Toulouse's experience to tell

BY RIGHTS Toulouse shouldn’t even be here. That they are is entirely due to Connacht’s win over Harlequins, which afforded Toulouse a reprieve after they lost to Gloucester. Now a trek to Edinburgh almost looks hand-picked.

Toulouse have won 10 of the previous 11 clashes, including Edinburgh’s sole quarter-final in 2004. This will be Toulouse’s 13th quarter-final (they are 9-3) and the reigning French champions lead the Top 14, whereas Edinburgh lie a lowly 11th in the Pro12.

But the pool defeats to Harlequins and Gloucester show there are chinks in Toulouse’s armour. With Maxime Medard injured and Clement Poitrenaud returning to the bench, Toulouse have named veteran centre Yannick Jauzion at full back and although Luke Burgess returns at scrum-half, Luke McAlister’s absence leaves the French outfit depending on the sometimes flakey Lionel Beauxis.

Edinburgh returned to winning ways last week with a 26-23 win over the Scarlets, and Michael Bradley has made just one change, with Netani Talei returning to replace Stuart McInally at number eight. The talismanic Fijian, rested last week, scored three tries and collected three man-of-the-match awards in the pool stages.

Toulouse will want their set-pieces, maul and Thierry Dusautoir, Louis Picamoles and co up front to rumble and Beauxis to kick the points, but Edinburgh have the kind of high-tempo, offloading game which could trouble them.

EDINBURGH: T Brown; L Jones, N De Luca, M Scott, T Visser; G Laidlaw , M Blair; A Jacobsen, R Ford, G Cross, G Gilchrist, S Cox, D Denton, R Rennie, N Talei. Replacements: A Kelly, K Traynor, J Gilding, S McInally, R Grant, C Leck, P Godman, J Thompson.

TOULOUSE: Y Jauzion; T Matanavou, F Fritz, Y David, Y Donguy; L Beauxis, L Burgess; J Poux, W Servat, C Johnston, Y Maestri, P Albacete, J Bouilhou, T Dusautoir , L Picamoles. Replacements: C Tolofua, D Human, Y Montes, G Lamboley, J Doussain, C Poitrenaud, Y Nyanga, G Galan.

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales).

Forecast: Toulouse by a score.