HC Final preview: Toulouse v Biarritz
Fri, 21 May 2010 10:28
Try scoring machine: Biarritz wing Takudzwa Ngwenya
The final of the Heineken Cup will be an all French affair on Saturday as Toulouse and Biarritz clash in Paris for the much converted piece of European rugby silverware.
French rugby powerhouse Toulouse will be looking to reaffirm their place at the top of European club rugby by etching their name on the trophy yet again come Saturday.
Toulouse have consistently performed well on the European stage under the watchful eyes of their master tactician Gut Noves over 15 years, with three Heineken Cup titles already to their name.
Last week Toulouse suffered a 21-13 defeat at the hands of Perpignan in their Top 14 semifinal, conceding 21 points from scrum-related infringements, Toulouse lock Romain Millo-Chluski has promised a volte-face.
"(Against Perpigan) we didn't show our real side. Our pack must remember that," he said.
"Against Biarritz, who resemble Perpignan pack-wise, it will be interesting."
Forwards coach Yannick Bru, the former France hooker, was also wary of a Basque pack that dominated a strong Munster opposition in the semifinal.
"We will find ourselves up against a scrum which likes to dominate, very well prepared technically and blessed by a great character," he said.
Toulouse captain Dusautoir added: "We suffered against Perpignan but we'll focus on what didn't work and find the right answers."
Biarritz, who may even have surprised themselves by their double whammy of knocking Ospreys and Munster out in successive rounds, will hope to succeed where Perpignan (Lansdowne Road, 2003) and Stade Francais (Murrayfield, 2005) failed in all-French European finals against Toulouse.
Biarritz have however built up an aura of unpredictability and have shown that they can produce something very special when called upon in big matches.
The Basque club's stalwart Imanol Harinordoquy is the perfect example of the team's fighting spirit and he has vowed to take their field on Saturday despite his broken rib. The France No.8 has already proven that anything is possible in his efforts against Munster in the semifinal, where with blatant disregard for his own health he play his heart out putting his body on the line, all whilst wearing masked scaffolding built around his face to protect a broken nose.
The major setback for Biarritz is the loss of their talisman in the backline, centre Damien Traille, who has not recovered well enough from his arm injury to make the match-day squad.
It is going to be a riot of colour, noise and passion - with the only guarantee being that it will all end with a French club being crowned kings of Europe.
Players to Watch:
For Toulouse: From 1 to 15 there is talent a plenty for Toulouse, especially in the backs where fullback Clément Poitrenaud and wings Vincent Clerc and Maxime Medard are all establish international stars. Centres Yannick Jauzion and Florian Fritz are also a dangerous combination who have formed a strong partnership for both Toulouse and Les Bleus. In the forwards the work done by No.8 Shaun Sowerby and openside flank Thierry Dusautoir will be instrumental in disrupting the momentum of the Biarritz pack that dominated Munster in the semifinal.
For Biarritz: The general in the backline scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili is crucial to the Biarritz cause, while fullback Iain Balshaw brings a wealth of experience and wing Takudzwa Ngwenya has plenty of pace to burn making him a deadly finisher from out wide. Much of Biarritz's power comes from the engine room in the pack where there hard yards gained by the likes of lock Jerome Thion and tighhead Campbell Johnstone set a good platform to play from. The heart of the team is the tireless workhorse Imanol Harinordoquy who inspires his team-mates with his work ethic and fearless approach.
Head to Head:
Byron Kelleher (Toulouse) v Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz)
Kelleher has been a guiding light for a resurgent Toulouse side, the former All Black scrumhalf showing all the class and robustness that marked his international career with New Zealand. Yachvili, while no shrinking violet, is less biff and works well at organising his club's solid forward pack and is also efficient in releasing the backline. Importantly, the Biarritz scrumhalf is a dead-eye shot at goal and has an imperious out-of-hand kicking game. The outcome of his duel with the sniping Kelleher could well be the deciding factor in the match.
Shaun Sowerby (Toulouse) v Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz)
South African Sowerby has nailed down the Toulouse No.8 position despite competition from France's incumbent Louis Picamoles, likely to start on the bench. The free-running, former Sharks player has impressed since his transfer from Stade Francais in 2007 but will be hoping that his opposite number is feeling as stiff as some reports suggest. Harinordoquy was the stand-out forward of the Six Nations, spearheading the French to Grand Slam glory. The Basque-speaking backrower proved his devotion to Biarritz when he played out of his skin in the semifinal win over Munster despite a masked broken nose and subsequent pain from a broken rib.
Vincent Clerc (Toulouse) v Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz)
This is a clash for the purists, with Clerc and Ngwenya two proven finishers capable of upsetting the most seasoned of campaigners. The Zimbabwe-born American international Ngwenya showed his scintillating skills when he skinned Shane Williams and Mike Phillips en route to a brilliant try in the semifinal win over Ospreys. France international Clerc is relatively small in this modern age of behemoths but with two European Cup winners medals in his trophy cabinet, the wing is an established and dangerous member of the much-vaunted Toulouse backline that brims with exciting runners.
This season's Top 14 results:
Biarritz won 26-10 in Biarritz
Toulouse won 23-3 in Toulouse
Rugby365.com prediction: The strength of the Toulouse backline is a terrifying sight for any opposition, with big name stars warming the bench and given the ball to play with they can run away with the game. However, Biarritz have shown a lot of character in the competition beating both Munster and the ospreys who also have exciting backlines by using their forwards to dominate proceedings. Biarritz will come out with plenty of gusto and charisma and make life very difficult for Toulouse, but the rugby juggernaut will have the last say in the
game - Toulouse by about 8 points.
Teams
Toulouse: 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 (captain), 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,
Biarritz: 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.
Date: Saturday, May 22
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Kick-off: 18.00 (16.00 GMT)
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Dave Pearson (England), Chris White (England)
By Timmy Hancox, with thanks to AFP and the ERC
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