Biarritz v Toulouse ERC Final

[Gavin]

Biarritz v Toulouse

The 80 000 seater Stade de France will host Saturday's all-French Heineken Cup Final as Biarritz and Toulouse face off for European club rugby's biggest prize.


With the Six Nations Grand Slam already in the bag and the H-Cup guaranteed to stay on French soil, this weekend is set to cap a stellar season for French rugby - and with Toulon in the Amlin Challenge Cup Final on Sunday, things might get even better.

As an indication of the levels of expectation in the respective clubs' cities, both teams have been preparing behind closed doors this week.

Toulouse are in a record sixth Heineken Cup Final - a tournament record 110th match - and no one comes close to matching their consistency over the past fifteen years under Guy Novès.

Novès has made no bones about the fact that the European ***le, rather than domestic success, has been their priority this season and was brave enough to put his money where his mouth is by resting a handful of key players in last week's Top 14 semi-final loss to Perpignan.

But as skipper Thierry Dusautoir said this week, "if we do not win the ***le this season will have been a failure."

"Several of us have joined Toulouse to win this trophy and it is the only way to validate the success we have had this season."

After failing to win any silverware last year, the pressure is on les Rouge et Noirs to come good on Saturday. Ironically, Toulouse's strong late season might come back to haunt them as a relentless schedule required to do battle on two fronts has left some tired legs in their camp.

Biarritz are in only their second showpiece match and memories of their 23-19 defeat against Munster at the Millennium Stadium four years ago still haunt the club.

Nevertheless Biarritz have been given a massive boost with number eight and talisman Imanol Harinordoquy declaring that nothing as minor as cracked ribs will keep him out of the showdown occasion.

After a dismal domestic season, Biarritz bounced back to beat the fancied Ospreys in the last eight and then former double champions Munster in the semi-final in San Sebastian. A mediocre season is now on the brink of being turned into one of glory for the Basques.

However, Toulouse have been equally impressive in powering their way to the Paris finale, losing just once in Europe all season - away to Cardiff. Domestic rivals Stade Francais were brushed aside almost contemptuously and then defending champions Leinster were steam rolled in Toulouse with David Skrela contributing a tournament semi-final equalling record 21 points.

Toulouse will start as favourites. There have two previous all-French Finals and Toulouse won on both occasions, beating Perpignan in Dublin in 2003 and Stade Français Paris in Edinburgh in 2005, so they'll once again fancy their chances against familiar opposition.

The three-time European and seventeen-time French champions have played Biarritz twice this year on the domestic front, with the home side coming out on top each time.

At a neutral venue on the outskirts of Paris, it'll be anyone's game.

Toulouse start was a very similar side to the one that beat Leinster. Maxime Medard takes over from out-of-form Cédric Heymans on the wing while Jean-Baptiste Poux replaces Daan Human at loosehead prop

Jean-Baptiste Elissalde is on the bench.

Biarritz have made a switch at fly-half where Julien Peyrelongue will start, shifting Karmichael Hunt to midfield and dropping Ayoola Erinle to the bench

France prop Fabien Barcella starts on the bench, but will almost certainly come on in the second half.

Players to watch:

For Biarritz: Without a doubt, if you had to pick a kingpin to the Biarritz side, it has to be scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili. BO are a very different side without the 42 cap international running the show and the Basque will rely heavily on his decision making and deadly accurate boot. Expect an early drop goal.

For Toulouse: He's already lost two Heineken Cup Finals, one with either side, so Toulouse skipper Thierry Dusautoir will have a lot to play for. The national captain put in a disappointing performance off the bench in last weekend's lost Top 14 semi-final and has promised to make amends. An historic double of captaining sides to both the Six Nations Grand Slam and the H-Cap should be a health carrot. Count the number of big tackles he makes....you'll probably need both hands.

Head-to-head: The protagonists' respective semi-finals were based on their dominance up front, but this time their will be little to choice between the respective tight fives so expect al almighty battle in the scrums. Both side's have fingered the set piece as a potential game breaker. Good luck to referee Wayne Barnes, who could have a few tough calls to make.

Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque: 15 Iain Balshaw, 14 Takudzwa Ngwenya, 13 Arnaud Mignardi, 12 Karmichael Hunt, 11 Jean-Baptiste Gobelet, 10 Julien Peyrelongue, 9 Dimitri Yachvili, 8 Imanol Harinordoquy, 7 Wenceslas Lauret, 6 Magnus Lund, 5 Trevor Hall, 4 Jérôme Thion, 3 Campbell Johnstone, 2 Benoit August, 1 Eduard Coetzee.
Replacements: 16 Romain Terrain, 17 Fabien Barcella, 18 Rémy Hugues, 19 Manuel Carizza, 20 Florian Faure, 21 Valentin Courrent, 22 Philippe Bidabe, 23 Ayoola Erinle.

Stade Toulousain:15 Clément Poitrenaud, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 11 Maxime Medard, 10 David Skrela, 9 Byron Kelleher, 8 Shaun Sowerby, 7 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 6 Jean Bouilhou, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Romain Millo-Chluski, 3 Benoit Lecouls, 2 William Servat, 1 Jean-Baptiste Poux.
Replacements:16 Alberto Vernet Basualdo, 17 Daan Human, 18 Census Johnston, 19 Yoann Maestri, 20 Louis Picamoles , 21 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 22 Yann David , 23 Cédric Heymans,

Date: Saturday, May 22
Venue: Stade de France, St. Denis (Paris)
Kick-off: 18.00 (17.00 GMT)
Weather: 24 °C, clear skies, light northeasterly wind (perfect!).
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Dave Pearson (England), Chris White (England)

Decided to make a thread for this because no-one else had. Is it the fact that no British or Irish based teams are in the final no-one cares?
I expect Toulouse to win this match, they have too much strength in their squad. Also I am disappointed that Wayne Barnes is taking control of the match - two French sides in the final, might have made more sense having a referee who can speak fluent French - perhaps that was Sky Sport's input to the final?

 

[Teh Mite]

Interesting fact: This year, more people will attend the Heineken Cup final then they will the Champions League final.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

Interesting fact: This year, more people will attend the Heineken Cup final then they will the Champions League final.

Which will be watched by more though?

I actually might not watch either because I no longer care about who wins either.

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

I'll be watching, up until Doctor Who starts, anyway.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Oddly enough i'm more interested in who wins the Top 14 than the HEC :S

 

[lynam1104]

this this shows the lack of french posters.

 

[Charles]

This game could be an horrible borefest, or one of the very best games of the season. Let's hope for massive hits and running rugby.

 

[lynam1104]

yea i agree but i can only see one winner

 

[Bluemoon]

You get the feeling Biarritz want it more...

 

[lynam1104]

yea also i ddin't know that barnes spekes Fench

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Bit of a snorefest so far,
Hope Biarritz win

 

[Bluemoon]

Ive got £2 on a draw half time which will accumulate £44 if there is a draw. I wish Toulouse had not missed their kicks and drop goal!!! 9-3 to Biarritz....

 

[shtove]

BO made it interesting in the end, but just not strong enough up front. Toulouse better all over the pitch, so you have to wonder why they settled for points from kicks when they are one of the most commanding teams in the world.

The crowd was full of babes!

 

[munstermuffin]

Lads what a poor climax to the H-Cup this season.

Toulon vs Cardiff seems to be the exciting tie in some ways and well the GP and ML finals next weekend are mouthwatering.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Yeah, Toulon/Cardiff will be the match of the weekend,
HEC final was a let down this year

 

[Stillknox]

From the stadium that was a good final. Nice weather, great supporters on the both side, intense game with a good drama...
We're making fun of Skrela for years but he did an excellent performance (again) with two decisive dropgoal, happy for him.

Toulouse played well but failed to score. Ironically Biarritz scored the only try. Good suspense at the end. From a french point of view that was less boring than the Wasps - Leicester final.

 

[munstermuffin]

I think if it a final with 2 teams from 1 nation it doesn't work.

Semi-Finals are good but like had today been an All-Ireland or All-English final it'd be bad too.

Today the Blues and Toulon in Sunny France is what I am excited about.

 

[coonor]

Agree at times quite boring. great finish though. balshaw summed it up for me biarritz were to flat and their speedy backs only spakred in the last 5 mins. toulouse had a brilliant pack and they were in control of the game for pretty much the whole 80mins. Being a nuetral spectator I would have like to seen toulouses backs show their class. All in all the the team that controlled the game won.

 

[nickdnz]

I don't think I've ever seen a scrum be so dominant, as the one of Tolouse.

 

[veux]

I wouldn't like to be the Biarritz tighthead - I thought he'd ****** his neck as soon as he was lifted into the air.