Perpignan pack will look to dictate

RUGBY: Perpignan v Toulon:THE WINNERS here will meet Ulster or Northampton. The time and venue will be announced tomorrow but the semifinal will be at the Aviva Stadium or an English venue. With 55,000 tickets sold, the Catalan capital will break a quarter-finals spectator record, beating the 2005 mark set at Lansdowne Road between Leinster and Leicester.

Perpignan lost to Stade Francais last week but that came after winning five in a row. France international David Marty returns to the centre having had a suspension reduced by 10 days but they will be without hooker Marius Tincu and loose forward Pierre Perez.

Toulon prefer Jonny Wilkinson to Argentina’s Felipe Contepomi at outhalf. Toulon also have England wing Paul Sackey back but on the bench as former Auckland Blues winger Rudi Wulf starts. Gavin Henson is not eligible to play.

Former South African backrow and captain Joe van Niekerk has expressed how important the Toulon forward performance will be as Perpignan pack a lot of kilos. A tight match is expected.

PERPIGNAN: J Porical; A Plante, D Marty, J Grandclaude, J Candelon; N Laharrague, F Cazenave; J Schuster, G Guirado, N Mas (capt), G Vilaceca, R Tchale Watchou, B Guiry, D Chouly, H Tuilagi. Replacements: C Geli, P Freshwater, K Pulu, R Alvarez Kairelis, D Mele, G Hume, J Michel, O Tonita

TOULON: R Lamont; R Wulf, G Messina, G Lovobalavu, C Loamanu; J Wilkinson, P Mignoni; L Emmanuelli, S Bruno, D Kubriashvili, K Chesney, D Schofield, J Fernandez Lobbe, G Smith, J van Niekerk (capt). Replacements: J Genevois, S Taumoepeau, D Tussac, J El Abd, F Contepomi, P Sackey, F Cibray, C Samson

Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland).

Verdict: Perpignan