Bayonne is set to face Racing 92 in the fourth round of the Top 14, France’s top rugby league, with the match taking place at Racing 92’s home ground. Racing 92 recently defeated La Rochelle at the Marcel-Deflandre stadium, showing signs of improvement. According to Rugbyrama, Bayonne is facing a challenging situation ahead of the match, with 13 players absent from their squad, as revealed during today’s training session. The injury list for Bayonne includes several confirmed cases, such as Arthur Iturria (hamstring), Pierre Castillon (knee), Léo Coly (thigh), and Arnaud Erbinartegaray (concussion). Other players, including Swan Cormenier and Tom Spring, are in uncertain condition. Tom Spring may not be able to play against his brother Max Spring, who plays for Racing 92. Joris Segonds is continuing his individual recovery away from the team, while Herschel Jantjies is absent because he has been retained with the South Africa national team. Several key players have been rested as part of workload management after an intense start to the season, including Geraci, Alainu'uese, Fischer, and Maqala. Laurent Travers, Bayonne’s coach, will need to manage a tight group of players for the match. Among the fit players, Tevita Tatafu has been performing well, and Esteban Capilla is expected to start after a strong performance against Clermont. Baptiste Tilloles, who trained on the sidelines on Tuesday, is a candidate to play but is regularly protected during training, as he is the only fit number 9 in the professional squad. In the last five encounters between Bayonne and Racing 92, Bayonne has not won since May 2024, with losses in the last two matches (36-41 in February and 47-27 in November) and a draw in May 2025. Bayonne’s away record in the Top 14 remains fragile, with only one win at Montauban during the previous season. Racing 92, despite an inconsistent start to the season (one win for two losses), could take advantage of this negative spiral to extend their dominance in the rivalry. They recently bounced back by defeating La Rochelle, a venue where even Toulouse have struggled at the start of the season.