The weekend's matches previewed
POOL ONE
Castres v Wasps, Perpignan v Treviso
The London side head the group on 19 points from five games played, while second-placed Castres chase on 15 points.
It would appear Wasps are in a strong position but playing in France is often a dispiriting experience, especially with a quarter-final place up for grabs.
This match will decide who gains automatic qualification as pool winners, although, given Treviso have lost all five games by large margins, the pool also has the potential to cough up one of the best second-placed sides (most recently Treviso lost 21-40 to Castres and before that 5-71 to Wasps).
As it goes, if Castres lose to Wasps and as expected Perpignan hammer Treviso, then Perpignan could secure second place with Wasps topping the pool. Everything in this group is still to play for.
CASTRES OLYMPIQUE: R Teulet; L Milford, S Kefu, P Christophers, J Peyras Loustalet; C McIntyre, C Laussucq; C Hoeft, A Giorgadze, D Saayman, P Pape, L Nallet (capt), G Vooslo, P Tabacco, A Manta. Replacements: R Terrain, J Castex, R Capo Ortega, A Bias, L Marticorena, R Carballo, G Ross.
LONDON WASPS: D Cipriani; J Lewsey, F Waters, D Waldouck, T Voyce; A King, E Reddan; T Payne, R Ibanez, P Vickery, S Shaw, T Palmer, J Worsley, T Rees, L Dallaglio (capt). Replacements: J Ward, P Bracken, J Haskell, M Purdy, S Amor, M van Gisbergen, D Leo.
Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland)
PERPIGNAN: J Laharrague; P Bomati, J Grandclaude, G Hume, S Dawai Naulu; S Meyer, N Durand; P Freshwater (capt), M Tincu, S Bozzi, O Olibeau, G Bortolaso, V Vaki, J Perez, O Tonita. Replacements: G Guirado, V Debaty, N Mas, G Le Corvec, S Dupuy, C Manas, T Anies.
POOL THREE
Sale Sharks v Ospreys, Stade Français v Calvisano
Another pool with an Italian team means that second place is almost as crucial as first place in terms of qualifying for the knock-out stages.
Stade Français want to be the top-ranked pool winners, which would set them against the eighth-best qualifier in Paris and as a result the simple intention of the French this weekend is to hammer Calvisano by as many points as possible. That they should do and look out for something of a record score here.
Sale and Ospreys, knowing that Stade will beat Calvisano, are playing for second place with just a point separating them.
Again, it is the battle for second place that could put one of the teams into an away quarter-final.
STADE FRANÇAIS: N Jeanjean; J Arias, S Glas, M Bergamasco, L Borges; L Beauxis, J Fillol; S Marconnet, D Szarzewski, P de Villiers, B du Plooy, M James, M Bergamasco, R Martin, P Rabadan (capt). Replacements: Radike Samo (18) and Antoine Burban (19) face late fitness tests. If they are not fit to play David Auradou and Mathieu Blin will take their places. B Kayser, Y Montes, R Samo, A Burban, A Albouy, I Corleto, B Liebenberg.
CALVISANO: M Gallinetti; A Vodo, C Zanoletti, J Downey, M Pratichetti; R De Marigny, P Patelli; A Vigne Donati, G Intoppa, L Cittadini, J Purll, V Bernabo, M Zaffiri, A Persico, D Dal Maso. Replacements: L Ghiraldini, G Bocca, B Gissing, M Castrogiovanni, N Cattina, D Pastormerlo, A Scanavacca.
Referee: Peter Allen (Scotland).
SALE SHARKS: D Larrechea; S Hanley, C Mayor, M Taylor, O Ripol; R Wigglesworth, B Foden; L Faure, S Bruno, S Turner, C Jones, D Schofield, I Fernandez Lobbe, M Lund, S Chabal. Replacements: A Titterrell, E Roberts, B Stewart, C Day, M Hills, J Robinson, C Bell. Jason Robinson (21) faces a late fitness test. If he is not fit to play his place will be taken by Jon Bryant.
OSPREYS: S Terblanche; N Walker, A Bishop, G Henson, S Williams; J Hook, J Marshall; D Jones (capt), B Williams, A Jones, B Cockbain, A Jones, A Lloyd, S Tandy, R Jones. Replacements: H Bennett, P James, M Powell, R Pugh, J Spice, S Connor, T Selley.
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland).
POOL SIX
Northampton v Biarritz, Parma v Border Reivers
All to play for in this pool with Biarritz leading the table with 25 points to Northampton's 20 points.
Again this is a pool that could produce one of the two top second-placed sides and that is what will be on Northampton's minds when they step out at Franklin's Gardens.
Both Scotland's Border Reivers and Parma, with their minus 200 points difference, have been uncompetitive - pity Ulster didn't get a group like this one - leaving the real issue to the other two.
Given the Biarritz points tally so far, this final pool game represents an extremely difficult task for Northampton, who have to beat the French side with a bonus point and by at least 28 points.
However with Northampton's points and plus 105 points difference, they are in a good position for an away quarter-final place.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS: R Kydd; S Lamont, B Cohen, D Quinlan, P Diggin; C Spencer, M Robinson; C Budgen, S Thompson (capt), P Barnard, D Gerard, C Short, P Tupai, D Fox, D Browne. Replacements: D Hartley, S Tonga'uiha, M Lord, M Easter, J Howard, R Laird, C Wyles.
BIARRITZ OLYMPIQUE: B Dambielle; P Bidabe, M Gaitan, A Masi, S Bobo; J Peyrelongue, D Yachvili; P Balan, B August (capt), D Avril, J Thion, D Couzinet, S Betsen, I Harinordoquy, T Lievremont. Biarritz Olympique full back Benjamin Dambielle (15) faces a late fitness test. If he is not fit to play his place will be taken by Nicolas Brusque. Replacements: B Noirot, B Lecouls, S Dellappe, M Dridi, J Dupuy, J Marlu, G Padro.
Referee: Donal Courtney (Ireland).
PARMA: A Little; R Robuschi, A Orsi, A Chillon, R Pavan; A Canale, J Pellicena (capt); G Fontana, B Masetti, T Paoletti, F Minello, L Tait, R Barbieri, L Pascu, M Vosawai. Replacements: M Barbieri, L Zanini, F Staibano, D Guiness, A De Marchi, N Mazzucato, G Ghidini.
BORDER REIVERS: C MacRae (capt); S Danielli, N De Luca, B MacDougall, D Flockhart; G Townsend, R Chrystie; R Grant, S Scott, B Douglas, J Dalziel, O Palepoi, S Newlands, A Miller, K Brown. Replacements: R Ford, E Kalman, R Vernon, R Grant, B McKerchar, S Jones, G Law.
Referee: Romain Poite (France).
