Heineken European Cup final/Wasps v Stade Toulousain:   Whoever writes their scripts usually gets it right and, after last season's all-French denouement in Dublin, this season's Heineken European Cup has been granted a true showcase final pairing: a capacity Twickenham final between the reigning English and European champions, and an Anglo-French pairing at that. The ultimate in grudge matches.

Granted, a Wasps-Munster climax might have been an even better occasion, and tomorrow's decider will do well to emulate that memorable semi-final at Lansdowne Road. For if the truth be told Warren Gatland's team have been head and shoulders above everyone in Europe this past few months. Strictly on the formbook, there must be a fear that Wasps will actually win this match quite handily.

Wasps centre Fraser Waters, rated by many sound judges as the form centre in England this season, has been passed fit to play after recent hamstring troubles, and altogether they look in better physical and mental nick. By comparison, Frederic Michalak and Yann Delaigue form something of a patchwork half-back combination, with Jean-Baptiste Elissalde on the bench, after all three had been troubled by injuries lately, as has Trevor Brennan - though the Barnhall Bruiser retains his place alongside Fabien Pelous in the second row.

Surprisingly, coach Guy Noves has left the finishing ability of Vincent Clerc on the bench, along with Elissalde and five forwards, reverting the classy Emile Ntamack to the wing - where his declining speed hardly seems best suited.

Heretofore Toulouse have been playing in patches as well, bursting vibrantly into life with moments of individual magic from Michalak, Christian Labit and their array of gifted game-breakers, or with a brilliant ability to play the ball out of the tackle in breathtaking bouts of continuity.

Typically French, therein lies their danger. "They can be drifting along in a game, playing averagely, and then all of a sudden turn it on for ten or 15 minutes," admitted coach Gatland yesterday. "It's quite hard to get a handle on them."

Admittedly, after scaling the heights of their mentally draining semi-final win over Munster, fleetingly, it seemed Wasps might have peaked when well beaten at home by a rejuvenated Leicester. But back to near enough full-strength, and with the bit between their teeth again, Wasps were their usual ruthless selves in dismissing Northampton 57-20 last week in the Premiership semi-final.

Watching that game the thought occurred again that Wasps are simply the most complete side in Europe. Credit to Munster in that semi-final for doing more damage to Wasps' famed aggressive defence, but the way Wasps accentuate their line speed and defend zonally has smothered the life out of most of their opponents.

"It's an extension of what I had been doing in Ireland but we've been able to develop it over two years. Nothing is fool-proof, every defensive system has its weaknesses but it's an area we've been good at," said Gatland.

In another continuation of the New Zealender's coaching philosophy, a Wasps mantra is "win the collision, go forward and win the game." And they generally do.

Rain doesn't seem to suit them - witness their sole European defeat at home to the Celtic Warriors, but as they showed in last year's end-of-May Premiership final thrashing of Gloucester, away to Perpignan, against Munster and last week, the hotter it is, the more Wasps like it.

Even their potent lineout maul has cranked up a gear since Christmas. The multi-skilled, undercapped Simon Shaw is a key component of that maul, as well as their running game, as is Lawrence Dallaglio and they, like the human dynamo, Trevor Leota, Robert Howley and others, are renowned big game players.

True, Toulouse are the most proven final team around, two Heineken Cup and six French Championship final wins since 1993 under Noves is a remarkable testamount to their ability to rise to the occasion and there remains that nagging suspicion they might well do so again.

"There is no comparison between playing a French club match and playing a Heineken Cup final," said Noves in reference to last week's 24-18 home defeat to Stade Francais. "For a French club player to play a European Cup final against an English team at Twickenham is an apotheosis."

Although late searing long-range tries by Ayoola Erinle have become something of a signature Wasps flourish, Toulouse also have more impact players on the bench, as was again shown in the semi-finals with the introduction of Isitolo Maka and Yannick Bru. And Noves doesn't bat an eyelid about using them.

Nevertheless, with back-to-back Twickenham finals approaching, Wasps have a much more clearly defined picture of where their season is at. Toulouse's recent setback to Stade even jeopardises their qualification hopes for next season's Heineken Cup (the final of which will be played at Murrayfield for the first time) unless they win tomorrow. Coupled with back-to-back domestuc fixtures in the subsequent seven days against Biarritz, that cannot be ideal.

"Wasps are clearly favourites but we can go into the match with no pressure on our shoulders," maintains Noves. "We will need a lot of luck if we are to win it. But this is a European Cup final. I want the players to go into the game completely liberated and I'm sure that they will be ready."

Nevertheless, it will be a surprise if Toulouse aren't asked tougher questions of their fitness, stamina and defence today than in any other game this season. Wasps eschew kicking the ball off the pitch, as they probe close-in, on the blind side, out wide and from broken play, and apply an unrelenting, white hot 80-minute intensity that not only borders on test rugby, but sometimes surpasses it. If Toulouse can live with the heat, they'll deserve to be crowned the best team in Europe.

WASPS: M van Gisbergen; J Lewsey, F Waters, S Abbott, T Voyce; A King, R Howley; T Payne, T Leota, W Green, S Shaw, R Birkett, J Worsley, L Dallaglio (capt), P Volley. Replacements: H Nwume, M Lock, B Gotting, M Purdy, P Richards, M Denney, A Erinle.

TOULOUSE: C Poitrenaud; E Ntamack, Y Jauzion, C Desbrosse, C Heymans; Y Delaigue, F Michalak; P Collazo, W Servat, J-B Poux, F Pelous (capt), T Brennan, F Maka, J Bouilhou, C Labit. Replacements: Y Bru, J Fiorini, R Millochlusky, D Gerard, I Maka, J-B Elissalde, V Clerc.

Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland).

Touch Judges: Alan Lewis, Donal Courtney (Ireland). TMO: David McHugh (Ireland)

Previous meetings: (1996-97) Wasps 77 Toulouse 17.

Routes to the final - Wasps: Pool 6 winners (No 2 seeds) - bt Perpignan 28-7 (h); bt Calvisano 52-33 (a); lost to Celtic Warriors 9-14 (h); bt Celtic Warriors 17-12 (a); bt Calvisano 46-13 (h); bt Perpignan 34-6 (a); bt Gloucester 34-3 (Causeway Stadium, quarter-finals); bt Munster 37-32 (Lansdowne Road, semi-finals).

Toulouse: Pool 2 winners (No 1 seeds) - Lost to Edinburgh Rugby 16-23 (a); bt Leeds Tykes 19-3 (h); bt Neath-Swansea Ospreys 29-6 (h); bt Neath-Swansea Ospreys 29-11 (a); bt Leeds Tykes 31-22 (a); bt Edinburgh Rugby 33-0 (h); bt Edinburgh Rugby 36-10 (Stadium de Toulouse, quarter-finals); bt Biarritz Olympique 19-11 (Stade Chaban-Delmas, semi-finals).

Leading try scorers - Wasps: Kenny Logan 4, Josh Lewsey, Tom Voyce, John Rudd, Ayoola Erinle 3 each. Toulouse: Vincent Clerc, Christian Labit 4 each, Yannick Jauzion, Clement Poitrenaud 3 each.

Leading points scorers - Wasps: Alex King 83, Mark van Gisbergen 24. Toulouse: Jean-Baptiste Elissalde 39, Yann Delaigue 37, Frederic Michalak 25.

Betting (Paddy Powers): Match odds: 4/7 Wasps, 20/1 Draw, 6/4 Toulouse. Handicap odds (Toulouse +5pts) 10/11 Wasps, 16/1 draw, 10/11 Toulouse. To lift trophy: 8/15 Wasps, 11/8 Toulouse.

Forecast: Wasps to win.