3 Must-Watch Matches In Top 14 Round 13: League Picks Up The Tempo

Pau moves to the top of the Top 14 standings, as Round 13 features Toulouse vs. La Rochelle, Toulon vs. Perpignan and Clermont hosting Bordeaux.

Dec 24, 2025 by Joe Harrington

3 Must-Watch Matches In Top 14 Round 13: League Picks Up The Tempo

“It has been rough and rocky traveling;

But I'm finally standing upright on the ground;

After taking several readings;

I'm surprised to find my mind's still fairly sound;

I guess (Champions Cup) was the roughest;

But I know I've said the same about them all

We received our education

In the cities of the nation, me and Pau

-Willie Nelson, Me and Pau

Or something like that.

There’s a new table leader in the Top 14, and its name is Pau.

The second-place team entering Round 12 blasted Montauban 53-17 to move past Toulouse in the Top 14 standings.

To be clear, Toulouse didn’t lose or play badly either. The French dynasty beat Lyon 41-19 on the road in Round 12, but Pau moved into the top spot via tiebreakers, as both clubs are 9-0-3 with 42 points.

Pau got back on track, though, after a disastrous two weeks of Champions Cup play. Pau, or Section Paloise, is 0-0-2 with zero points after two matches. But the Top 14 season is a different story.

Pau returns home this week to play MHR, while Toulouse hosts La Rochelle, as both teams look to keep pace with one another.

Here are three matches to watch this week in Round 13 of the Top 14 season:

Toulouse vs. La Rochelle, 3:05 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 28

In the continuing theme of blending American country music with French rugby, La Rochelle (6-0-6) may not be as good as it once was, but the team's as good once as it ever was.

Well, the squad will need to be outstanding to beat Toulouse on the road, but this is a good test for the six-time Champions Cup winners, who have won the last three Top 14 titles.

La Rochelle appears poised to make the Round of 16 in the Champions Cup, and Toulouse will have to be ready for a physical match against La Rochelle.

Toulon vs. Perpignan, Noon, Sunday, Dec. 28

I've seen the morning burning golden on the mountains in the skies, and we have seen Perpignan win a match this year.

YES, this match is something to watch.

Perpignan, 1-0-11 on the season, picked up a win last week, 26-20, against Clermont. It was the team's first win of the season.

This match is here because it has been a long time since Perpignan won back-to-back matches. But when it did, it counted big time.

Perpignan beat Toulouse (yep) in the last round of the previous season, 42-35, and then beat Grenoble 13-11 to avoid relegation. Back in November, Perpignan played Pau close in a 27-23 match in Paloise.

Now, can Perpignan beat Toulon? Toulon is 7-0-5 and fourth on the table and just lost 46-7 at Bordeaux.

Clermont vs. Bordeaux, 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 27

Clermont is playing rugby like the team is a rolling stone, all alone and lost for a life of sin, and has paid the cost. Clermont lost to Perpignan last week.

Clermont lost both Champions Cup matches and has no points there.

The loss to Perpignan dropped Clermont to 11th on the Top 14 table with a 6-0-6 record.

Bordeaux, meanwhile, looks like the best club in the world and just obliterated Toulon, 46-7.

So, why should folks watch this one? Because it’s tough to win on the road, and Clermont certainly can hold firm at home.

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A FloRugby annual subscription provides live access to the Top 14, PREM Rugby, URC, the EPCR Challenge Cup and the Investec Champions Cup throughout the season.

Top 14 Fixtures: Round 8 Schedule

Saturday, Dec. 27

8 AM ET – Racing 92 vs. Montauban
10 AM ET – Castres vs. Lyon
Noon ET – Bayonne vs. Stade Français
3 PM ET – Clermont vs. Bordeaux-Bègles

Sunday, Dec. 28

10 AM ET – Pau vs. Montpellier
Noon ET – Toulon vs. Perpignan
3:05 PM ET – Toulouse vs. La Rochelle

European Union Rugby Lives On FloSports And FloRugby

Rugby fans can stream every match from the Top 14, Gallagher Premiership and United Rugby Championship on FloRugby, along with the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, making the platform the U.S. home for the world’s biggest club competitions and the game’s top players.

How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby

Professional club rugby in Europe all streams on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.

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