Preview: Harlequins v Toulouse
Quins tackle four-times Heineken Cup champs Toulouse at the Stoop, where the hosts will put their unbeaten record this season on the line.
Harlequins host four-times Heineken Cup champions Toulouse at the Stoop, where the hosts will put their unbeaten record this season on the line.
The Aviva Premiership leaders head back into Heineken Cup mode off the back of two domestic victories taking their undefeated form to fourteen wins from fourteen outings.
Harlequins, who lifted the Amlin Challenge Cup in Cardiff last season, have been the talk of English and European rugby with their perfect start of the season and have made no secret of their ambitions to in this seasons Heineken Cup.
But something will have to give when the French giants visit the English capital, with both teams unbeaten in Pool 6 and looking to secure qualification for the knockout stages of the tournament.
Toulouse, the most successful side in the Heineken Cup and the aristocrats of French rugby, have recorded two impressive, if unspectacular, wins over Gloucester and Connacht to put themselves top of their group.
It's no surprise then that the mouthwatering tie has sold out. The capacity crowd will be the largest to watch a European game at the Stoop as the two sides unbeaten in Pool 6 meet in London.
The last time Harlequins and Toulouse met in the Heineken Cup was back in the 2009/10 season. Guy Noves' side completed the double of Quins in that season, winning 23-19 at the Stoop and 33-21 at Stade Ernest Wallon.
In team news, Harlequins' line-up sees a number of players returning having missed the victory over London Wasps last weekend.
George Robson returns to the front five alongside Tomas Vallejos, with the hooker rotation between Chris Brooker and Joe Gray continuing. Brooker will take over in the starting line-up in between Joe Marler and James Johnston.
Nick Easter returns at number eight, allowing captain Chris Robshaw to return to the side of the scrum partnered with Maurie Fa'asavalu.
The backline sees one change with Benjamin Urdapilleta taking over at inside centre from Tom Casson who has picked up an ankle injury in training.
Meanwhile, the Toulouse starting line-up features no less than 13 internationals.
Only Fijian wing Timoci Matanavou (who has scored six tries this season) and lock Yoann Maestri do not have Test caps.
Former Bull hooker Gary Botha starts ahead of William Servat, who is on the bench.
Former All Black Luke McAlister leads the attack alongside former Wallaby Luke Burgess for the Top 14 pacesetters.
The teams:
Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Seb Stegmann, 13 Matt Hopper, 12 Benjamin Urdapilleta, 11 Sam Smith, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Chris Robshaw (c), 6 Maurie Fa'asavalu, 5 George Robson, 4 Tomas Vallejos, 3 James Johnston, 2 Chris Brooker, 1 Joe Marler
Replacements: 16 Joe Gray, 17 Mark Lambert, 18 Kyle Sinckler, 19 Charlie Matthews, 20 Luke Wallace, 21 Richard Bolt, 22 Rory Clegg, 23 Ugo Monye.
Toulouse: 15 Maxime Medard, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 11 Timoci Matanavou, 10 Luke McAlister, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6 Yannick Nyanga, 5 Yoann Maestri, 4 Grégory Lamboley, 3 Census Johnston, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Jean-Baptiste Poux.
Replacements: 16 William Servat, 17 Yohan Montes, 18 Johnson Falefa, 19 Romain Millo-Chluski, 20 Jean-Marc Doussain, 21 Yves Donguy, 22 Yann David , 23 Shaun Sowerby.
Date: Friday, 9 December
Venue: The Stoop
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Leo Colgan (Ireland), Ken Beggs (Ireland)
Television match official: Peter Ferguson (Ireland)