Tonight's previews
POOL ONE
Cardiff Blues v Castres Olympique, Cardiff City stadium (7.30pm)
CASTRES ONCE again have failed to choose their strongest side, a tactic they have followed in recent matches in this competition. Former All Black Chris Masoe is on a bench that contains Romain Teulet, French international Luc Ducalcon, Joe Tekori and a couple of Georgian piano-shifters.
The French side can still qualify for the quarter-finals, though on the evidence that may not be foremost in their minds.
Cardiff welcome back Australia-born Scottish international Dan Parks and centre Casey Laulala but are without the injured Gethin Jenkins, Xavier Rush and Tom Shanklin.
Coach Dai Young has promised the home side wouldn’t capitulate just because they couldn’t make the knock-out stages. They could still qualify for the quarter-finals of the Amlin Cup, a tournament which they won last season beating Toulon in the final. Home advantage should see them prevail as French interests lie elsewhere.
CARDIFF BLUES: C Czekaj; L Halfpenny, C Laulala, J Roberts, R Mustoe; D Parks, T Slater; J Yapp, T Thomas, F Filise; D Jones, P Tito (capt), A Pretorius, M Williams, M Molitika. Replacements: G Williams, S Andrews, S Hobbs, B Davies, B White, C Sweeney, D Hewitt, T James.
CASTRES OLYMPIQUE: F Denos; M Nicolas, R Cabannes, S Bai, M Andreu; C McIntyre, A Albouy (capt); Y Forestier, M Bonello, D Saayman; M Rolland, K Kulemin; G Adamou, S Malonga, J Bornman. Replacements: A Giorgadze, A Peikrishvili, L Ducalcon, J Tekori, C Masoe, R Teulet, P Bernard, Y Audrin.
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
Northampton Saints v Edinburgh, Franklin’s Gardens (8pm, live on Sky Sports)
INJURIES TO English internationals Courtney Lawes, Chris Ashton, Shane Geraghty and the presence of the less than assured Ryan Powell at scrumhalf mean the unbeaten Northampton Saints are not as potent as they might be. Joe Ansbro replaces Ashton on the wing with Calum Clarke deputising for Lawes. Irish duo James Downey and Roger Wilson have been central to the Saints’ excellence.
Edinburgh, who can be difficult opponents irrespective of venue, have made six changes from the side that was disappointing in defeat to the Scarlets in the Magners League last weekend. In Europe, Edinburgh have picked up three bonus points, albeit in winning just one of four matches.
When the teams met at Murrayfield earlier in the pool, the Scottish franchise lost 31-28 but did score three tries in defeat. Saints to go marching on though.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS: B Foden; J Ansbro, J Clarke, J Downey, P Diggin; S Myler, R Powell; S Tongauiha, D Hartley (capt), B Mujati; C Clark, C Day; P Dowson, T Wood, R Wilson. Replacements: B Sharman, A Waller, T Mercey, M Sorenson, M Easter, S Commins, J Ford, B Reihana.
EDINBURGH: C Paterson; J Thompson, B Cairns, N De Luca, T Visser; D Blair, M Blair; K Traynor, R Ford, G Cross; S MacLeod, E Lozada; A MacDonald, R Rennie, R Grant (capt). Replacements: N Little, L Niven, D Young, C Hamilton, S McInally, G Laidlaw, J King, S Webster.
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France)
POOL TWO
ASM Clermont Auvergne v Racing Metro 92, Stade Marcel Michelin (8pm)
The catchphrase “am I bothered”, synonymous with one of comedienne Catherine Tate’s most famous characters, the lazy teenager Lauren Cooper, springs to mind in trying to sum up the attitude of the sides to this encounter. While both are reliant on Leinster imploding, it seems they’re not too pushed to be in the perfect place in such an eventuality.
In the reverse fixture earlier in the pool Clermont sent a largely second-string side to Paris and paid the penalty.
Racing have reciprocated in the sense that former French captain Lionel Nallet, Sebastien Chabal and Springbok Francois Steyn don’t even travel, let alone play. First-choice outhalf Jonathan Wisniewski is suspended, while the visitors are about four more short of full strength.
Clermont are without Mario Ledesma, Napolioni Nalaga and Jamie Cudmore for a variety of reasons, while they have elected to leave French scrumhalf Morgan Parra on the bench. They should still win, nonetheless, and with a bonus point to boot.
ASM CLERMONT AUVERGNE: B Baby; W Fofana, A Rougerie (capt), G Canale, J Malzieu; B James, K Senio; T Domingo, T Paulo, C Ric; J Pierre, L Jacquet; J Bonnaire, A Lapandry, S Lauaki. Replacements: L Faure, V Debaty, D Zirakashvili, J White, A Audebert, M Parra, T Lavea, G Williams.
RACING METRO 92: D Scarborough; B Fall, V Vakatawa, A Masi, J Saubade; JM Hernandez, N Durand (capt); J Brugnaut, C Festuccia, B Sa; K Ghezal, F van der Merwe; R Vaquiin, B Le Roux, A Galindo. Replacements: G Arganese, A Lo Cicero, J Orlandi, S Dellape, M Loree, J Jane, H Chavancy, A Batut.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
– JOHN O'SULLIVAN
