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The Top 14 rolls on this weekend with six of week 13’s rescheduled matches taking place. The matches were required to be postponed due to a lack of available dates required for European Champions Cup (ECC) matches. Virtually all opening round matches of the ECC that involved French clubs were postponed due to the terrorist attacks in Paris.
Of the fourteen clubs twelve are to have their matches from week 13 rescheduled this Saturday and Sunday. The two sides not involved are to be Bordeaux and Toulon whose round 13 match has already taken place. Bordeaux won the fixture 15-12.
In the first of four Saturday matches last year’s winners, Stade Français will be in search of badly required points against La Rochelle. Currently just one spot outside of the relegation zone the Gonzalo Quesada coached Parisians are having a torrid season. Quesada’s team cannot afford anything other than a comprehensive performance this weekend.
No Top 14 fixture, though, is more important this weekend than the bottom of the table match between Oyonnax and Agen. There is a clear gap between both of them and the 12th placed Stade Français. To avoid relegation both need to climb the standings, making their clash a potential do-or-die. The U.S. eligible Dave Ryan will start at tighthead prop for Agen.
With eleven changes from last weekend Pau play host to Castres in Saturday’s final fixture. Starting for the home side will be Juan Pablo Orlandi who will wear the number 3 shirt. Captaining Castres will be the long-term serving Uruguayan, Rodrigo Capó Ortega.
The lineups for both Sunday fixtures are due to be released on Saturday afternoon. The match-ups are to be Grenoble vs Brive and Clermont vs Toulouse. Set to be involved in the latter of the two fixtures are Patricio Fernández and Patricio Albacete.
