Toulouse look to fix kicking problems
Toulouse's kicking will be under scrutiny as they face a crucial test at home to high-flying Bordeaux-Begles on Friday, looking to arrest a worrying recent slide.
The record four-time European champions have blown three points over the last two weeks from missing last-gasp conversions.
Fly-half Jean-Marc Doussain was the culprit two weeks ago when they lost 31-29 at home to Montpellier instead of earning a draw while it was the turn of Sebastien Bezy a week ago, having his conversion from straight in front of the posts against Brive charged down by Jean-Baptiste Pejoine.
That cost Toulouse victory as they came away with a 21-21 draw despite former New Zealand international Luke McAlister's try after the final hooter and under the posts appearing to have set them up for a vital victory.
Those two results came on the back of a 28-8 defeat at lowly La Rochelle, meaning Toulouse have failed to win in three matches since the Six Nations began.
Toulouse president Rene Bouscatel has been complaining this week about the doubling up of Top 14 matches during the Six Nations, saying certain teams suffer more than others.
"We haven't been spoilt by the calendar given that we will have played Montpellier and Bordeaux, two teams in direct competition (for the end of season play-offs) during this doubling up period," he said.
"Those two teams are not impacted as much as us but apparently those are the rules of the game. Personally I don't know how the rules are drawn up or in whose interest."
- Below par -
The dropped points and below-par performances have seen Toulouse slip from sharing top spot with Racing 92 to fifth and eight points off the pace.
They are only a point above sixth-placed Montpellier and their chances of avoiding the first round of play-offs by finishing in the top two at the end of the regular season appear to be slipping away.
Toulouse are still not in danger of falling out of the top six, with seventh-placed Castres eight points behind, but are in need of a morale-boosting result.
It will be anything but simple against a Bordeaux side that cut loose in a seven-try rout of rock-bottom Oyonnax last weekend as Australia international Adam Ashley-Cooper finally got off the Top 14 mark with a hat-trick.
Bordeaux are on a four-match win streak, including a tight 15-12 victory over European champions Toulon, which has taken them up to fourth.
Toulon will look to bounce back from last week's surprise 19-14 defeat at La Rochelle as they entertain Grenoble.
The current European champions are one of the hardest hit sides by the international absentees during the Six Nations, made worse by the fact flying South African wing Bryan Habana is also away on Sevens duty, as is Australian fly-half Quade Cooper.
Even so, if anyone has the squad to cope, it is Toulon, for whom New Zealander fly-half Tom Taylor -- who would probably be fourth choice if all other half-backs were fully fit and available -- scored a last-gasp try to rescue a losing bonus point.
Toulon can still field the likes of New Zealand legend Ma'a Nonu, English back-rower Steffon Armitage or South African No.8 Duane Vermeulen, not to mention French wrecking ball Mathieu Bastareaud.
Leaders Racing face misfiring champions Stade Francais in the Paris derby.
Stade slumped to one place above the relegation places after last week's dismal 19-12 defeat at Pau, a week after crumbling 33-18 at home to Grenoble.
Resurgent Clermont, on a three-match win streak that has seen them plunder 117 points, host free-falling Brive.
Fixtures (all times GMT):
Friday
Toulouse v Bordeaux-Begles (1945)
Saturday
Stade Francais v Racing 92 (1330), Clermont v Brive, La Rochelle v Pau, Castres v Agen (all 1730), Toulon v Grenoble (1945)
Sunday
Oyonnax v Montpellier (1100)