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What's at stake and for who ahead of the final round of regular Top 14 season

By James Harrington
Toulouse are looking to sign a big lock (Getty Images)

Two of the northern hemisphere’s leagues – the Premiership and Pro14 – have entered the play-off phase, but rugby’s most gruelling competition still has one more weekend to run before it is cut from 14 to six.

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Three Top 14 teams can relax. The top two, Toulouse and Clermont, have already earned themselves a week off by qualifying direct for the semi-finals in Bordeaux, so can sit back and watch four teams become two next weekend.

Lyon, meanwhile, will be involved in the qualifying play-off barrages for the right to travel to Bordeaux for the semi-finals. They have earned themselves home advantage for that one-off play-off.

That leaves four teams – Racing 92, reigning champions Castres Olympique, Montpellier, and La Rochelle -separated by three points, chasing the final three all-important play-off places … which grants them a shot at the Top 14 title and Champions Cup rugby next season.

Here are the games that really matter in the Top 14 in the final week of the regular season – when all seven matches kick off at 4.15pm (France time) on Saturday.

Agen (12th – 38pts) v Racing 92 (4th – 69pts)

On paper, this looks simple enough for moneybags Racing. But, despite their lowly league position – and because of their loss at home last weekend to Racing’s play-off rivals Castres – Agen have a point to prove. They’ll want their fans to go into the summer with a smile. This could be more difficult than many expect for the visitors – but even a defeat would not be entirely disastrous … unless Racing fail to get a bonus point and their play-off chasing rivals all win…

A note: A ‘home’ barrage match is out of the question, even if Racing hold on to fourth spot, which promises home advantage. French popstar Mylène Farmer is due to play nine shows at La Defense Arena between June 7 and June 22, and will be deep into rehearsals on barrage weekend of May 31 / June 1. If Racing are ‘at home’ for their play-off qualifier, they will relocate to their former home at Stade Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes.

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Castres Olympique (5th – 69pts) v Toulon (10th – 53pts)

Last year, Castres became the first team to finish in the sixth and final play-off spot that then went on to lift the Bouclier de Brennus. This year, they should have ensured their place in the end-of-season knockout phase before last weekend’s crucial play-off saving win at Agen.

But they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in back-to-back run-in home matches against Toulouse and Montpellier to ensure their play-off challenge became more difficult than it needed to be. Even so, their future remains in their hands. A win ensures a top-six finish. A draw or a defeat, however, leaves them watching results elsewhere, nervously.

Clermont (2nd – 82pts) v Montpellier (6th – 66pts)

You can’t ignore who they’re playing, but this game is all about Montpellier. All-but out of the play-off reckoning a couple of months ago, Vern Cotter’s side have won seven of their last eight games – the one blot on their recent copybook a one-point loss at Racing 92 – and moved back into the top six for the first time since October with a last-gasp bonus-point win over Stade Francais.

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Their record against La Rochelle this season has given Montpellier a crucial advantage going into the final weekend of the regular season. Match or better the Rochelais and a play-off place is theirs for the taking. A home barrage is not yet out of the question, either – for Montpellier or La Rochelle. But, you can’t ignore who they’re playing.

La Rochelle (7th – 66pts) v Bordeaux Bègles (9th – 57pts)

Different league, definitely not different rules. This is the match Sale fans should watch very closely. If La Rochelle can get themselves back into the top six after dropping out last week, the Premiership side will qualify for next season’s Champions Cup.

The Rochelais have already booked their seat at Europe’s top table next season, by virtue of being losing Challenge Cup finalists to Clermont, whose qualification by Top 14 league position supercedes their qualification by Challenge Cup victory. But La Rochelle have French title ambitions so will be keen to ensure their interest continues beyond this weekend.

Opponents Bordeaux blew their outside chances of qualification when they let slip a bonus-point win at home to Toulouse to finish with nothing from a game in which they had scored five tries. Frankly, they’ll be mad, and not in the mood to let their Atlantic coast rivals have it all their own way, even at Stade Marcel Deflandre.

The complicated bit

So far, so straightforward. But now the maths gets complicated. Fourth-placed Racing have the advantage over all three play-off rivals courtesy of one-on-one results this season against the three other sides in case they finish the season level on points.

Past results, meanwhile, this season favour Castres over Montpellier if those two sides finish level on points, but if La Rochelle and Castres both finish their campaigns with the same number of league points, the Rochelais will finish higher than the defending champions.

Got that?

Whatever happens, the side that finishes third will host the sixth and final placed side in the barrages, while the side that finishes fourth will play the one that ends up fifth on the weekend of May 31 / June 1.

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Trevor 1 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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