The Top 14 is now very much in the home straight and decisions about play-offs and relegations will be made. For those with a chance of making the play-offs and those in danger of relegation, these are desperate times.

The teams all benefit at the this time at having their full complement of uninjured players to choose from, as it is not an international weekend.

There are six for the play-offs which means that the top six now plus Stade Français are the likely candidates.

The bottom two go to Pro D2. The obvious candidates are Perpignan, Biarritz, Bayonne and Lyon. Lyon look set for the drop and Bayonne with internal squabbles could well join them.

Fixtures, Round 21

Friday, 23 March 2012

20.45: Bordeaux vs Toulouse at Stade Jacques Chaban-Delmas (Bordeaux)

Saturday, 24 Match 2012

14.15: Clermont vs Perpignan at Parc Des Sports Marcel Michelin
14.15: Lyon vs Biarritz at Matmut Stadium
14.15: Castres vs Montpellier at Stade Pierre Antoine
14.15: Stade Français vs Agen at Mmarena (Le Mans)
16.15: Toulon vs Racing Métro at Stade Mayol
20.45: Bayonne vs Brive at Stade Jean Dauger

Log after Round 20

1 Toulouse 73
2 Clermont 69
3 Toulon 58
4 Montpellier 52
5 Castres 51
6 Racing Métro 49
7 Paris 47
8 Agen 44
9 Bordeaux 37
10 Brive 37
11 Perpignan 34
12 Biarritz 34
13 Bayonne 30
14 Lyon 26

Predictions: Victories for Toulouse, Clermont,  Biarritz , Montpellier, Stade Français, Toulon, Bayonne.

Teams

Absentees now are injuries, not national call-ups.

One injured and out for the rest of the season if lock Gerhard Mostert of Stade Français.

Montpellier are without Sakiusa Matadigo, who has an ankle injury, but they have Mamuka Gorgodze back.

Bordeaux-Bègles: 15 Bruce Reihana, 14 Vungakoto Lilo, 13 Julien Rey, 12 Andrew Mailei, 11 Blair Connor, 10 Camille Lopez, 9 Heini Adams, 8 Matthew Clarkin, 7 Hugh Chalmers, 6 Justin Purll, 5 Adam Jaulhac, 4 Daniel Leo, 3 Bees Roux, 2 Wayne Avei, 1 Laurent Delboulbes
Replacements: 16 Boris Bethery, 17 Hikairo Forbes, 18 François Tisseau, 19 Charlie Ternisien,  20 Julien Seron, 21 Gerard Fraser, 22  Félix Le Bourhis, 23 Albert Toetu

Toulouse: 15 Yannick Jauzion, 14 Timoci Matanavou, 13 Yann David, 12 Luke McAlister, 11 Yves Donguy, 10 Lionel Beauxis, 9 Jean-Marc Doussain, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Yannick Nyanga, 6 Jean Bouilhou, 5 Grégory Lamboley, 4 Patricio Albacete, 3 Census Johnston, 2 William Servat, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp
Replacements: 16 Jaba Bregvadze, 17 Daan Human, 18 Romain Millo Chlusky, 19 Gillian Galan, 20 Nicolas Vergallo, 21 Clement Poitrenaud, 22 Florian Fritz, 23 Yohan Montes

Montpellier: 15 Lucas Amorosino, 14 Yoan Audrin, 13 Geoffrey Doumayrou, 12 Santiago Fernandez, 11 Martin Bustos Moyano, 10 François Trinh-Duc, 9 Julien Tomas, 8 Mamuke Gorgodze, 7 Alex Tulou, 6 Fulgence Ouedraogo (captain), 5 Thibaut Privat, 4 Drikus Hancke, 3 George Jgenti, 2 Agustin Creevy, 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga
Replacements: 16 Erasmus Jansen van Vuuren, 17 Juan Figallo, 18 Alikisio Fakate, 19 Vassili Bost, 20 Benoît Paillaugue, 21 Paul Bosch , 22 Timoci Nagusa, 23 Maximiliano Bustos

Match Officials

Bordeaux vs Toulouse at Stade Jacques Chaban-Delmas (Bordeaux)
Referee: Pascal Gauzere
Assistant referees: Jérôme Lamirand, Didier Dussaut
Television match official: Daniel Irazoqui
 
Clermont vs Perpignan at Parc Des Sports Marcel Michelin
Referee: Cédric Marchat
Assistant referees: Flavien Hourquet, Bruno Fiche
Television match official: Jean-Marie Piraveau

Lyon vs Biarritz at Matmut Stadium
Referee: Romain Poite
Assistant referees: Akim Hadj Bachir, Pascal Ubeda
Television match official: Bruno Bessot

Castres vs Montpellier at Stade Pierre Antoine
Referee: Christophe Berdos
Assistant referees: Sébastien Cloute, René Bordeneuve
Television match official: Hervé Dubes
 
Stade Français vs Agen at Mmarena (Le Mans)
Referee: Jérôme Garces
Assistant referees: Stéphane Pomarède, Patrick Beuriot
Television match official: Gilles Cogne

Toulon vs Racing Métro at Stade Mayol
Referee: Jean- Luc Rebollal
Assistant referees: Salem Attalah, Christophe Graviou
Television match official: Philippe Bonhoure
 
Bayonne vs Brive at Stade Jean Dauger
Referee: Patrick Pechambert
Assistant referees: Vincent Blasco, Philippe Gorbenko
Television match official: Laurent Valin