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Week 16 of the Top 14 season will be played this weekend. Matches are to be played on Saturday and Sunday in France with a number of Americas’ players to be involved. The following preview details their involvement.
In the week 16 opener Clermont hosted Bordeaux on Saturday. Named the start for the visitors is Mariano Galarza. The veteran second-rower of RWCs 2011, and 2015 is a strong candidate for RWC 2019 after he received a call-up in November and played against France in Lille.
In game two there is to be a special match-up in Paris. Ramiro Herrera will start at tight head prop for Stade Français while Francisco Gómez Kodela will do so for Lyon. Mario Ledesma is in France to check in on players and is certain to be playing very close attention to these two. Nicolás Sánchez will start at fly half for the Parisians while Sergio Parisse is to be a replacement.
Down in Pau another prospective RWC 2019 Puma will be starting for Castres. Benjamín Urdapilleta will play at fly half in what is a match that the reigning champions have targeted as a victory on the road. Missing is captain Rodrigo Capó Ortega to injury.
To the north Agen host Toulon at the right time of the season. With the fixture falling during the Six Nations they have a better opportunity than normal for victory. Mauricio Reggiardo’s side will feature Puma Facundo Bosch and Colombian Andrés Zafra on the bench. Facundo Isa starts the match for the visitors at flanker.
Week 16 will conclude on Sunday with two matches. Grenoble and Racing 92 are to have home advantage against La Rochelle and Toulouse respectively. Line-ups for these fixtures will be announced on Saturday afternoon.
