Toulouse have what it takes

Rugby European Cup Final: The 10th anniversary of the Heineken European Cup final wasn't presumably allocated to Murrayfield for the first time in the tournament's history with the cream of French rugby in mind.

But for the second time in three years, the final will again provide a showcase for what is now undoubtedly the best domestic league in Europe, albeit at their farthermost destination.

With over 50,000 tickets sold, and judging by the difficulties in obtaining accommodation, it's shaping into a superior occasion to the Dublin final two years ago.

Granted, the travelling bands of supporters will amount to no more than about 3,000 each, but French fans tend not to travel in vast numbers outside of the Six Nations, and in the case of Stade Français this is about 10 times the number that would have travelled two or three years ago.

Based on their semi-final form, when a largely sterile Stade Français were indebted to some marginal decisions that went their way, Toulouse would be entitled to start as favourites. Based on their subsequent meeting in the French championship the following Saturday, when Stade won 40-19, the multinational Parisians would be.

Neither would constitute a reliable yardstick, although the latter meeting was Stade's fourth win in their last five with Toulouse - including the French championship decider two seasons ago (when Toulouse's European Cup-winning run left them bunched), as well as home-and-away wins in last season's play-offs.

The French cognoscenti make Stade favourites. Much of their supremacy over Toulouse in those meetings has been based on the experience and togetherness of their tight forwards (Sylvain Marconnet, Pieter de Villiers, Mathieu Blin, David Auradou and Mike James in the 26-man squad Fabien Galthie has named to travel have spent between six and 10 years at the club).

More efficient in the set-pieces, and carrying that superiority into the rucks and mauls, they've tended to keep the Toulouse backs starved of ball.

Also seeking their third successive French Championship, Galthie's squad also appear to be in better shape, having secured their passage into the top four play-offs a fortnight ago. Thus, they were able to rest most of their frontliners in the 29-24 win at home to Narbonne last weekend which left them atop their own league, when they had the additional boost of a sharp, two-try return to form by fullback Juan Martin Fernandez.

By contrast, Toulouse appear to be held together by sticking tape at the end of an arduous season, and were obliged to play a full-strength team in their crunch win over Castres last weekend, and may have paid a price given Frederic Michalak aggravated an ankle injury, which makes him a doubtful starter for the final. There also remains a doubt over Gregory Lamboley and Omar Hasan.

Against that, the 47-20 win virtually copper-fastened their top-four place for the 12th time in 13 years as well as boosting their confidence. What's more, that game marked the return from injury of their captain Fabien Pelous and their primary lineout ball-winner, Jean Bouilhou.

If Michalak, especially, Hasan and Lamboley are passed fit and are close to their best, Guy Noves will have a strong hand to play.

Michalak's understudy Jean Dubois is more of an orthodox if sound left-footed outhalf, who wouldn't have the ability of the Toulouse playmaker to make something out of nothing.

Hasan, compelled to defer his planned retirement at the end of last season by the lure of Toulouse, has steadied their scrum significantly as well.

If Lamboley, seemingly the first-choice number eight, is cleared to play, Noves has some selection posers. It is conceivable Isitolo Maka might miss out on the 22 altogether, whereas there will assuredly be a place of some sort for Trevor Brennan. Likewise, the excellent form of Gareth Thomas - five tries in three starts - and Vincent Clerc may mean Cedric Heymans or perhaps even Clement Poitrenaud (villain of last season's final but one of the semi-final heroes) is confined to impact duty at best.

Toulouse, seeking a historic third triumph, will have the memory of that defeat to Wasps to fire them. But with back-to-back French titles, Stade Français, and their benefactor Max Gauzzini, have long since targeted the cup as their priority, especially with the memory of their defeat in 2001 to Leicester.

For the sake of the spectacle, one hopes the Toulouse pack aren't outmuscled. Stade Français have developed far more of a fluid game than was evidenced in their lucky semi-final win, but when Toulouse get their offloading running game in operation, they scale greater heights.

They also showed yet again in their semi-final win in Leicester - when surviving a first-half pummelling by scoring three tries off loose Leicester kicks - they can feed off scraps better than most.

STADE FRANCAIS (possible): Juan Martin Fernandez; Julien Arias, Stéphane Glas, Brian Liebenberg, Christophe Dominici; David Skrela, Agustin Pichot; Sylvain Marconnet, Mathieu Blin, Rodrigo Roncero, David Auradou (capt), Olivier Brouzet, Pierre Rabadan, Remy Martin, Shaun Sowerby. Replacements (from): Benjamin Kayser, Pablo Lemoine, Pieter de Villiers, Mike James, Mauro Bergamasco, Jerome Fillol, Olivier Sarramea.

STADE TOULOUSAIN (possible): Gareth Thomas; Vincent Clerc, Yannick Jauzion, Florian Fritz, Cedric Heymans; Frédéric Michalak, Jean-Baptiste Elissalde; Jean-Baptiste Poux, William Servat, Omar Hassan, Fabien Pelous (capt), Romain Millochlusky, Jean Bouilhou, Finau Maka, Gregory Lamboley. Replacements (from): Yannick Bru, Daniel Human, Trevor Brennan, Isitolo Maka, Christian Labit, Jean-Frédéric Dubois, Benoit Baby, Clement Poitrenaud.

Referee: Chris White (England).

Routes to the final: Stade Français - 39-31 v Gloucester (h); 38-15 v Cardiff (a); 30-10 v Ulster (h); 10-18 v Ulster (a); 35-16 v Cardiff (h); 27-0 v Gloucester. Quarter-final - 48-8 v Newcastle (h); Semi-final -s 20-17 v Biarritz (h).

Toulouse - 9-6 v Llanelli (a); 43-17 v Glasgow (h); 21-23 v Northampton (a); 25-12 v Northampton (h); 30-10 v Glasgow (a); 53-36 v Llanelli (h). Quarter-final - 37-9 v Northampton (h). Semi-final - 27-19 v Leicester (a).

Leading try scorers: Stade Français - Olivier Sarramea, Julien Arias 4 each; Sylvain Marconnet, Mathieu Blin 3 each. Toulouse - Vincent Clerc, Frederic Michalak 3 each.

Leading points scorers: Stade Français - David Skrela 83. Toulouse - Jean-Baptiste Elissalde 80; Frederic Michalak 43.

Betting (Paddy Powers): ½ Toulouse, 20/1 Draw, 17/10 Stade Français.

Handicap odds (= Stade Français +5pts) 10/11 Toulouse, 16/1 Draw, 10/11 Stade Français.

Forecast: Toulouse to win.