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Clermont, perennial title challengers but unable ever to actually win the crown, face Stade Francais at home on Saturday.

Clermont, perennial title challengers but unable ever to actually win the crown, face Stade Francais at home on Saturday.

Clermont will have to be far better than they were in their away defeat to Montpellier last Saturday and will be without international prop Thomas Domingo, who is out for three weeks after picking up an injury against Montpellier.

Clermont captain Aurelien Rougerie is hopeful that the defeat will have acted as a wake up call to him and his team-mates.

"That has given us a small slap which will allow us to keep our feet on the ground," said Rougerie, who was one of three Clermont players left out of the France squad this week because they pulled out of the summer tour of the southern hemisphere.

Stade - who will be without France fly-half Lionel Beauxis - will also be looking to get back on the winning track and avoid slipping further back in the pack from the leaders.

Elsewhere, Brive will hope that the turbulent past few weeks off the pitch will be at an end after former manager Laurent Seigne followed the club's honorary president Patrick Sebastien out of the club earlier this week.

They travel to Bourgoin, who are a place above them, while Toulon will be without points-machine Jonny Wilkinson when they take on Bayonne at Stade Jean-Dauger.

Biarritz will look to bounce back from their heavy loss at Toulouse last week and put pressure on the top four with a victory at Montauban, while Racing Club will hope to take advantage of any slip up by Parisian neighbours Stade when they welcome Toulouse to the capital.

The remaining fixture of the weekend sees basment outfit Albi entertain fellow strugglers Montpellier, as 14th takes on 12th.

AFP