A pair of stunning upsets made for an unpredictable start to the French Top 14 playoffs, but that might be just the start of the chaos as this weekend’s semifinals get underway at Groupama Stadium in Lyon.

This past week’s quarterfinals saw Castres Olympique bounce favorite Toulouse from the postseason in an impressive 23-11 road victory, while Lyon advanced to its first-ever Top 14 semifinal after playing host Toulon to a 19-19 draw in extra time but winning the tiebreaker with a 2-1 advantage in tries scored.

Regular-season kings Montpellier and second place Racing 92 each received a quarterfinal bye as one of the two top seeds, but both can expect stern challenges as they head into their respective semifinals this weekend.

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Montpellier vs. Lyon

Friday, May 25 | 2 PM CST | WATCH LIVE

The top try-scoring team in Top 14 also finished the regular season with the best overall record at 17-9. But will that unmatched success translate into Montpellier winning its first league title? 

Les Cistes last earned a spot in the championship final in 2011, and with the South African duo of Ruan Pienaar and Jan Serfontein leading the way, Montpellier is in position for a return trip to the Stade de France on June 2. Pienaar paces the team’s attack at scrumhalf with 173 points, while Serfontein bolsters Les Cistes’ stout defensive unit at center. Fijian wing Nemani Nadolo also dazzled for Montpellier this season with 18 tries—good for second most in Top 14. 

Meanwhile, Lyon may be entering as the No. 5 seed, but Les Loups will have all the confidence of their hometown fans behind them and the reassurance of a 2-2 overall record against Montpellier—including a 32-24 victory to close the regular season.

After missing the playoffs altogether in 2017, Lyon turned around its fortunes behind an offense and defense that both rank in the top five in total points. Reaching the semifinals is a breakthrough achievement for the club, but Les Loups are in a position to reach for much more.

Racing 92 vs. Castres Olympique

Saturday, May 26 | 9:45 AM CST | WATCH LIVE

Racing 92 already has one championship appearance under its belt this year—a 15-12 loss to Leinster in the European Champions Cup final two weeks ago—and will look to exact the pain of that disappointment by booking another title game berth on Saturday. 

However, any lessons learned from that experience will once again have to be implemented by a shorthanded roster. 

Les Ciel et Blanc lost both French scrumhalf Maxime Machenaud and All Blacks legend Dan Carter to injuries before the European Champions Cup final. While Machenaud suffered a serious knee injury that will sideline him for 6-9 months, Carter is expected to recover from his hamstring injury in time to rejoin Racing 92’s lineup if it makes the Top 14 title game. 

Castres Olympique is also missing an important piece Saturday in hooker Jody Jenneker, who was issued a three-week ban by the league’s governing body for striking Toulouse’s Maxime Medard in a ruck.

Castres owns a number of quality wins this season, including an 18-13 victory over Racing 92 in their fourth and final regular-season clash on Jan. 27. Altogether, Racing 92 went 3-1 against Castres, with three of those matchups decided by five or fewer points.