It's that time of year again where weeks of fitness training, line out calls and increasingly intricate back line moves come to fruition and are put to the test with the tentative excitement and anticipation that heralds the opening of the new rugby season.
As the French Top 14 enters its 119th term in existence there is a nonetheless a slight feel of apathy lingering in the air - probably due to the fact that, with the Rugby World Cup now only two weeks away, all of the league's superstars are not on show, and won't be for some time yet.
Worryingly for the league's organisers and promoters the top clubs will be stripped of their brightest talents for eleven out of the twenty six rounds of the year, as they compete and then recover from exploits in New Zealand. High profile players joining the division, such as Joe Rokocoko, Matt Giteau and James Hook will eventually look to create atmosphere, drama and spectacle, but are for now unavailable for club duty.
But the show, as they say, must go on and the curtain is raised tonight with a near-full card of fixtures to keep us entertained on a Friday night.
With Toulon and Biarritz the only participants not running out this evening it seems a perfect time to profile every one of the competitors in this year's Orange Top 14.
STADE TOULOUSAIN
The aristocrats of French and European rugby. Recent bickering in the media from Toulouse officials over how the fixtures fall for the club this season cannot detract from how good they are as a team. The current holders of the Bouclier de Brennus are as always one of the front runners for the league title, and despite losing quality world class performers like Byron Kelleher, Freddy Michalak and Cedric Heymans they have recruited well in the close season. The signings of Lionel Beauxis from Stade Francais as well as Luke Burgess, Luke McAlister and Gary Botha gives Toulouse plenty of experienced options in the early weeks of the season whilst other big clubs are hamstrung with the absence of their Internationals.
Added to this the guile and tactical wisdom of the ageless Guy Noves and Toulouse will surely be there or there abouts come the business end of the season.
RUGBY CLUB TOULONNAIS
Like Toulouse, the Stade Mayol club will have proven signings unhampered by the onset of the World Cup. But following what was perceived as an unacceptable season (despite reaching their first Heineken Cup quarter-final) where the team failed to qualify for the newly-expanded play-offs, the likes of Matt Giteau, Willie Mason and Mathieu Bastareud need to gel quickly to enstil a team ethos and spirit that grinds out wins in close games.
With director of rugby Phillipe Saint-Andre bound for Paris and the French national side, this task becomes even greater. But with a new batch of mercenaries recently imported including Steffon Armitage, Bakkies Botha, Jone Tawake and Eifion Lewis-Roberts, few people will be able to accuse RCT of lacking grunt up front. Whether this will be enough of a platform to project Toulon on to the next level remains to be seen.
CASTRES OLYMPIQUE
After having such a strong season last time out, to ultimately fall at home in the play-offs to 6th-placed Montpellier was a bitter pill to swallow for Castres. Their squad has experienced very little disruption from the advent of the World Cup and additions Rory Kockott and Scotland International Max Evans will add flair and unpredictability to a back line whose only real spark has been the diminutive Marc Andreu.
An unbeaten regular home season in 2010/11 will be the base to build on this year, and a similar achievement with an added slice of luck in 2011/12 might see Castres Olympique challenging again come season's end.
RACING METRO 92
Plucked from domestic obscurity in recent times by real estate mogul Jacky Lorenzetti, Racing Metro have spent the five years since his take-over transforming from a mediocre also-ran in Pro D2 to become the prominent Parisian club in the Top 14 - usurping Stade Francais in the process.
Whilst their flamboyant neighbours have spent the past few seasons more intent in turning heads with flashy kits and increasingly carnival-esque pre-match entertainment rather than rugby, Racing have concentrated on attracting astute signings on the pitch to create a supremely competitive squad.
The Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir now seems very much the place to be and head coach Pierre Berbizier will be expected to challenge on all front this season.
With high profile players such as Sebastien Chabal, Benjamin Fall, Francois Steyn and new addition France International Fabrice Estebanez beefing up the back line, their targets are feasibly within reach.
ASM CLERMONT
A summer of strengthening and clearing out of dead wood after a comparatively poor 2011 season should see Clermont back on track in 2012. A number of big-name signings in the form of Benjamin Kayser, Nathan Hines, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Regan King and Lee Byrne will hopefully bring a freshness to a squad that looked to have stagnated after finally achieving their goal of winning the league in 2010.
Those coming in could also be seen to need a spark to revitalise flagging careers - so this marriage of convenience could ultimately be a prosperous one for Les Jaunards.
MONTPELLIER
The way thet stormed to the Top 14 final last season prevents Montpellier from being tipped as dark horses this time out. Former Stade Francais coach Fabien Galthie's flowing style of play, instigated by fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc, caught plenty of teams out in 2011 and with a more disciplined game would have snatched the Bouclier de Brennus from Toulouse in Paris in May.
Les Heraultais have made a few good signings in the close season including Remy Martin, Thibault Privat and Pumas Agustin Creevy and Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino that will bolster the current squad and stabilise their position in the top half. But a lack of real cutting edge and top quality may ultimately deny them further progression amongst the league's hierarchy.
BIARRITZ OLYMPIQUE
Perenially one of the most frustrating and bothersome teams to follow, the 2006 league winners have not been overly busy in the market this summer but have brought in seasoned Internationals Matt Dunning from Western Force and Benoit Baby from Clermont.
Biarritz have instead placed their hope in youth, with great investment in their academy; and a seemingly settled squad, anchored by Barcella, Marconnet, Thion and Harinordoquy, might just see the Basque club better last season's final position of 5th.
AVIRON BAYONNAIS
Possibly the most active club in terms of summer transfers, AB should set their sights high after a recruitment process that has secured the services of Neemia Tialata, Mark Chisholm, Sione Lauaki, Joe Rokocoko, Cedric Heymans and Mike Phillips.
Whether these big names can come together for the benefit of the Basque club is unknown, but with new ownership and new players sees the opportunity for Les Bayonnais to stake their claim this season, and a play-off place should not be out of reach.
At the very least the fans would welcome their team finishing higher in the final standings than southern rivals Biarritz.
USA PERPIGNAN
A disappointing 2011 season saw the seven-time winners finishing a lowly 9th in the final log. Their only notable signing for the new term is Welsh International James Hook, who will be unavailable until November due to World Cup commitments.
With coach Jacques Brunel now departed to take over as the new head coach of Italy a new era may not initially mean a bright and bold season.
Without the distraction of premier European competition this year USAP may benefit to concentrate solely on the home front, but the quality evident amongst the rest of the league may mean that it will be some time before Perpignan are mixing it with the big guns again.
SU AGEN
Agen exceeded expectations in 2011 by surviving the Top 14. Although the club aspires to return to the force it was prior to the professional era - where they won the league no less than eight times - the reality is that they greatest success they can hope for these days is to avoid relegation back into Pro D2.
Old heads Martin Scelzo and John Schwalger should add the nouse that the team needs to stay up, but it's not likely to be pretty.
CA BRIVE-CORREZE
With Gerhard Vosloo and Alexis Palisson joining Racing-bound Estebanez out the exit door many are predicting a tough season for CABCL. Although livewire fly-half Shane Geraghty has signed for Les Blanc et Noir, he is not someone who is experienced enough to provide the steady and dependable performances needed to steer the club to safety.
With so many good sides and aspiring teams battling it out in the Top 14 not everyone can remain in the premier division, and Brive could be facing the grim reality of the drop come next spring.
STADE FRANCAIS PARIS
From champions in 2007 to a relegation-threatened side struggling with a financial crisis in the space of four years. Stade really have been through the mill recently and despite Max Guazzini's best efforts one of France's most successful, recognisable and biggest clubs are falling drastically off the pace.
With an influx of players in and out at Stade Charlety the future remains uncertain for the showmen of French rugby. But with experienced heads drafted in such as Paul Warwick, Olivier Milloud, David Lyons and Byron Kelleher the Parisians should hopefully have a much more stable campaign and improve upon an eleventh-placed finish last year.
UNION BORDEAUX-BEGLES
The most likely team for the drop, Brodeaux were promoted from Pro D2 by virtue of the play-offs after finishing the regular season fifth in 2011.
A dearth of real stand-out talent and experience at the highest level suggests they will struggle this term.
Although Kiwi Bruce Reihana would ideally prefer a pleasant swansong in France for an successful and established career, this last adventure could read more like the Titanic by the time the credits roll.
LYON OLYMPIQUE UNIVERSITAIRE
Another French club with a wealthy bank-roller and a penchant for spending lavishly. Les Loups have enjoyed an extensive recruitment this summer that has seen Mark van Gisbergen and Sisa Koyamaibole join from the Aviva Premiership, Juan Manuel Leguizamon come in from Stade Francais and Ricky Januarie forsake a final shot at the World Cup in favour of a move north. With a plethora of recognisable faces adding to the profile of the latest 'it-club', Lyon will look to follow the template established by Toulon and Racing Metro in recent seasons.
The minimum required for Mathieu Lazerges and his team is survival with the potential for greater gains in the Top 14. If things go well, a place in next season's Heineken Cup may not be out of the question.
PREDICTIONS:
Winners: RACING METRO 92
Finalists: TOULOUSE
Relegated: BRIVE, BORDEAUX
