Heineken cup previews
Saturday
POOL TWO
Cardiff Blues v Calvisano, Cardiff Arms Park, 3.0
Jonah Lomu came through last week's game in Italy, which will be of some comfort to the Welsh side. With Pool Two poised to be a tight finish with Cardiff and Perpignan on top with 10 points each, this is a must win if a quarter-final place is to be realised. Calvisano have not yet won a pool game and are destined to stay on the bottom. Blues coach David Young has made three changes, handing Wales and Lions prop Gethin Jenkins a first start of the campaign after recovering from shoulder surgery, while wing Craig Morgan and centre Jamie Robinson also feature.
Perpignan v Leeds Tykes, Stade Aime Giral, 5.30
A better points total gives Perpignan a narrow edge in the pool with Cardiff chasing. At home this week they must forget last week's shock defeat in England. The French being bad travellers and all that. Leeds have made a number of changes for what will be a big test of character with a win, however unlikely, launching them towards a quarter-final place. Stade Aime Giral is famous for its partisan atmosphere and after Leeds pulled off the surprise 21-20 victory over the French giants at Headingley, tails are up.
POOL THREE
Stade Français v Clermont, Stade Jean-Bouin, 5.0
Leicester's ability to win three bonus points to Stade's one from their opening matches puts them in the driving seat in Pool Three. The French team now know they have to win at home today and then face the Tigers at Welford Road in round five of the competition to keep alive their hopes of topping the group. All the players who played against Clermont Auvergne last week are in this squad with a couple of additions in David Skrela and prop Yohan Montes, who is covering for prop Pieter De Villiers.
POOL FOUR
Treviso v Biarritz, Stade Comunale-di Monigio, 1.0
Biarritz top this group with Mark McCall and his Ulster team just one point behind. While the French coughed up one defeat already they are not about to throw away another match to the Italians. Two players are missing from the Biarritz team which won last week against Treviso, Argentinian back Federico Martin Aramburu and Romanian prop Petru Balan. Kas Lealamanu, the Samoan frontrow, has come in for Balan with French international Philippe Bidabe stepping in for Aramburu. Treviso make five changes in hope of an unlikely upset.
Sunday
POOL THREE
Ospreys v Leicester Tigers, Liberty Stadium, 1.0
Leicester top the group while Ospreys prop up the table. Still Ospreys coach Lynn Jones has made no changes to the side beaten 30-12 last week in Welford Road. The match has been built up as a grudge match by Welsh star Gavin Henson and Jones, with both complaining of cheating by Leicester in last week's match. What the Ospreys will take from that is the fact they led 12-6 at the break before conceding 24 unanswered second-half points. Home advantage counts but whether they can fix their second-half tendency to wilt remains an open question.
POOL SIX
Wasps v Llanelli, Causeway Stadium, 3.0
While Toulouse run away with the group, it is left to the others to pick up the crumbs. Wasps are struggling. Last week's big win (21-13) for Llanelli over an out-of-sorts Wasps will be useless if they don't follow it up. As a result coach Gareth Jenkins has named an unchanged squad. Lawrence Dallaglio has said that his Wasps side did not try hard enough last week, while Llanelli skipper Simon Easterby was indignant that most of the focus was on Wasps losing rather than Llanelli winning. A tetchy game ahead, perhaps.
