Galthie looks for an end to nightmare at Top14

Montpellier joint coach Fabien Galthie said he had no answers as to how to correct last season's French championship finalists' woeful form but that he will have to come up with some fast if they are not to become totally demoralised. That will have to start at home to Toulon on Friday as they look for their first win after four losses and a draw this term, and are only above the equally beleaguered Biarritz by virtue of a slightly better points difference. Their match is probably the highlight of Friday's action, before unbeaten tabletoppers Clermont travel to defending champions Toulouse on Saturday. Galthie, who along with Eric Bechu defied the sceptics to turn Montpellier from relegation favourites to Top 14 finalists last season, was left completely flattened by last Friday's 20-16 home defeat by newboys Bordeaux-Begles. The former France captain -- who bowed out tearfully after a 2003 World Cup semi-final defeat by England -- said it may be time to blood more youngsters into a side that is missing key players such as captain Fulgence Ouedraogo and fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc, who are both away at the World Cup. "There has been no progress. It is hard," admitted Galthie, who enjoyed a successful spell as coach of Stade Francais. "The truth of the state of play is what takes place on the pitch. "Normally we amuse ourselves on the pitch. That is not the case at the moment. "There is not much to say. Against Bordeaux I threw on the youngsters to try some things out. I just do not have an answer as to how to change things." Galthie will stick to his guns in giving the youngsters their chance and is set to blood Ilian Perreux at fly-half while Kelian Galletier will get a chance in the back row. Argentinian Martin Bustos-Moyano, who was their main points provider in the run to the final last season, will start at full-back and assume the kicking duties. Galthie will pit his wits against a man he knows very well in the shape of former France handler Bernard Laporte, who replaced Philippe Saint Andre at Toulon after he was named to take over from Marc Lievremont as national coach. Toulon got off to a dream start under the somewhat controversial Laporte last Saturday as they humbled Stade Francais 34-8 at home -- with Laporte sitting comfortably in a television studio rather than in the dugout. "I have to honour my media commitments (he is a pundit for Canal Plus during the World Cup) made prior to my appointment," he said. "I am with the team in training during the week but at the weekend I have to devote myself to my contracted tv work." Laporte -- who made a brief return to Stade Francais in the summer before a financial rescue package he had set up collapsed -- will hand a much-anticipated debut to former Australian rugby league star and badboy Willie Mason in the centre and will hand South African scrum-half Andre Pretorius a start. Pretorius has had less than half an hour of action this season but, with Julien Dumora injured, Laporte has no other options.