- 1 Stade Rochelais vs Stade Toulousain: the champions kick off at one of their least welcome hunting grounds
- 2 Stade Rochelais, a fortress and a statement made against Munster
- 3 Toulouse arrive with the heavy artillery
- 4 Rugby Prediction Stade Rochelais vs Stade Toulousain
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes fast
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Stade Rochelais vs Stade Toulousain: the champions kick off at one of their least welcome hunting grounds 
Four straight French titles, and now opening day at Stade Marcel-Deflandre against Stade Rochelais. The National Rugby League has not exactly handed Stade Toulousain a soft start to the 2026-2027 season.
Kick-off is on Sunday, 6 September at 21h05, bringing the curtain down on the opening round. Canal+ will show the match.
Both sides arrive off warm-ups that turned heads. Toulouse won 54-47 at Bayonne’s Jean-Dauger, scoring eight tries, while Stade Rochelais put 47 points on Munster last Friday.
The numbers from last season still favour the Maritimes at home. Stade Rochelais finished with the sixth-best home record in the Top 14, with 10 wins and three defeats.
Toulouse, meanwhile, posted the best away record in the league, with six wins and seven losses. That alone tells you how tough life on the road remains in this competition.
The schedule offers Ugo Mola’s men no breathing room. After Stade Rochelais comes Union Bordeaux-Begles on matchday 2, then Montpellier on matchday 4, the side they beat in last season’s final.
Stade Toulousain have won the last four French championships. No one has managed to break that run over the past four seasons.
Stade Rochelais, a fortress and a statement made against Munster 
Ten wins and three defeats at Marcel-Deflandre last season: Stade Rochelais’ home record speaks for itself. Very few teams leave Charente-Maritime with anything.
That sixth-place finish in the home table still leaves Stade Rochelais behind several direct rivals. There is room to improve, and this fixture is a chance to show it.
Their final dress rehearsal sent a clear message. The Maritimes put 47 points on Munster last Friday, just days before the competitive return.
That result needs a touch of caution. Munster do not even begin their own league campaign until later in the month, so the standard of opposition should be taken in context.
The stakes go far beyond the table. Beat the reigning champions on day one and Stade Rochelais are straight into the conversation for the play-offs.
The home crowd is the other weapon in Yellow and Black’s armoury. With the match closing out the round, the atmosphere should bite in the opening 20 minutes.
Being the final game of the weekend also brings a practical edge. The Maritimes will know every other result before they walk out onto the pitch.
One factor is clearly on their side at the restart: they are not carrying the baggage that comes with defending champion status.
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Toulouse arrive with the heavy artillery 
The 54-47 win at Bayonne in pre-season offered a useful clue. Toulouse rolled out a big chunk of their internationals for that friendly.
Baille, Marchand, Aldegheri, Flament, Brennan, Cros, Roumat, Dupont, Ramos, Lebel, Barassi, Menoncello and Capuozzo all started at Jean-Dauger. Romain Ntamack and Peato Mauvaka came off the bench.
The Dupont-Ntamack half-back pairing should, logically, be back together at Deflandre. If that happens, Thomas Ramos can slide back to 15.
Tommaso Menoncello marked his first outing in new colours with a promising display. The Italian centre was involved in the build-up to Barassi’s try.
The pack is where the question marks sit. Clement Verge suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and is set for around eight months out, while Anthony Jelonch was said to be short of fitness for the restart.
Jack Willis, Leo Banos, Mathis Castro-Ferreira and Theo Ntamack were still away from the group in mid-August. Emmanuel Meafou was also absent from the 31-man squad named against Bayonne.
Romain Ntamack returned later than his team-mates. His involvement in the Nations Championship explains the delayed build-up.
Deflandre is only the first stop in a tough stretch. Toulouse face UBB at Ernest-Wallon on matchday 2, then Vannes at La Rabine.
Probable Stade Rochelais line-up: Not announced at the time of publication.
Probable Stade Toulousain line-up: Baille, Marchand, Aldegheri, Brennan, Flament, Cros, Bonnard-Martin, Roumat, Dupont, Ntamack, Lebel, Gourgues, Menoncello, Capuozzo, Ramos.
Rugby Prediction Stade Rochelais vs Stade Toulousain
Our prediction: Stade Toulousain to win
Toulouse scored eight tries and 54 points in their final warm-up after only a few weeks of work together. No other team in the league looks as sharp coming out of the gates.
Stade Rochelais are a tough nut to crack at home, but they are up against the only club to post a positive away record last season. The difference should come down to the depth of quality Toulouse can put on the field from the start.
With Dupont, Ntamack and Ramos out there, the Red and Black should leave Deflandre with the win.
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