Preview: Toulouse v Wasps
Four-times winners and reining Heineken Cup champions Toulouse host former champions Wasps at Stadium de Toulouse on Sunday.
Four-times winners and reining Heineken Cup champions Toulouse host former champions Wasps at Stadium de Toulouse on Sunday.
Toulouse are the undisputed kings of Europe having reached the knockout stages twelve times.
Wasps return to the Heineken Cup after being knocked out of the Amlin Challenge Cup in the semi-finals by eventual winners the Cardiff Blues last season.
Toulouse have a staggering home record with 43 wins in 51 home games and haven't last there since being upset by Glasgow in the 2008/09 season.
The side have faced each other on four occasions with Wasps winning twice and one match drawn.
Toulouse have named a virtually all-international match-day squad featuring Byron Kelleher and David Skrela as the starting half-back combination.
There is no place in the starting line-up for prolific try-scorer Maxime Medard as Clément Poitrenaud is preferred at full-back. Pumas lock Patricio Albacete is injured so Grégory Lamboley starts in the second row.
Meanwhile, Wasps have made three changes and two positional switches are made to the starting XV that secured victory over Sale at Edgeley Park last weekend.
Coming back into the side Mark Van Gisbergen starts at full back, as Richard Haughton and Tom Varndell take position on the wings and David Lemi moves to the bench.
As well as Van Gisbergen, Simon Shaw also comes back into the XV. The pair, with 93 Heineken Cup appearances between them, both featured in Wasps infamous 2004 Heineken Cup Final victory over Toulouse, as too did Richard Birkett and Joe Worsley who are also named in the side. In the final change Tim Payne, the only other remaining player from that 2004 side, is replaced by Zak Taulafo after serving a two week ban.
Whilst Taulafo returns from an ankle injury to start, fellow prop Jason Hobson also makes a first appearance in a match 23, named on the bench after recovery from an achilies injury. Riki Flutey and Dan Ward-Smith also bolster Wasps replacements.
Looking ahead to the game Hanks said, “Everyone at the Club is delighted to be back in the Heineken Cup this season and what a way to open our campaign against the reigning champions. There is a great deal of excitement throughout the squad and everyone is focused on ensuring a strong performance in Round One. Facing a side of Toulouse's quality is obviously a huge challenge but one we have prepared well for.”
The teams:
Toulouse: 15 Clément Poitrenaud, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 11 Cédric Heymans, 10 David Skrela, 9 Byron Kelleher, 8 Shaun Sowerby, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6 Yannick Nyanga, 5 Romain Millo-Chluski, 4 Grégory Lamboley, 3 Census Johnston, 2 William Servat, 1 Jean-Baptiste Poux.
Replacements: 16 Virgile Lacombe, 17 Daan Human, 18 Yohan Montes, 19 Yoann Maestri, 20 Nicolas Bezy, 21 Nicolas Vergallo, 22 Maxime Medard, 23 Louis Picamoles ,
Wasps: 15 Mark Van Gisbergen, 14 Richard Haughton, 13 Ben Jacobs, 12 Dominic Waldouck, 11 Tom Varndell 10 Dave Walder, 9 Joe Simpson,8 Andy Powell 7 Tom Rees (C) 6 Joe Worsley 5 Richard Birkett 4 Simon Shaw 3 Ben Broster 2 Joe Ward 1 Zak Taulafo
Replacements:16 Rob Webber, 17 Charlie Beech, 18 Jason Hobson, 19 James Cannon, 20 Dan Ward-Smith, 21 Nic Berry, 22 Riki Flutey, 23 David Lemi.
Date: Sunday, October 10
Venue: Stadium de Toulouse
Kick-off: 16:00 (14.00 GMT)
Referee: George Clancy