Toulon seek Pau springboard after Toulouse mauling

Star-studded Toulon host Pau in the Top 14 this weekend keen to bounce back from a 31-8 thrashing at the hands of league leaders Toulouse ahead of a string of European Cup matches.
Toulouse belied their shock European Cup exit with a four-try, bonus point victory over the defending three-time European champions.

The result allowed Toulouse to end 2015 with a three-point lead over Clermont and Racing 92 in the ever-competitive Top 14.

Toulon forwards coach Jacques Delmas was left in no doubt that his side, bankrolled by Mourad Boudjellal, had to turn up against Pau, sitting in 11th spot but boasting All Blacks Conrad Smith and Colin Slade.

"We gave away too many points in hoping to win and when we were in a position to score, we didn't do it," Delmas said after the defeat by Toulouse.

"They were much more efficient than us in the red zone and that's what explains the final scoreline.

"We now have to bounce back quickly because we have Pau at home on Sunday and then go on to play three European Cup matches that are very important for us."

Toulouse come up against defending champions Stade Francais in Sunday's second match, the latter club struggling in 12th place with just four victories from 11 league outings.
Last weekend, Stade went down 25-12 to Oyonnax, coach Gonzalo Quesada now ringing the alarm bells.

"Quesada is managing to show us that we're in a pretty critical situation," Stade winger Jeremy Sinzelle said.

"He's showing us there's fire behind us. After he always stays calm. From time to time in the video sessions, he tries to raise his voice a little, But that's Gonzalo, he's like that, it's his management style."

Second-placed Clermont went down to a 26-10 defeat by ever-improving Racing 92, sat in third, last week and are away to bottom-placed Agen on Saturday.

Racing welcome Bordeaux-Begles, with the two teams having already shown excellent strength in depth off the bench.

Racing scrum-half Maxime Machenaud, recalled to Guy Noves' first France squad, said the deepened squad of the Parisian club was for the best.

Last season, he said, "there was maybe a starting XV or a fixed match-day 23. Some players were then less involved in training. There wasn't a lot of rotation".

Racing co-coach Laurent Travers said the idea was to get to the Top 14 play-offs in spring with the players "not overdone".

Castres will seek a fifth straight win away to La Rochelle, while Grenoble entertain Oyonnax, and Brive are at home Montpellier.

Fixtures (all times GMT)

Saturday

Agen v Clermont (1330), Grenoble v Oyonnax, La Rochelle v Castres (both 1400), Racing 92 v Bordeaux-Begles (1530), Brive v Montpellier (1945)

Sunday

Toulon v Pau (1645), Stade Francais v Toulouse (2000)
Source: AFP