Call-ups, injuries take gloss off Top 14 Paris derbyWith 67 players missing from Top 14 action because of international call-ups, the Parisian derby between Racing-Metro and Stade Francais this weekend has lost some of its glamour. Stade Francais have 10 players out on duty for five different countries as part of the November window for international Test matches, with a further nine injury-stricken players in the stands. "Who do you recognise in this photo?" sports daily L'Equipe quipped rhetorically rhe·tor·i·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to rhetoric. 2. Characterized by overelaborate or bombastic rhetoric. 3. Used for persuasive effect: a speech punctuated by rhetorical pauses. of a picture of Stade players training. Stade coach Jacques Delmas said he'd be content with one win from the games against Racing-Metro, who have just Argentinian Juan Pablo Juan Pablo is a common Spanish given name. It is the equivalent of "John Paul" in English or "Jean-Paul" in French. Some famous people with this name:
"With so many missing, if we win one or two of our upcoming matches, we'll be happy," said Delmas, who has only one professional back row player, Pierre Rabadan, available for the match. "We're paying taxes on our good fortunes," he joked. Racing-Metro president Jacky Lorenzetti said his side were the underdogs for the match played just a short distance from the Stade de France where the French national team take on Samoa three hours after the derby kick-off. "The favourites for this game are definitely Stade Francais, even without some of their stars," Lorenzetti said. "There remains a core on the field, notably (Mathieu) Bastareaud. Stade Francais have a great team, a squad that many Top 14 clubs can but envy. And we also have players either injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. or called up." Bottom-placed Albi pulled off the upset of the Top 14 season so far with a nail-biting 24-23 victory over league leaders Perpignan on Friday. The weekend's other top-draw matches are third-placed Castres hosting Toulouse, sitting in second, and Biarritz playing at Clermont. Two experienced French internationals and club captains will meet in the latter game, Clermont's Aurelien Rougerie and Jerome Thion of Biarritz, who have 112 Test appearances between them. "The game is not devalued de·val·ue also de·val·u·ate v. de·val·ued also de·valu·at·ed, de·val·u·ing also de·val·u·at·ing, de·val·ues also de·val·u·ates v.tr. 1. To lessen or cancel the value of. ," insisted Thion. "Clermont have a a big squad, a great team, and will importantly be able to call upon Brock brock n. Chiefly British A badger. [Middle English brok, from Old English broc, of Celtic origin.] James, the playmaker play·mak·er n. A player in a sport with goals, such as a guard in basketball, who initiates offensive plays. play of their game. "There will be intensity and a battle. The message to take is that everyone, young or experienced, has a great chance to come back or impose themselves in the team." Rougerie added: "There's quality on each side. It will be a disputed match, that's for sure. "Biarritz have fewer internationals, notably their foreign players, and will think they're able to pull something off," the full-back told L'Equipe. Elsewhere, Bourgoin host Montpellier, Montauban travel to Bayonne, and Toulon play Brive. Fixtures Saturday Bourgoin v Montpellier, Bayonne v Montauban, Racing-Metro v Stade Francais, Toulon v Brive, Castres v Toulouse, Clermont v Biarritz 
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