toulon saison 2009-2010 Photo ICON SPORT - 0

Toulon's championship credentials will be properly tested on Wednesday evening when unbeaten league leaders Clermont visit Stade Felix-Mayol for the fourth round of the Top 14.

Jonny Wilkinson's Toulon are also unbeaten after two wins and a draw, which came against Stade Francais in the opening match the season.

Victories over newly-promoted Racing Club and Albi leave Toulon third in the table, but Clermont will give head new head coach Philippe Saint-Andre a far better idea of his side's ability to compete with France's top clubs.

Wilkinson has been named in the match-day squad and will look to build on the 47 points so far this season that make him the league's top points' scorer.

Joining Wilkinson in the squad are former Newcastle team-mate Tom May, and Rory Lamont and Jamie Robinson.

Clermont, who drew at Brive last weekend after victories over Bourgoin and Montauban, are missing several players to injury, including new recruit and Scotland international Jason White.

Also absent injured are France internationals Julien Bonnaire and Benoit Baby and South African Marius Joubert.

Second-placed Toulouse will look to take advantage of any slip up by Clermont when they entertain Bayonne.

Guy Noves's side will also be looking to bounce back from their 17-15 loss to champions Perpignan last weekend and are boosted by centre Yannick Jauzion and half-back Frederic Michalak passing fitness test.

Bayonne's former France flanker Remy Martin is injured but Craig Gower has been passed fit and starts at fly-half.

Perpignan are without injured centre Maxime Mermoz for the visit of Brive, who have named Andy Goode at full-back.

But Brive are without Goode's injured England team-mate Riki Flutey, as well as back-rower Gerhard Vosloo, full-back Fabrice Estebanez and lock Retief Uys.

Stade Francais will expect to boost their league standings when the welcome bottom side Montauban to Paris.

England internationals James Haskell and Tom Palmer start at flanker and lock respectively for the Parisian giants, while Australian Mark Gasnier who scored two tries in the win over Montpellier last week starts on the wing.

Elsewhere, Biarritz travel to Montpellier and Bourgoin take on Racing Metro, while an outbreak of swine flu at Castres has resulted in the postponement of their clash at Albi.

Eurosport

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  1. Cometh the hour, cometh the man

    From Donald D, on Wed 2 Sep 11:40PM
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