Top 14 – Week 24 Preview

The business end of the Top 14 season sees clubs with calculators in hand. Places in the Top 14 play-off’s remain wide open while the rush to avoid relegation is far from over. Also on the line are places in next season’s European Champions Cup. Against this backdrop there will be a number of Americas players involved. The following preview details those involved.

Opening Week 24 will be two potential finalists – Toulon and Montpellier. A home win for Toulon could see the club overtake Toulouse to move into third. Montpellier will remain in top spot regardless of the result. Playing flanker for Toulon in the match itself will be Facundo Isa.

Heroics last weekend appear to have saved Agen from relegation. The team play away to Pau on Saturday  with the pressure off. Missing is Facundo Bosch whose season is over. Starting at Tight Head will be the USA eligible Dave Ryan. Meanwhile Pau go into the game with Trinidad & Tobago product Steffon Armitage starting at no 8.

While Agen are safe the basement battle will likely see the loser of Oyonnax vs Brive officially relegated. The side which does not drop will go in to face the Pro D2 Final winner. Playing from the bench for Oyonnax will be Axel Muller. The 2016 Olympian will wear the #21 shirt.

Neither Clermont nor Bordeaux will feature in the post season. Both teams have fallen off since the new year to now be 10th and 9th respectively. Appearances in the Challenge Cup next season is certain. Taking to the field this weekend will be Patricio Fernández. The Argentine fly half continues to get regular game time, a good sign ahead of a potential call-up for Los Pumas for the June Internationals.

The 7th placed Lyon host 12th placed Stade Français in the final Saturday fixture. A win for Lyon will move the team closer to an unlikely appearance in the barrage play-off’s. Starting for the Parisians will be  Argentine Tight Head Ramiro Herrera. Lyon are to have a Pumas prop of their own with Francisco Gomez Kodela featuring from the bench. Starting is Caribbean flier Delon Armitage at fullback.

There are to be two Sunday fixtures in Week 24. They are La Rochelle and Toulouse at home against Castres and Racing 92 respectively. Line-ups for both matches will be announced on Saturday afternoon. Likely to play are Uruguay’s Rodrigo Capó Ortega and Argentina’s Juan Imhoff and Benjamín Urdapilleta.