Ronan O’Gara’s diamonds can come up trumps | James Harrington

Before this week's Cheslin Kolbe-to-Toulon story excited the closing stages of the Top 14 pre-season, all eyes had been focused on September 4 – when the new campaign kicks off, with Biarritz-Bordeaux at Parc des Sports Aguilera.

Here's a look at the state of the clubs in French rugby's top flight as they head into the new season.

Biarritz

Eye-catching signings; a strong inclusive message with their shirt sponsor; a long-running row with local officials; and a threatened move about as far away as possible. Promoted Biarritz have everything on their return to the top flight. This first season is all about ensuring they stay in the Top 14 – and it appears they have the firepower to do it.

Bordeaux

At Oyonnax and Castres, Christophe Urios built-on the clubs' long-standing blue-collar identities. When he moved to Bordeaux, he had to create one. It's more expansive, more freeflowing, more daring than anything he produced at the other two sides – and, after two seasons, he's already achieved the club's first Top 14 playoff appearance. The next step is a final outing. And titles.

Brive

There's something about Brive. President Simon Gillham will tell anyone that the 100th biggest town in France has one of the country's 14 best rugby teams. And that pride floods down through the club. Coach Jeremy Davidson has fashioned a bustling team of rough diamonds who are easy to like … unless you're an opponent.

Castres

A mid-season change of coach brought about a change of fortune at the 2013 and 2018 champions, who rose from 13th on New Year's Day to miss out on the play-offs by a single point. It was some charge up the table, as Castres remembered to do what they do best – annoy opponents to death.

Clermont

New head coach Jono Gibbes has arrived at Marcel Michelin at a crucial time. Clermont are in serious rebuild mode – and their academy foundations will be put to the test with the club making infrequent and shallow dips into the transfer market. Gibbes' main job will be to merge youth with experience to create a Clermont version of Ugo Mola's Toulouse revolution.

La Rochelle

He was iconic as a player for Munster and Ireland; innovative as a defence coach at Racing, an eager disciple at Scott Robinson's Crusaders, and instrumental in the development of La Rochelle from entertainers to serious challengers. Now it's Ronan O'Gara's chance to shine in the hotseat at Deflandre.

Expect the Rochelais to be diamond this season – in beauty and toughness.

Lyon

After yo-yoing between divisions for years, Lyon enjoyed a few seasons in the upper echelons of the Top 14 but slipped up last time around, finishing well off the pace in ninth. Head coach Pierre Mignoni knows he owes the fans – who had got used to the happier times –a better campaign. But with Josua Tuisova still stuck in Fiji, he'll have to do the first part of it without a key weapon.

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Top 14 fixtures

Saturday September 4:

Biarritz Olympique v Bordeaux Bègles

Brive v Perpignan

Castres v Pau Stade

Francais v Racing 92

Toulon v Montpellier Sunday September 5:

Lyon v ASM Clermont Auvergne

La Rochelle v Toulouse

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Montpellier

Philippe Saint-Andre has kept the tracksuit on for one more season after attempts to bring Franck Azema from Clermont fell through. And he's got some squad to work with, having made some smart signings for the new campaign.

Montpellier have a tough opening bloc of games, but don't expect a mid-season crisis this time around.

Pau

New head coach Sebastien Piqueronies arrived early from the France age-grade set-up to engineer a last-day Top 14 survival heist.

Much has changed at Hameau between then and now. Piqueronies has form for getting the best out of young players – he's the brains behind France's under-20s world championship wins in 2018 and 2019 – Pau could be exciting to watch this season.

Perpignan

They won the ProD2 at a relative canter, as they did in 2017-18. Perpignan will now want to avoid what happened next. Their last Top 14 return was a nightmare, when they picked up just two wins to finish at the foot of the table and head straight back down. Their goal this season is simple: stay up, then build.

Racing 92

As far as a return on investment goes, a ProD2 championship and one Top 14 title in 15 years is probably less than owner Jacky Lorenzetti had hoped for. That's not to say it's a trophy or bust for head coach Laurent Travers – there are longer-term presidential plans for him – but serious questions will be asked if they fail to reach at least one final.

Stade Francais

Gonzalo Quesada returned to Paris last season to answer Hans-Peter Wild's emergency coaching call in style, joining at the end of the Covid-truncated 2019/20 season when they were 14th, to the play-offs and Champions Cup qualification.

This is his difficult second-season –but he has all the tools at his disposal to repeat the trick.

Toulon

Toulon President Bernard Lemaitre enlivened a humdrum pre-season countdown with his belated Kolbe bid – until then the club's recruitment had been relatively muted compared to the long-ago Galactico days, and the smart money is on the three-time European champions being in the hunt for the play-offs – but they're unlikely to uproot any trees.

Toulouse

With or without Kolbe, Toulouse will be in the hunt for titles at the far end of the 2021/22 season. Ugo Mola has well-and-truly left the long shadows cast by Guy Noves to recreate the most successful club in French rugby in its own, long-forgotten, image: big pack, big stars, surrounded and cemented by the academy production-line. His legacy, like that of the coach before him, is assured.

JAMES HARRINGTON