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Week 14 of the Top 14 season will be played on Saturday, and Sunday. In the third-to-last round of the regular season RWC 2019 hopefuls from both Argentina, and Canada will take to the fields of France.
In the opening fixture Toulouse will play host to Pau. The match-up is the first for Ignacio Calles since re-signing with Pau until 2021. The Argentine prop has been named to start at loose head. He is very much a longshot for a place in RWC 2019 unlike clubmate Matt Tierney. The Canadian will feature from the bench.
The second fixture sees a rematch from the 2018 Top 14 Final. Castres will be at home against Montpellier and will have Taylor Paris starting on the left wing, and Benjamín Urdapilleta. Both men are well positioned for RWC duty this year.
One week after starting out of position at flanker Facundo Bosch is back to hooker for Agen. His versatility has been outstanding all season with him having been named in the Team of the Week by various French publications as a flanker. Bosch will start for Agen who are away to Grenoble in a battle to avoid the relegation play-off.
Whether or not Agen survive relegation will have no implications for Bosch’s playing future. He will join Top 14 rivals La Rochelle next season. The Atlantic club play host to Mediterranean side Toulon in Saturday’s final fixture. Facundo Isa will start at flanker.
Concluding week 24 will be two Sunday Top 14 fixtures. The Parisian sides Racing 92 and Stade Français will square-off in a derby while Lyon are at home against Bordeaux in the other fixture. All four clubs have Argentine players expected to feature. Line-up’s for the matches will be named on Saturday afternoon.
