Toulouse have cutting edge

European Cup final: Okay, so it has a more Gallic than Gaelic flavour but, heaven's above, a European Cup final is about to take place on our doorstep and yet the rugby community seems to be cocking a snoot at it. Spoilt? Fickle? Or maybe just a blinkered and parochial island mentality?

Maybe I'm missing something, but surely anyone with a serious interest in the sport wouldn't hesitate about making their way to Lansdowne Road for such a showpiece event as this afternoon's Heineken European Cup final between Stade Toulousain and USA Perpignan.

Granted, after the competition had seemed primed for either Munster and/or especially Leinster making the final, what transpired is undoubtedly something of an anti-climax. But we've had four weeks to get over it. And besides, it ain't necessarily going to make it a poorer game of rugby. Not by a long shot.

Much of the battle, one imagines, will be conducted in the trenches, where French packs tend to target the scrums as the first line in the sand, with the maul not far behind as a statement of machismo, and the contest will be equally fierce at ruck time.

Nevertheless, when two classically French backlines are released, they have the pace, deftness of hand and intuitive eye for a gap to run like the wind.

In keeping with the competition's status as the best thing to hit Northern Hemisphere rugby in the professional era, it could be a cracking game of rugby. And as a keen rugby player and student of the game commented yesterday, "it will be a beautiful mixture of piano movers and piano players".

As an insight into the French championship it could be fascinating, though one imagines some of the uniquely partisan flavour will be lost in the transfer from France to Ireland. And, perhaps, that could be more beneficial to Perpignan, given Toulouse have had the better defence and especially the superior defensive discipline.

As a barometer of their willingness to flirt with the rules and tendency to spoil, Perpignan have incurred nine yellow cards in eight games to date. By contrast, as they showed against Munster for much of the first half, Toulouse can not only absorb pressure but they give away few penalties as well.

There would be a certain irony in Trevor Brennan beating his erstwhile Leinster team-mates to a cup winner's medal after becoming a fixture for such illustrious French standard-bearers as Toulouse, and it's his presence which makes it so difficult to be dispassionate about this decider.

There have been few bigger or more engaging characters in Irish rugby this past while than the Barnhall Bruiser. Brennan's honesty on and off the pitch sets him apart, and, aside from being as hard as nails, he's always been a better player than he was given credit for. That he's negotiated such a remarkable playing journey and again been adopted so wholeheartedly is a fitting tribute to the man.

At yesterday's joint, eve-of-match press conference, the warm respect in which he is held by his coach, Guy Noves, was palpable. "We have learnt a lot from him. We have learned about Irish rugby, but also we discovered he is a great personality; a great man.

"It also great motivation for us to bring Trevor here for this match. I also heard that his village is coming to support us and the other players will help him to play a great match, and hopefully we will win."

Noves showed all the worldliness of a coach who has led Toulouse to 10 wins out of 10 in finals, including the inaugural European Cup in 1995.

By contrast, the Perpignan coach, Olivier Saiset, and captain Bernard Goutta seemed both more nervous and more emotional.

"We want to avoid the same mistakes we made in '98 in the French championship final," admitted Goutta, in reference to a day when the Catalans froze and were beaten 34-7 by Stade Francais' galaxy of stars. "We want to bring this trophy back to our supporters. It has been a long time since we won something."

The 1994 French Cup, to be precise, prior to which was their domestic double of 1995.

Perpignan have travelled the harder route and there seems almost to be a stronger force with them. Injuries to the Toulouse loosehead Patrice Collazo and scrumhalf Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, whose introduction turned the Munster semi-final on its head, would also seem to have weakened Noves's hand.

Perpignan outhalf Manny Edmonds might look a wilier match-winner than the enigmatic Yann Delaigue, whose gifted half-back partner Frederic Michalak has a tendency to play for himself. But Delaigue is a talented match-winner in his own right, and a big-game player.

Indeed, Toulouse have that collective big-match experience, the discipline, the patience in defence, and the sharper cutting edge of Vincent Clerc, Clement Poitrenaud and co, and if they crank it up like they did for a spell in the second half against Munster, they'll be unstoppable. Besides, having advised readers to invest in Toulouse at what seemed a decidedly generous 12 to 1 back in early October, it's hard to desert them now.

The little star just above the crest on their jerseys represents the one European Cup they won in the competition's inaugural 1994/95 season. By next season, they should be entitled to wear two.

PERPIGNAN: J-M Souverbie; P Bomati, P Giordani, C Manas, F Cermeno; M Edmonds, L Loustau; R Peillard, M Konieck, N Mas, J Thion, R Alvarez-Kairelis, G Le Corvec, P Murphy, B Goutta (capt). Replacements: M Dal Maso, S de Besombes, C Porcu, L Mallier, J Basset, N Laharrague, D Marty.

TOULOUSE: C Poitrenaud; E Ntamack, X Garbajosa, Y Jauzion, V Clerc; Y Delaigue, F Michalak; B Lecouls, Y Bru, J-B Poux, D Gerard, F Pelous (capt), T Brennan, C Labit, J Bouilhou. Replacements: C Soulette, W Servat, G Lamboley, F Maka, S Dupuy, C Heymans, C Desbrosse.

Referee: Chris White (England).

Betting (Paddy Power): 2/1 Perpignan, 20/1 Draw, 4/11 Toulouse. Handicap odds (= Perpignan +8pts) 10/11 Perpignan, 16/1 Draw, 10/11 Toulouse.

Forecast: Toulouse to win.

In the event of a tie at full-time, extra time of 20 minutes (10 minutes each way) will be played. If the result is still unresolved the winner will be determined by the following criteria: a) the club which has scored the most tries in that match, including extra time b) a place-kicking competition.