Preview: Toulon v Castres

Editor

Toulon are at full strength for their ACC match with Castres on Saturday, in which a bonus-point win would secure a quarter-final place.

Toulon are at full strength for their ACC match with Castres on Saturday, in which a bonus-point win would secure a quarter-final place.

Jonny Wilkinson leads the backs at the end of a week in which two fly-halves left the club for lack of game-time. Sonny Bill Williams also plays in a back-line with not a single French player in it!

Up front there's a cosmopolitan air as well, with a lock partnership of Englishman Kris Chesney and Argentinean Esteban Lozada, and Georgian Davit Kubriashvili and Kiwi Saimone Taumoepeau do the propping, with French international Sebastian Bruno in between.

Top 14 high-flyers Castres have named a strong side despite there being no chance of qualification for them in a match for which the home leg in Castres produced an excellent win for the Toulonnais.

Toulon: 15 Luke Rooney, 14 Sinoti Sinoti, 13 Sonny Bill Williams, 12 Mafi Kefu, 11 Christian Loamanu, 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 9 Matt Henjak (c), 8 Fotunuupule Auelua, 7 Cedric Beal, 6 Olivier Missoup, 5 Kris Chesney, 4 Esteban Lozada, 3 Davit Kubriashvili, 2 Sebastien Bruno, 1 Saimone Taumoepeau.
Replacements: 16 Jawad Djoudi, 17 Benjamin Basteres, 18 Tonga Leaaetoa, 19 Damien Tussac, 20 Felipe Contepomi, 21 Tom May, 22 Anthony Giacobazzi, 23 Tim Ryan.

Castres: 15 Thomas Bouquié, 14 Matthieu Bourret, 13 Philip Christophers, 12 Pierre-Manuel Garcia, 11 Paul Bonnefond, 10 Cameron McIntyre, 9 Thomas Sanchou, 8 Adrien Foucras, 7 Darron Nell, 6 Steve Malonga, 5 Rodrigo Capo Ortega, 4 Ludovic Michaux, 3 Daniel Saayman, 2 Marc-Antoine Rallier, 1 Carl Hoeft.
Replacements: 16 Akvsenti Giorgadze, 17 Gideon Lensing, 18 Yoann Rayssac, 19 Mickaël Lacroix, 20 Ibrahim Diarra, 21 Romain Teulet, 22 Romain Boscus, 23 Maxime Boyer.

Date: Saturday, January 23
Venue: Stade Felix Mayol
Kick-off: 20.45 (19.45 GMT)
Referee: Greg Garner (England)
Assistant referees: Martin Fox (England), Bruce Robertson (England)
Television match official: Brian Campsall (England)