PARIS - French clubs will be buoyed by the presence of some players back from international duty for this weekend's Top 14 action with the run-in to the end of the season already well under way.
Racing-Metro’s centre Jamie Roberts (L) vies with RC Toulon's players during the French Top 14 rugby union match on January 10, 2015 in Toulon, France
Fourth-placed Racing-Metro kick off on Friday away to Bayonne with Ireland fly-half Jonathan Sexton and Welsh trio Jamie Roberts, Luke Charteris and Mike Phillips, while France flanker Bernard Le Roux is rested.
Also returning for the first time since the end of December is centre Alexandre Dumoulin, whose inflamed Achilles tendon saw him ruled out of France's botched Six Nations campaign.
"It's a very important match for us and for Bayonne also," said Phillips, who joined the Parisian club after being sacked by the Basque outfit for disciplinary reasons.
"It's very important for the season, especially after the defeat by Brive."
Sexton said he was delighted to be back in the sky blue and white jersey of Racing after helping guide Ireland to back-to-back Six Nations championships titles.
"It's an important game if we want to finish in the top six," the playmaker said.
"I haven't played many games for Racing this season, so I have to play and have to play well in the Racing jersey."
The race for a place in the top six, who go on to compete in the season-ending elite play-offs, continues unabated, with just six matches to go until the end of the regular season.
- Underachieving -
Toulon and Clermont will consider themselves safe at the top of the table on 61 points apiece, while Stade Francais are third on 55, four ahead of Racing.
Then things hot up, with Toulouse (49), Grenoble (47), Bordeaux-Begles and Oyonnax (45), and Montpellier (43) all still in the running for a top-six berth.
Bayonne lie in 10th in the table on 41 points, one ahead of Brive and La Rochelle, with Lyon and Castres occupying the relegation spots, both on 34.
In a bid to kickstart their flagging season, Lyon sacked Australian Tim Lane on Sunday, with compatriot Scott Wisemantel joining Olivier Azam as the new coaching duo.
Lane, 55, was highly criticised following last week's 22-14 defeat at home to Toulon and many consider Lyon to be underachieving given they boast the seventh highest budget in the Top 14 of 21 million euros ($22.8 million).
Leaders Toulon take their home match against Toulouse on Saturday down the road to Marseille's Stade Velodrome with the mercurial Frederic Michalak back in Bernard Laporte's squad after recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in September.
"It's a special match between two clubs that have marked French rugby," said Laporte.
"We've put ourselves in a good position," he added.
"If we win four out of the six remaining games, we're masters of our own destiny."
For Toulouse, it is a question of consolidating their spot among the leaders of the Top 14.
"It doesn't bring more points than a match against Oyonnax or anyone else," Toulouse coach Guy Noves said in trying to play down the match, for which France internationals Yoann Huiget, Thierry Dusautoir and Yoann Maestri will not be picked.
"Maybe playing in Marseille's Velodrome lends it a different flavour but that's all."
Saturday's early kick-off features Stade Francais at home to Clermont, while Bordeaux-Begles later entertain La Rochelle, Lyon travel to Montpellier, Oyonnax host Brive and bottom club Castres face a must-win away game at Grenoble.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Friday
Bayonne v Racing-Metro (1945)
Saturday
Stade Francais v Clermont (1335), Bordeaux-Begles v La Rochelle, Montpellier v Lyon, Oyonnax v Brive (all 1400), Toulon v Toulouse (1535), Grenoble v Castres (1945)