The Albany Gazette - Parra's Stade Francais 'lacking confidence' before hosting Clermont

The Parisians have won just two of their opening seven games this term replicating their run in 2019/2020 and a far cry from reaching the semi-finals last season.

They sit in the relegation play-off place in 13th in the standings, just two points above bottom side in newly-promoted Vannes.

"Of course there's a lack of confidence, we're working this week to give players confidence," Stade Francais assistant coach Morgan Parra told reporters on Thursday.

"If today, the coaches and players don't look at the table it would be worrying.

"We know the Top 14 is hard," the former France scrum-half added.

Stade Francais' impressive results in the run-up to last season's semi-finals was inspired by a dominant scrum and a sturdy defence.

After seven rounds of the current campaign only Vannes have conceded more points than Parra's side, while their set-piece is lacking the likes of Samoa prop Paul Alo-Emile and Georgia front-rower Giorgi Melikidze through injury.

"Stade Francais for a few years have been strong in those areas but right now we're in trouble," Para said.

"We have to rediscover that form," he added.

The former France scrum-half knows this weekend's opponents well, having played more than 250 games across 13 years for Clermont.

Les Jaunard are without a win on the road since May.

"It's going to be hard and starts by hosting Clermont, who are yet to put in a big performance away from home," Parra said.

"I think our players love this type of game, to show what they’re about," he added.

- Dupont on form -

Stade Francais' Parisian rivals Racing 92 return to their La Defense Arena home for the first time since last season to face Perpignan. The indoor stadium was used as the swimming venue for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"Every time I go there I'm amazed at the arena," Racing’s director of rugby Stuart Lancaster said on Thursday.

"The thought of playing rugby there having been there for the Olympics is unbelievably exciting

"When you haven't had it for a while, you appreciate it even more," he added.

Elsewhere, this weekend will be the final round of matches with a full complement of France squad members before next month's three Tests with Japan, New Zealand and Argentina.

Twenty-three of Fabien Galthie's 42-man set-up will miss next weekend's Top 14 games as they remain with the national team to train.

Poster boy Antoine Dupont is likely to be one of the 23 and is in fine form since returning to the Toulouse line-up at the start of the month.

The Champions Cup and Top 14 champions, the only side to have won more French titles than Stade Francais, play Toulon at a sold-out 33,000-capacity Le Stadium on Sunday.

Scrum-half Dupont has contributed a try or assist every 23 minutes in just two appearances this season, a record across Europe's three major leagues, since returning from the Olympic rugby sevens success.

Fixtures (times GMT)

Saturday

Bordeaux-Begles v Pau (1230), Lyon v Bayonne, Montpellier v La Rochelle, Racing 92 v Perpignan, Vannes v Castres, Stade Francais v Clermont (1905)

Sunday

Toulouse v Toulon (1905)

(A.Thompson--TAG)