Heineken Cup Weekend previews
Compiled by JOHN O'SULLIVAN
TODAY
Pool Two
Toulon v Cardiff Blues
Stade Felix Mayol (1.35, red button Sky Sports)
The magnitude of the task facing the Blues can be gleaned from a Toulon replacements panel that includes Joe van Niekerk, Matt Giteau and David Smith, to name but three. Centre Mathieu Bastareaud was recalled to the French squad yesterday. Cardiff may draw some hope from the fact their hosts were beaten at home last weekend by Racing Metro. Unfortunately, the Welsh scrum won’t survive this test. Wexford-born, former Kilkenny College schoolboy Robin Copeland, was outstanding against Munster and it’ll be interesting to see how he mixes in this company.
Toulon: D Armitage; R Wulf, M Bastareaud, M Mermoz, A Palisson; J Wilkinson, F Michalak; X Chiocci, JC Orioli, C Hayman; J Suta, N Kennedy; P Gunther, S Armitage, C Masoe.
Cardiff Blues: L Halfpenny; A Cuthbert, G Evans, J Roberts, H Robinson; R Patchell, L Jones; S Hobbs, R Williams, B Bourrust; J Down, L Reed; J Navidi, S Warburton, R Copeland.
Referee: JP Doyle (England).
Verdict: Toulon to win.
Pool Three
Zebre v Biarritz Olympique
Stadio XXV Aprile (1.35, red button Sky Sports)
Biarritz must get a win and a bonus point if they are to threaten a place in the play-offs. They are without their American flyer Takudza Ngewnya and have elected to start Imanol Harinordoquy on the bench. Marcelo Bosch is at fullback ,with former England international Iain Balshaw moving to the right wing. Zebre will take heart from an excellent performance against the Ospreys in the Pro12 that saw them go down by the narrowest of margins. If they can replicate that performance then they have a chance of a first win in any competition. Biarritz can be brittle.
Zebre: P Buso; M Pratichetti, G Garcia, D Halangahu, S Sinoti; L Orquera, A Chillon; M Aguero, A Manici, D Ryan; Q Geldenhuys, M Van Vuren; F Ferrarini, M Bergamasco, J Sole.
Biarritz Olympique: M Bosch: I Balshaw, B Baby, D Traille, A Brew: JP Barraque, D Yachvili; F Barcella, JP Genevois, E Van Staden; J Thion, P Taele: M Lund, W Lauret, R Lakafia
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland).
Verdict: Biarritz to win.
Pool One
Racing Metro 92 v Saracens
Stade de La Beaujoire, Nantes (3.40, Irish time, live on Sky Sports)
The French side take yet another home game on the road, this time to Nantes. Confidence levels should be high after they became the first side to beat Toulon at Stade Felix Mayol in the Top 14 last weekend. Juan Martin Hernandez replaces Jonathan Wisniewski at outhalf, while French international scrumhalf Maxime Machenaud is out injured. Racing simply must win to set up a cracking tie in Limerick next weekend. Saracens have an excellent set-piece and against a side who kick the ball more often than anyone else in the tournament that might be pivotal.
Racing Metro: B Fall; J Imhoff, H Chavancy, F Estebanez, S Bobo; JM Hernandez, S Descons; B Arous, D Szarzewski, L Ducalcon; F van der Merwe, J Qovu Nailiko; A Batut, A Galindo, M Matadigo.
Saracens: C Wyles; C Ashton, J Tomkins, B Baritt, D Strettle; O Farrell, R Wigglesworth; R Gill, S Brits, M Stevens; S Borthwick, M Botha; K Brown, W Fraser, E Joubert.
