Toulon, stripped of stars, face tough Stade test

Three-time European champions Toulon's stuttering start to the Top 14 season faces another tough test when they travel to defending champions Stade Francais this weekend.

Toulon, the 2013 champions of France's elite league, are missing 20 players from their squad of galaticos, away on international duty with the Rugby World Cup in England looming.

The Mourad Boudjellal-financed giants have gone down to two defeats in their two opening games, latterly handing Castres a bonus point in a 24-9 defeat.

Stade also have a trio on French duty -- Rabah Slimani, Pascal Pape and Alexandre Flanquart -- plus talismanic No 8 Sergio Parisse away with Italy, a situation that did not please scrum-half Julien Dupuy.

"It's frustrating not to be able to defend our title in good conditions," admitted Dupuy after his side went down 22-13 to Brive last weekend.

"Everyone knows the context is idiotic. It's frustrating but it's only in rugby where we play a championship during a World Cup."

Dupuy added that it was time for Stade's younger players to step up to the mark, as the previous generation had done.

"They have to do it," he said. "In any case, we're very proud of them. Six years ago, we had a lot of youngsters that were made to play, who made mistakes like everyone does, everybody criticised them.

"And now, we'll likely see them in the France team."

Toulon's forwards coach Jacques Delmas insisted his team would not dwell on the missing players.

"With 20 players absent we're more handicapped than the others but we're not going to act like startled little girls discovering a new situation," he said.

"We're not going to hide behind that, we're going to keep tight, work hard and go to Paris (to face Stade Francais) with ambition."

Only Clermont, Toulouse and Racing 92 remain unbeaten after the first two weekends of action.

Leaders Clermont, on the back of two bonus-point victories, travel to Oyonnax, who last week notched four tries and a bonus point in defeating Bordeaux-Begles 37-19.

Toulouse host Castres, bonus-point 24-9 victors over Toulon last weekend, and Racing 92 travel to Agen, who are bottom of the table with no points after two losses.

Second division champions Pau, fresh from a morale-boosting 26-16 win over Montpellier, travel to Grenoble in fine fettle, while winless La Rochelle are at home to Brive. Bordeaux-Begles entertain Montpellier in Sunday's early game.

Fixtures (all times GMT)

Saturday

Oyonnax v Clermont (1235), La Rochelle v Brive, Grenoble v Pau, Agen v Racing 92 (all 1400), Toulouse v Castres (1435)

Sunday

Bordeaux-Begles v Montpellier (1415), Stade Francais v Toulon (1900)

Source: AFP