- Vannes -5 on the h'cap v Biarritz (10/11, Paddy Power)
- Aix +14 on the h'cap v Nevers (10/11, Paddy Power)
- Perpignan -3 on the h'cap (10/11, Pddy Power)
Thursday, 14 January
Colomiers (5th) v Carcassone (12th)
Something of a local derby and a match that should be won by the home side.
Colomiers lost narrowly at Carcasonne earlier in the season, but they were badly disrupted by Covid at the time and will field a much more recognisable XV for the return match.
Having had their previously unbeaten home record taken off them by a Vannes side that mauled them to death, Colomiers will need no motivation going into the match.
However, the 15-point handicap against them maybe a little too much.
VERDICT: One to avoid
Vannes (2nd) v Biarritz (3rd)
Arguably the pick of the fixtures given their respective positions in the table, although Vannes currently hold a 12-point cushion over their Basque visitors.
Vannes are second only to Perpignan for a reason. As well as a very impressive driving maul, they have a really good set of backs – even allowing for the absence of Nick Abendanon, who has been injured – and Pierre Popelin’s kicking game is peerless.
Biarritz can be world-beaters one minute and total flops the next, which makes them a dangerous side to bet against.
They have been involved in a couple of close matches of late, following on from a draw against Stade Montois, however, we don’t expect them the five-point handicap in their favour to be enough.
VERDICT: Vannes should be way too strong at home.
Friday, 15 January
Aurillac (10th) v Beziers (8th)
Aurillac is never the easiest place to get a result and to do that, you need to combat their powerful set-piece game.
Other than that, though, they are very limited – only three sides have scored fewer points – and Beziers have shown they are capable of pulling off eye-catching results such as their 16-10 win over table-topping Perpignan back in mid-November.
Aurillac lost last time out against a poor Soyaux-Angoulême side but have won their last two at home.
VERDICT: Beziers (+5) to have just enough to beat the handicapper.
Grenoble (11th) v Soyaux-Angoulême (16th)
This is not the Grenoble team of last season, or the one before that, however the bookies seem to be laying them as if they were. Happy days!
As for Soyaux-Angoulême, a poor run at the start of the season led to an upheaval in the coaching team and the changes seemed to have had a positive effect.
Soyaux-Angoulême have won their last three home games, having won just four games all season, but their form on the road has been desperate.
As the points difference of -153 against them attests, Soyaux-Angoulême are prone to heavy away defeats.
However, it is questionable that Grenoble have enough about them to win by more than two scores.
VERDICT: Grenoble to win ugly, by around 10-12 points.
Nevers (6th) v Aix-en-Provence (7th)
Two decent and evenly-matched teams collide in the heart of France.
Nevers are largely a forward-based outfit who relied on Zack Henry’s kicking to put them in the eight areas.
His departure to Leicester has been keenly felt but they are still a force, especially at home.
Aix have big ambitions and with the likes of Nicolas Bezy pulling the strings behind the scrum, they are capable of putting points on the opposition.
This is the sort of game they need to win to underline their credentials to move up a level in the next couple of years and we expect the visitors to win easily on the handicap (+14).
VERDICT: Visitors to have the Aix-factor.
Valence (15th) v Rouen (13th)
A match featuring the two teams who came up from Federale 1 before Covid struck.
Valence go into the clash on the back of a tremendous 31-29 win at third-placed Biarritz in Round 15, although the Basque team had to play with 14 men for roughly an hour due to Dave O’Callaghan’s red card.
Nevertheless, for a team who are only three points off the bottom, it was some result.
A narrow win over Soyaux-Angoulême earlier in the season and a draw with Provence as the best results Rouen have managed away from home this season.
VERDICT: V is for a Valence victory
Saturday, 16 January
Montauban (9th) v Oyonnax (4th)
Mid-table Montauban are not enjoying the best of seasons but like most French sides -with or without a crowd – they have a respectable record at home and will make life difficult for an Oyonnax side that needs to tighten up defensively.
Oyonnax have conceded 20 points or more in their last five fixtures, most recently slipping to a 35-27 home defeat to Grenoble, but we still think they’re better than the two-point handicap.
VERDICT: You score three, we’ll score four!
Stade Montois (14th) v Perpignan (1st)
It is hard to see struggling Stade Montois pushing Perpignan in the last fixture of the weekend and the -3 handicap about the Catalan title favourites looks very appealing.
In full-back Melvyn Jaminet they have a young man in form. The 21-year-old scored a try and kicked 16 points as Perpignan beat hosts Provence 41-34 in Round 15, and generally as a side, they are riding the crest of a wave.
Stade Montois also won the on the road in Round 15, 27-20, but that was at cellar-dwellers, Soyaux-Angoulême.
While Perpignan haven’t won at Mont de Marsan in the last five years, their chances of breaking that hapless run are better than ever.
The Catalans are getting Karl Chateau, Piula Fa’asalele and Charles Geli back and they could even try out their new recruit from Lyon, Patricio Fernandez.
VERDICT: Perpignan to prevail.
