French and European champions Toulon return to Top 14 duty today missing a host of international stars and bristling with resentment over a 12-week ban handed out to fullback Delon Armitage.
Adding to the champions’ discomfort is the knowledge that fellow cash-rich giants Racing Metro have already started their assault on future domination with their audacious capture of All Blacks superstar Dan Carter.
Toulon have a one-point lead over Clermont at the top of the table ahead of their game against relegation-threatened Lyon.
However, they go into the match without lock forward Bakkies Botha (nose injury), back rower Steffon Armitage (shoulder), scrumhalf Sebastien Tillous-Borde (knee) and winger Bryan Habana (knee).
All were hurt in their bruising back-to-back European Cup confrontations against Leicester, while 31-year-old full-back Delon Armitage has been banned for three months after being found guilty of using offensive language toward spectators at Leicester’s Welford Road ground in the first match between the two sides.
“It’s incomprehensible,” Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal told La Provence newspaper in reaction to the suspension.
“This is not normal, it’s based on allegations of two spectators. We have not ruled out taking legal action against the two English supporters,” Boudjellal added.
Toulon are still also without long-term injury hit hooker Craig Burden and back row forward Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe as well as star flyhalves Matt Giteau and Frederic Michalak.
Racing Metro, who are four points off the lead, host La Rochelle still riding high after their capture of Carter for next season’s campaign.
The 32-year-old New Zealand flyhalf is to move to France after the World Cup on a deal reported to be worth up to 1.6 million euros (US$2 million) per season, which would make him the best-paid player in the world.
Of more immediate concern to Racing is the loss until the middle of February of Irish flyhalf Jonathan Sexton, who has been forced to rest following a series of hits to the head while on international duty.
Racing are also without flyhalf Johannes Goosen, winger Juan Imhoff, centers Jamie Roberts and Alexandre Dumoulin as well as scrumhalf Mike Phillips.
Toulouse, the only side left in the European Champions Cup with a perfect record of four wins in four games, look to translate that form into their mediocre domestic season.
Toulouse are seventh in the table and face eighth-placed Montpellier, whose European campaign has yielded four successive defeats.
Toulouse are without resting internationals Thierry Dusautoir, Yoann Maestri and Yoann Huget, but welcome back English flyhalf Toby Flood, who has missed two matches with a groin injury.
Grenoble were to play Stade Francais yesterday.
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