On the up: Racing host Clermont
Clermont travel to Paris to face Racing Métro on Friday looking to stay in touch with Top 14 leaders Toulon.
With the domestic league clashing with the Six Nations this weekend, there are plenty of star names missing from the respective team sheets but Clermont still arrive in the French capital with a starting XV featuring 11 internationals.
Les Jaunards dropped to third in the standings, seven points behind Toulon, after their loss in Perpignan last time out.
After a mid-season slump that saw them drop to the bottom quarter of the standings, Racing have bounced back with four wins in their last five starts, including an impressive victory in Toulon.
Racing meanwhile are looking to break into the top half of the standings but will take plenty of confidence out of their previous meeting with Clermont when they came desperately close to becoming the first team to win at Stade Marcel Michelin in three years.
Clermont needed a late penalty from Morgan Parra to sneak home on that occasion but they won't have the French international this time, meaning Ludovic Radosavljevic will start at scrum-half.
At full-back Anthony Floch has been preferred to Jean-Marcelin Buttin.
For Racing, Olly Barkley is at inside centre with Jonathan Wisniewski their fly-half and Juan Martin Hernandez at full-back.
The teams:
Racing Métro 92: 15 Juan Martin Hernandez, 14 Julien Jane, 13 Henry Chavancy, 12 Olly Barkley, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Jonathan Wisniewski, 9 Sebastien Descons, 8 Jacques Cronje, 7 Bernard Le Roux, 6 Antoine Battut, 5 Manuel Carizza, 4 Fabrice Metz , 3 Juan Pablo Orlandi, 2 Benjamin Noirot, 1 Julien Brugnaut.
Replacements: 16 Thomas Bianchin, 17 Eddy Ben Arous, 18 Francois Van der Merwe, 19 Jone Qovu, 20 Mathieu Belie, 21 Guillaume Bousses, 22 Masinivanua Matadigo, 23 Mikaele Tuugahala.
ASM Clermont Auvergne: 15 Anthony Floch, 14 Naipolioni Nalaga, 13 Aurelien Rougerie, 12 Regan King, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Brock James, 9 Ludovic Radosavljevic, 8 Julien Bonnaire, 7 Alexandre Lapandry, 6 Gerhard Vosloo, 5 Nathan Hines, 4 Jamie Cudmore, 3 Daniel Kotze, 2 Ti'i Paulo, 1 Raphael Chaume.
Replacements: 16 Benoit Cabello, 17 Thomas Domingo, 18 Julien Pierre, 19 Elvis Vermeulen, 20 Kevin Senio, 21 Benson Stanley, 22 Jean Marcellin Buttin, 23 Adrien Oleon.
Previous result Clermont won 13-12
Date: Friday, February 8
Venue: Stade Yves Du Manoir - Colombes (Paris)
Kick-off: 20:50 local (19.50 GMT)
Referee: Salem Attalah
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