US Oyonnax vs Stade Francais Paris Prediction: Visitors can not be written off

The Top 14 competition in France has advanced to the round of 14, and one of the upcoming matches features US Oyonnax facing Stade Francais Paris at Stade Charles-Mathon. I'll delve into the match previews and offer predictions in the upcoming sections.

US Oyonnax has faced challenges in the current season, securing five wins out of 13 games and accumulating 21 points. A potential victory in the upcoming match holds the promise of a significant climb in the rankings. Their year commenced with a 27-12 defeat at the hands of USA Perpignan, followed by a 38-7 loss in Durban during the Challenge Cup. However, they rebounded by defeating the Cheetahs 28-27 at home. In their most recent outing, US Oyonnax experienced a bit of misfortune, losing 21-17 to Aviron Bayonnais.

Stade Francais currently holds the second position in the Top 14 table, having secured eight victories in 13 games, along with one draw. However, they are trailing Racing 92 by three points. Despite a promising start to the season, Stade Francais has encountered challenges in recent matches, winning only once in their last five games. Their sole victory in this period was against Bordeaux in the Top 14. Notably, they suffered defeats to the Stormers at home and Leinster away in the Champions Cup before the aforementioned win. Looking ahead to the upcoming match, Stade Francais will be without Paul Gabrillagues, who is on international duty.

With both teams currently experiencing a downturn in form and only one player away on international duty between them, I anticipate this to be a closely contested match, despite the contrast in their league positions. My prediction is that Stade Francais will perform well within the seven-point handicap and potentially secure an away victory. Moreover, considering that their recent five meetings dating back to 2015 have been high-scoring affairs, I anticipate a similar encounter in this match. Expecting significant offensive play from both sides, I foresee a game with a substantial number of points.