Five seasons ago, Northampton signed a French centre, David Dantiacq, who, it must be said, was not exactly Philippe Sella. Dantiacq had an unhappy time at Franklin's Gardens and Northampton's relationship with France has hardly been blissful since.

The Saints won the European Cup in 2000 but they have lost in all three of their European trips to France, at Grenoble, Biarritz and Montferrand, who last year put 50 points past them. This afternoon a season that has promised so much could peter out unless they have finally absorbed their French lesson.

Northampton face France's blue bloods Toulouse in a quarter-final at the Stade Municipal that looks ominous if the English club collapse as they did in the second half of their English Cup final against Gloucester.

Wayne Smith, the New Zealander who coaches Northampton, was so unhappy at the capitulation at Twickenham that he made four major changes to the side that travelled yesterday, dropping John Leslie, Peter Jorgensen, Steve Williams and England prop Robbie Morris.