Top 14: Geoffrey Doumayrou back as starter, the lines of the match between MHR and Toulon

Geoffrey Doumayrou de retour au sein des lignes arrières de Montpellier pour affronter Toulon. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Le centre montpelliérain fait son retour comme titulaire après de longs mois d'absence pour affronter Toulon, ce dimanche 7 janvier (21h05) au GGL Stadium pour la 12e journée du Top 14. 

After 11 months of absence and a debut against Castres, Geoffrey Doumayrou will celebrate his first start of the season, in the center, associated with Jan Serfontein. A return which slides Arthur Vincent to the right wing, with Ben Lam on the left, and Anthony Bouthier at the back.

🔥 LA COMPO DES CISTES 🔥

🗃 @MHR_officiel
⎣📂 Saison 2⃣3⃣-2⃣4⃣
⎣📂Compo
⎣ ⚫️🔴 #J12

#TeamMHR 🔵⚪️ #MHRRCT pic.twitter.com/6aV8fB39kn

— Montpellier Rugby (@MHR_officiel) January 6, 2024

In front, the staff made some changes. Marco Tauleigne goes back down to the third line (associated with Camara and Simmonds) while Janse Van Rensburg will be associated with Paul Willemse in the cage. No change regarding the first line.

Cobus Reinach and Louis Carbonel will once again form the hinge. On the bench, in the absence of Léo Coly and George Bridge, in particular, Louis Foursans will fill the position of scrum half, while Masi Dakuwaqa will play on the wing or in the third line.

Absent but heavy in Toulon

Opposite, the Var club already deprived of two other French internationals, the scrum half Baptiste Serin, victim of a dislocated shoulder and unavailable for a few months, and the pillar left Jean-Baptiste Gros, who underwent cervical surgery, will also be deprived of his captain Charles Ollivon (thigh).

⚔ 𝐋𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐎 ⚔

😍 Alainu'uese capitaine
🔥 Paia'aua de retour
⚡️ Wainiqolo à l'aile @spvie vous présente les 2️⃣3️⃣ 🔴&⚫️pour la 12e journée de @top14rugby face au @MHR_officiel !#ParceQueToulon #MHRRCT pic.twitter.com/Lrece6529S

— RCT – RC Toulon (@RCTofficiel) January 6, 2024

The RCT will also have to do without hookers Teddy Baubigny and Anthony Etrillard and third row Yannick Youyoutte. They were joined in the infirmary this week by third row Esteban Abadie, who suffered a knee injury, and winger Gaël Dréan, who suffered a concussion against Stade Français last Saturday.
"We know that Toulon is used to playing fairly dense matches, we come across a team that will come looking for points", warns Patrice Collazo, the Montpellier manager.