Masterminds: Skipper Tindall and Dai Young will tell their Baabaa pals to remove the shackles for the England game

By Alan Dymock

BEFORE THE compression socks are rolled on and the squad head towards a long-haul Monday flight to Hong Kong and the British and Irish Lions, the Barbarians have the small task of facing England at Twickenham.

Great expectations: Wasps' Christian Wade

Coach Dai Young has selected a side to match the plucky, inexperienced England team and while they have opted for experience and caps throughout, they have also picked players capable of throwing the ball around in typical Baabaa fashion. With youth and excitement against wily old boys looking for a good time, entertainment is almost guaranteed.

James Hook starts at fly-half opposite Freddie Burns. Timoci Nagusa is opposite Christian Wade and Takudzwa Ngwenya stands in front of Marland Yarde on the wings. Ben Morgan trots out against Imanol Harinordoquy. Casey Laulala marks Jonathan Joseph. Alex Corbisiero props against James Johnston.

Everywhere you look there is youth and explosion against guile and some of the most impressive muscle memory in the game.

As rugby goes, this match is almost an antidote to the serious affairs before it and after it. The Baabaas game on Sunday is played on the same pitch where, only 24 hours earlier, Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints were trying to bludgeon each other. It comes just a week before the Lions play for the first time, facing a Barbarian XV with almost certainly more potential to play winning rugby.

Wanting to "be counted": Matthew Rees

That is not to say that the Barbarians team for the Twickenham game is deliberately weak, it is just that it is one pulled together to play a junior international side, while the highlight of the Baabaa summer will be the big one in Hong Kong. Some players will play in both games for the Barbarians, but not all of them will start.

Matthew Rees told the press today that although facing England was big, it was all about the Lions for him and some of his chums.

“There’s a few Welsh players here… who have probably missed out on the Lions tour,” he said.”We’ve got to hold our hands up and be counted, and there’s no better way than playing the Lions in Hong Kong.”

Sunday will be a fun bit of preparation, though it may not be worthwhile for Warren Gatland and his boys to analyze it too much. There is this game and then suddenly Joe Rokocoko, Kahn Fotuali’I, B J Botha, Martin Castrogiovanni, Samu Manoa,
Francois Louw and
 Sergio Parisse come in for the Baabaas and others step up from the bench.

Everyone – Lions included – should just enjoy this match for what it is: a pleasurable and accessible start to the international season.

Let the games begin.

Kick off at 1pm, Twickenham, Sunday May 26.

Teams
England:

Mike Brown; Christian Wade, Jonathan Joseph, Billy Twelvetrees, Marland Yarde; Freddie Burns, Richard Wigglesworth; Ben Morgan, Matt Kvesic, Tom Johnson; Dave Attwood, Joe Launchbury; David Wilson, Rob Webber (c), Alex Corbisiero

Subs: David Paice, Joe Marler, Henry Thomas, Kearnan Myall, Billy Vunipola, Haydn Thomas, Jonny May, Kyle Eastmond

Barbarians:
Elliot Daly (Wasps, UNCAPPED); Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz, USA), Casey Laulala (Munster, New Zealand), Mike Tindall (c) (Gloucester, England), Timoci Nagusa (Montpellier, Fiji), James Hook (Perpignan, Wales), Dwayne Peel (Sale Sharks, Wales), Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro, Italy), Matthew Rees (Scarlets, Wales), James Johnston (Harlequins, Samoa), Jim Hamilton (Gloucester, Scotland), Marco Wentzel (Wasps, South Africa), Alessandro Zanni (Treviso, Italy), Jonathan Poff (Wasps, UNCAPPED), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz, France)

Subs: Schalk Brits (Saracens, South Africa), Duncan Jones (Ospreys, Wales), Paul James (Bath, Wales), Dean Mumm (Exeter, Australia), Sam Jones (Wasps, UNCAPPED), Dimitri Yachvili (Biarritz, France), Nick Evans (Harlequins, New Zealand), Rowan Varty (DeA Tigers, Hong Kong)

Going down: Courtney Lawes introduces Toby Flood to the ground the last time the two sides met on March 30

By Alan Dymock

“AMBUSH AT the Allianz” could be a way of describing the Aviva Premiership semi-final between Northampton Saints and Saracens.

That would do a disservice to Saints, though, who maintained an impressive level of defence, breakdown abuse and thumping counter-runs in order to topple the clear favourites at their own patch. Tactically they did exactly what they needed to do to win and the shell-shocked Sarries had their spot in the final snatched away.

This set up an almighty clash against their nearest of Premiership rivals the Leicester Tigers this Saturday, a team who had ruthlessly dismantled Harlequins in their own semi.

Leading well: Dylan Hartley rose to the occasion at the Allianz 

With odds longer than a dinner with your in-laws, Saints are not fancied to triumph, particularly as they face a side who turn up to Twickenham for a grand final for the ninth season in a row. They have only won three times in their last eight visits, of course, but they know the occasion well. When the pressure is on, it is also assumed, Saints players may cast their minds back to their last major final in 2011 when the team threw away a sizeable 22-6 half-time lead over Leinster in the Heineken Cup to lose 33-22.

What Saints showed in this year’s semi, however, is that they can face the over-hyped foe, suffer some slugs in a few rounds of rope-a-dope action and counter. They were most dangerous when slipping round the edges and they took Saracens’ best shots and smiled back at them.

In versatile forward Samu Manoa they have an athlete who lands on other players like a house-brick frisbee and their front row are one of the best on the planet. They will want to manouvre themselves smartly around the park thanks to the boots of Stephen Myler and Ben Fodden, but it is how their pack spar with the Tigers’ heavies that will dictate the pace of this game.

Slow slogging plays in to Leicester’s hands because as soon as Saints get used to a monotonous pace the Tigers can punch through the midfield with Manu Tuilagi and Vereniki Goneva. They can cover kicks cleverly, too, with Mathew Tait and Toby Flood in good form. The pack can do as they have traditionally done at Twickenham, bundling forward and sucking fight out of the opposition, if Leicester’s thinkers know where the ball is going.

This is what happened the last time the two sides met in March, with Tigers blowing Saints away with a 38-6 win. Even while wasting chances Leicester were able to take the best of Northampton, hold them down and let Flood kick before Tuilagi exploded through the barricades in the second half, leading Tigers towards a comprehensive victory.

Saints have to recreate the form of their semi final, not that lumbering slow-dance of a regular season match-up.

At 3pm at Twickenham the hardiest of fans will witness more crunching action. The players may not wince as the crowd do, but they should all be prepared: this will not be an ambush so much as an old-fashioned tear up.

Out of the shadows: Brian O'Driscoll celebrates Amlin victory with Leinster last week. He's fit to play the Pro12 final

By Alan Dymock

STAYIN’ ALIVE by the Bee Gees was a late 70s sentiment so powerful that it generated an eponymous follow-up movie to Saturday Night Fever in which John Travolta hustles to become a Broadway star.

Fast forward through a few decades and the funky lines of “Feel the city breakin’, and ev’rybody shakin’, and we’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive” could well describe Dublin this Saturday as several British and Irish Lions give their all to win the the RaboDirect Pro12 title.

No knees-up for him: Sean O'Brien leaves the field

Last week Brian O’Driscoll sat out the Amlin Challenge Cup win at the RDS, with his body struggling to make it back that early. Another week has been endured and he lines up in the Pro12 final to face Ulster.

Another player struggling is Sean O’Brien, hobbled by bone bruising and a knocked knee. He has failed to pulled through to play in the final, but still makes the plane to Hong Kong with the rest of the Lions.

It is a tough weekend in prospect, with five Leinster Lions facing one Ulster Lion in Tommy Bowe, while six Leicester Lions face one Northampton Lion in Dylan Hartley in the Aviva Premiership final on the same day. That is a whole pride potentially in harm’s way.

It must be said that this is the nature of the beast, and hard rugby begets hard rugby. The players are selected because they are big game players, and while Warren Gatland will be worried about the shakin’ game at Twickenham as two Midlands rivals roar into London, or at the RDS where two Irish factions do bloody battle, he must be proud that he has competitive players.

Tigers and Lions: All six play on Saturday

It will be a short turnaround for these players, and already it was let slip this week by Lions forwards coach Graham Rowntree that the likes of O’Brien would not be in line to play the BaaBaas in Hong Kong on June 1, even if he pulled through the Pro12 final. The finalists must survive, clamber on a plane days later and fly round the world. Some may have to play a small part in the first Lions outing – though it will be tough considering they have missed out on the intensive gelling process that other Lions have enjoyed in the last few weeks – and it does not get easier from here.

One thing could be argued, though. These players cannot and will not half-heartedly wander through these finals. O’Driscoll and his boys have lost three Pro12 finals in a row and have vengeance in their hearts, particularly in Joe Schmidt’s last match in charge. Ulster have not won a trophy since 2006 and Bowe will, like any competitive winger on the grand stage, want to score in front of a delirious crowd. Leicester Tigers simply would not exist if they were not competitive every single year, such is their drive, and Hartley would scream and shout and try his hardest during a game of marbles if there was someone watching. He does not take a step back.

These Saturday finals will be tough to watch if you are a Lions coach, but if all involved can stay alive and play well in a bustling, brutal final it can only add to the funk of a Lions trip.

Hotting up: Some Brazilian action from the South American Cup rugby tournament in Montevideo, Uruguay in May

By Yasamin Asrari

RUGBY SEVENS is known for its pace and excitement and now it is attempting to steal the limelight away from its bigger 15-man rival by being part of Rio Olympics in 2016 after the sport’s absence of a century from the Olympic movement.

Brazil took their first bow in the 2012/2013 HSBC World Sevens Series in Hong Kong. They made it to the Quarter Finals of the pre-qualifier for World Series core team status held there, but were beaten by Zimbabwe – the eventual winners – and were just one win away from qualifying for the showcase finale in London. Quite an achievement for a country famous for its love of the round-ball game.

Here are five things you never knew about rugby in Rio:

Scrum down in the sand

To say  sport is popular in Brazil is an understatement – you just have to amble along the Copacabana beach to witness this. Dotted along the 4km stretch of sand are people playing football and beach volleyball and it’s here that rugby has taken off.

In January of this year, amidst thousands of spectators, I sat down to watch a beach rugby tournament. And this was no one-off. In fact, it was the eighth international beach rugby tournament to be played on the famous white sands of Copacabana. Teams of men and women competed over two days, playing five-a-side, full contact rugby.

Huddle up: Brazil prepare to face Japan at 7s in Hong Kong

Outside influence

With so many ex-pats from England, South Africa and New Zealand living in Rio, rugby has, maybe surprisingly, played a part of Rio life since the 1940s. But now, more and more Brazilians are playing and many are from the poorer, densely populated favelas of the city. Clubs like Rio Rugby promote the game in the city and compete in the Fluminese championship. There is also the IRB’s Get into Rugby programme, aimed at attracting youngster from underprivileged backgrounds to the game.

Brazilian style

Whatever power is lost from playing on sand is replaced ten fold in the acceleration and agility of the locals, or Cariocas as they prefer to be known. They may not have the size and brute force of the northern and southern hemisphere teams, but raw pace and a natural disposition to avoid capture, are all attributes that come naturally to them.

Getting stuck in

Brazil’s inherent love of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) shows that they love contact sports, are adept at tackling and have the strength and dexterity to compete at a high level – all qualities that are easily transferable to the 15-man game.

Rio rugby: Prince William takes part in beach rugby last year

Going for Gold

Since Sevens was announced as a sport for the 2016 Olympic games, rugby in Brazil has become much more high profile. There are now over 10,000 registered players and clubs are sprouting up in over 21 of the 26 states throughout the country, proving that it is a sport with huge playing potential.

The National team’s assistant coach Mauricio Coelho has told Rugby World that numbers are only going to grow. Over the next few years the CBRu (Brazilian Rugby Confederation) want to reach a target of 50,000 registered players. which to give you some indication, is more than Wales.

What will help the Brazilian’s discover their playing style is being involved in more international tournaments, so it is a huge positive that rugby seems to be growing all over South America. In the years leading up to Rio 2016, rugby fans everywhere can watch Brazil’s progress in the oval-ball game.

You can read more about the booming growth of rugby in Brazil in Rugby World’s exclusive feature in the June issue – out now!

A classless act in a classy sport?: Armitage's actions show a lack of maturity rather than malice

By Gavin Mortimer

WHAT’S ALL the fuss about? Or put another way: what’s so different about what Delon Armitage did to Clermont’s Brock James from what Josh Lewsey did to Damian Traille during the 2007 World Cup semi-final? Remember that? England’s erudite winger dotted down in the second minute, exploiting the Frenchman’s inexperience at full-back. As Lewsey got to his feet he patted Traille on the head. If that’s not taunting a beaten opponent then I don’t know what is.

Yet did the rugby world go crackers? Did players, past and present, line up to have a pop shot at Lewsey? No. In fact one newspaper, the Independent, offered its readers the chance to buy a print of the moment, captured by one of its snappers, with the paper headlining the photo ‘Lewsey rubs it in’.

Armitage’s gesture was no more offensive but now thanks to Twitter we live in an age of immediacy, where people can sound off before the paint is dry, so to speak .

Which is what people did on Saturday afternoon. “Since when did the values of rugby include taunting an opponent in the act of scoring a try?” asked Scotland scrum-half Chris Cusiter.

Level playing field?: Lewsey's actions were celebrated

This isn’t a defence of Armitage. For too long he’s indulged in prattish behaviour, be it pushing a doping officer, fighting in a nightclub or his lengthening roll call of reckless tackles. But is what he did to Brock James as he ran in Toulon’s try against Clermont really any worse than what was allegedly done to him a few minutes earlier? It’s said that Aurelien Rougierie patted Armitage on the head after Clermont had scored a try, while it’s also been claimed the former England full-back was subjected to ‘duck’ taunts by the opposition.

Brian Moore tweeted that he would have chinned any player who had done that to him during his illustrious career, yet didn’t the feisty England hooker revel in his ability to wind up the French front-row with a few choice words at the set-piece? And if you search hard enough on Google, you’ll find a photo of ‘Pitbull’ in all his glory, mouthing off to a couple of crestfallen Welsh players in the aftermath of another England try during a Five Nations encounter.

And on the subject of photos and taunts, what about the famous snap of Johnny Sexton screaming in the face of Munster rival Ronan O’Gara during Leinster’s victory at Croke Park in the 2009 Heineken Cup semi-final? Apparently Sexton, in the course of celebrating a Brian O’Driscoll try, was taking his revenge for a series of alleged sledges from O’Gara about his failure to drop a goal. But that was put down to that catch-all excuse of modern sport – ‘passion’.

The greatest vulgarity committed by Armitage on Saturday wasn’t the taunt aimed at James, but the personal insult directed the way of Moore in response to his initial tweet. It’s too childish to bear repeating – and it’s since been deleted from Armitage’s account – but it demonstrated that Delon, fine rugby player that he is, still has some growing up to do.

A serious guy: Vern Cotter could be the straight man to Scott Johnson's entertaining talker within the Scotland camp

By Alan Dymock

GREEK THEATRE is fabled for its two set genres of play, the tragedy and comedy.

In sport, as in life, though, there can be both elements coming together in a beautifully sweet moment during an incredibly sad time. In Scotland the hope could well be that the super serious and the chortle inducing come together in their rugby structure.

Black humour dictates that when times were tough, Scottish fans were prone to laughing at themselves for the sake of not crying.  Now times look slightly better and smiles are painted across the north there needs to be an injection of seriousness, drive and rigid adherence to the rules of winning.

A man walks into a press room...: Johnson

Scott Johnson, the grinning Australian who helped Scotland off their knees after some dull losing performances of the past, all the while feeding the press pack some delicious lines as they yapped at his heals, needs a head coach.

After bringing in Ospreys forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys – a man described as a serious sort and harder than a concrete boxing glove – a list of potential head coaches was drawn up.

At first it was assumed that outgoing Queensland Reds coach Ewen McKenzie was favourite for the post, but he quickly established that there were no communications between him and the Scots.

Then it was mooted that Canterbury Crusaders head coach Todd Blackadder, a man who had rattled more than a few cages while in Edinburgh with the Gunners, would be the silver disciplinarian for Scotland.

Now it seems that expectation is set at the feet of Clermont Auvergne’s Vern Cotter.

The New Zealander is a man who refuses to play by new age rules, saying the bare minimum to the press before, during and sometimes even after matches. He is focused on his rugby and lets his players do the talking for him. He needs to see them performing and they have done, impressing with a style of rugby that has pundits wantonly spouting superlatives.

He has been seen to smile, though only ever when his team are playing gorgeous tiki-taka rugby, and you can only imaging the grueling work done to get that team to the point where they can swish passes to each other in the most crushing of environments.

If it were Cotter for the Scots it would be a marriage of the odd couple, with the eagerly beaming Johnson overlooking the work of the focused, dead-set Kiwi.

Serious Scotland: Skipper Kelly Brown

Every team needs balance. What would make this arrangement interesting would be if Johnson gave his coach complete autonomy once the Australian has stated the style he wants, only stepping in to interact and make sure the arrangement is one that works well for all parties involved.

There is much to be discussed yet, with Cotter still hoping to avenge the Heineken Cup final loss to Toulon by winning a Top 14 semi-final against Castres and then triumphing in the final on June 29. By this point Johnson will be South Africa-bound with his last posting as Scotland’s head coach in the quadrangular tournament against the hosts, Italy and Samoa, before climbing a wee stepladder to get to his post of Director of Rugby.

It remains to be seen if Cotter will end up being the man who wants the international posting. If he does he will be the firm, frowning mask to Johnson’s grinning veneer; a good cop, bad cop pairing that can shout and smile Scotland towards playing the way that wins Test matches regularly.

If Clermont’s coach does want the role, Johnson could be crying with happiness.

Joker in the pack: Wallaby hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau may, be for once, be inconspicuous because of his absence

By Alan Dymock

THE PRESSURE on Will Genia and James Horwill may be great as we slide towards the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, but not for the reasons many would expect.

On Saturday, as the Waratahs crashed against the wild Brumbies of Canberra in the Super 15, Test hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau took a knee with a broken forearm. It was a worrying sight for Australian fans who had already seen world-class poacher David Pocock write himself off for the upcoming Test series.

Wallaby wounds: Polota-Nau and Smith

More so than just missing personnel, though, Australia may suffer because of their lack of big characters.

Talking to Rugby World yesterday, Wallaby and Waratahs prop Benn Robinson said: “Tafu [Polota-Nau] is the biggest character of them all and he is different to a lot of people. Losing him is not good news.”

Squads need big personalities to lead and to tie them together. The Lions have already spoken about this and the importance of bonding. So while Genia and Horwill are stronger than a moonshine milkshake in terms of leadership, the Wallaby squad could well be that little bit more vulnerable to splintering without their chuckle brothers and drop-goal divas to laugh at and lean on.

Polota-Nau will most likely be replaced in the Australian 25-man squad that was announced on Sunday, though no concrete date has been set for pulling players out of the Super 15. So there will be no Tafu, no Quade Cooper and no Kurtley Beale. It is likely that George Smith, also injured in that Aussie derby and likely to miss the next three games out of the remaining four regular season games, has missed his window to impress Robbie Deans and squeeze into the squad to face the Lions as one of the extra six players, to be announced on June 10.

However, much like the theory that as soon as a space opens up in the Lions contingent Jonny Wilkinson will be flown out, there is a suggestion that enigmatic playmaker Cooper will be slotted in as one of the six additional Wallabies once he has proved his defensive worth to Deans during the Queensland Reds game against the Lions on June 8.

For Robinson, though, it is Beale’s personality and sublime talent that may be missed most.

Absent friends: Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper stick close

“To not have Kurtley in the 25 is massive,” the prop said. “To pull out to address personal issues is honourable, but to look at it from a rugby perspective; of course you want him.

“If you look at the great try he scored against Wales last year to win the game he has the talent. He is still in line to make the extra six.”

As it stands there are plenty of questions about Deans’ additions.

Beale may feel he has pushed his demons back into the bottle and make the six. Cooper may show the elusive and unlabled ‘stuff’ that Deans needs to see and earn a recall. Polota-Nau and Smith may cause scientists and doctors to faint with amazement due to their stitch-popping, rapid recovery.

If none of this comes off, though,it could be a dry, serious, driven camp that faces the Lions, and it remains to be seen whether that will be more dangerous to the tourists or whether it means the hosts are that little bit weaker at the seams.

Stepping over the line: Schalk Burger tackles Mike Phillips during the 2009 Series but he was later banned for gouging

By Charlie Morgan

THE NAMES of yesteryear’s Lions heroes roll off the tongue with consummate ease. Way before the latest promotional offering, when they stepped aboard a galleon set sail for Australia, dressed in late-19^th century attire, JPR Williams and Willie John McBride became synonymous with the British and Irish Lions.

With any luck, a few Warren Gatland’s crew will be canonised over the next six weeks, too. But what of the hosts? When plotting a way past the trio of gnarled southern hemisphere giants, Sir Clive Woodward always used to call his imminent opposition “the bad guys”. And, at certain points, certain individuals lived up to that moniker perfectly.

So without further ado, here is a run-down of the villains that have (dis)graced the past four tours.

1997

Motor-mouthed winger James Small warrants a mention here, if only on the basis that his appearances for Western Province and South Africa brought about priceless sledging matches. His main adversary John Bentley has dined out on the expletive-ridden exchanges ever since, not least because his dry Yorkshire wit produced the famous comeback: “You’re a bully. And bullies don’t like being bullied.”

During a 64-14 battering for his side, though, Mpumalanga second row Marius Bosman shamefully entered the realms of thuggery by launching a horrific hack at Doddie Weir on the periphery of a ruck, he hyper-extended the left knee of his opposite number and sent the popular Scot packing with lacerated medial ligaments. Fly-on-the-wall footage of incensed team doctor James Robson breaking the bad news to Weir is gut-wrenching stuff.

Red mist: Duncan McRae is sent off

2001

Duncan McRae’s x-rated pummelling of Ronan O’Gara during a hot-tempered tussle against the Waratahs registers on any roll of ignominy, and lumbering lock Justin Harrison – immortally christened “plank” by Austin Healey – made such a fantastic anti-hero for Australia A and the Brumbies that he earned a victorious Wallaby debut in Sydney’s decider.

But for an underhand act that altered the course of the series, Nathan Gray takes some beating. The Lions led 11-3 and looked rampant half and hour into the second Test when the abrasive centre sent a savage flying elbow into Richard Hill face. It ended the brilliant blindside’s trip and, from there, George Smith ran riot at the breakdown, allowing George Gregan to orchestrate a momentum-shifting rout.

2005

Demonising Dan Carter for derailing the siege on New Zealand with pure skill seems very unfair. Given the fly half’s sublime performances that emasculated the best of Britain and Ireland though, it is somewhat tempting. Carter’s haul of 44 points in the first two Tests definitely laid sturdy foundations for a humiliating “blackwash”, leaving the Lions faithful shell-shocked.

However, there was the small matter of a double-spear tackle before that. Precisely 45 seconds into proceedings in the First Test, Keven Mealamu and Tana Umaga up-ended captain Brian O’Driscoll as he tried to counter-ruck, dropping the Irish skipper onto his shoulder. Screams of pain were audible to television viewers thanks to the microphone of referee Joel Jutge, but the Kiwi pair were never punished and BOD was out of the tour.

The evidence: Sir Clive Woodward points at foul play

2009

Evangelical Christian fly half Jaco van der Westhuyzen made an unlikely bid for acrimony on this tempestuous tour, taking on the mantle of chief wind-up merchant in a cheap-shot ridden midweek match for the Southern Kings. The former Leicester Tiger was also sin-binned for a cynical late hit on Riki Flutey.

When the Test series rolled around though, the physicality intensified to a frankly intimidating level. Pocket battleship Heinrich Brussow and Bakkies Botha – on a personal crusade against Mike “blue eyes” Phillips – thrived, but abrasive flanker Schalk Burger crossed the line by gouging Luke Fitzgerald’s eyes at Pretoria. How only a yellow card resulted will forever be a mystery. He was later banned for eight weeks for his misdemeanour.

Honours even: The last time Clermont met Toulon there was a 26-all draw, despite Clermont playing a second-string

By Alan Dymock

DUBLIN WILL be a certain shade of yellow or red come Saturday evening after two very familiar French foes do battle in the Heineken Cup final.

If Clermont Auvergne’s more outspoken players are to be believed, the drawn game between Clermont and Toulon in April was one that Toulon were lucky to keep a grip on, despite the fact that the Vulcans fielded a second-string.

And it was all yellow: Clermont's 'enthusiastic' support

This may well have been true. However, while the set from Toulon counted Jonny Wilkinson, The Armitages, Mathieu Bastareaud and Bakkies Botha among their ranks, a second XV from Clermont still included world class performers like Elvis Vermeulen, Julien Malzieu, Regan King and Julien Pierre.

In that instance, too, it must be made clear that the game was played out between two factions already assured of their place at the very top of the Top 14. This Saturday is a final. Europe’s grandest final. The Heineken Cup is the one everyone bursts themselves to win.

Clermont are understandably confident, with their rich pedigree and eight wins from eight in the Heineken. They are hunting down the Cup – something they have never done before – and all comers have been nonchalantly swatted aside whenever they have presented themselves in front of Les Jaunards.

Toulon are greedy, though.

Despite recent history, recent results or the fact that they are a warm smile away from being branded mercenary, the pack from France’s sunny south have proven big game players in their ranks and men who would happily bend rules if it meant they won a prize.

It is a chop-licking prospect. Everywhere you look there are impressive match-ups.

Still got it: Wilkinson prepares for the final with a flourish

Napolioni Nalaga against Rudi Wulf is a head-to-head between two players that yearn to cut loose. Nathan Hines and Jamie Cudmore versus Bakkies Botha and Danie Rossouw is a ruck-time prospect with all the subtlety and grace of a sledgehammer hitting a landmine. Wilkinson against Brock James could be like chess with studs.

The most volatile and keenest battle on the Dublin turf this Saturday could well be in the scrum, though. Toulon rely on big ol’ boys while Clermont have enough scars and synergy to see them tramp through. Much depends on who elevates their level of performance, but keep an eye on Davit Zirakashvili butting up against Andrew Sheridan.

Most will expect this final written in French to conclude with Clermont joy. What it will come down to is whether Clermont score as they are expected to, or if Toulon can hold on and roll over the line at the last.

ASM Clermont Auvergne: Byrne; Sivivatu, Rougerie (c), Fofana, Nalaga; James, Parra; Domingo, Kayser, Zirakashvili, Cudmore, Hines, Bonnaire, Vosloo, Chouly

Subs: Paulo, Debaty, Ric, Pierre, Bardy, Radosavljevic, Skrela, King

Toulon: D Armitage; Wulf, Bastareaud, Giteau, Palisson; Wilkinson (c), Tillous-Borde; Sheridan, Bruno, Hayman, Botha, Kennedy, Rossouw, Fernandez Lobbe, Masoe

Subs: Orioli, Jenkins, Kubriashvili, Van Niekerk, Armitage, Mermoz, Michalak, Suta

A quick tête-à-tête: No 8s and captains Jamie Heaslip and Sergio Parisse have a quiet chat before the big one tonight

By Alan Dymock

DESPITE THEIR illustrious history, their garish attire and their hunkier than thou personnel, Stade Francais are undoubtedly the underdogs going into tonight’s Amlin Challenge Cup final in Dublin.

The runaround at the RDS not only represents a chance to win a European trophy for the first time in the Parisien’s history, but also offers the 2007 Top 14 champions an opportunity to make it into the Heineken Cup next season.

No one has given them a chance, though, as they line up against the reigning Heineken champions Leinster at their own RDS ground on Friday evening. Although talisman Brian O’Driscoll is out for the final there is still a glittering array of attacking talents served up for the Leinster faithful.

According to Stade’s blindside flanker David Lyons, however, that may just suit the notoriously inconsistent French outfit fine as they trot out to stand in front of Ireland’s irresistible playmakers.

“It is hard to say why Stade are so inconsistent,” the 44-cap Wallaby said yesterday. “A lot of French teams are like that. We have had a really good build-up, though, and everyone has been a bit edgy. It is very hard to play here in Dublin – I know that having played Leinster so many times with the Scarlets and everyone has a TV so they can see for themselves – but we have nothing to lose.

“We have just got to throw everything at them and hopefully that team that can beat anyone on the day turns up.”

Rough rider: Lyons bustles in the Challenge Cup semi

The veteran back-rower, who will be playing one-on-one against young Rhys Ruddock, seems to revel in the shadow cast over his team by the silky Dublin side. He explains that he likes the underdog tag and while the Leinster backline is one that needs to be chased he also hints that after a few years in France he can almost sense when a wobble is coming and when the team is ready to click.

If he and his colleagues are to click, it may well be because of a certain back-row battle falling in favour of Stade.

According to Lyons: “We have an opportunity if we have quality ball and our set-piece is good, while some players lead by experience and from the front. A big showdown to look forward to is Sergio Parisse versus Jamie Heaslip. That is a big one.

“For me, I am just excited by the prospect of playing quality opposition in a quality venue where pride is at stake.”

Lyons is right about one thing: tonight, as the two No 8 captains collide it will take a performance to be proud of for the underdogs to triumph. Yet how many times have we heard that before, only for the written-off visitors to pull a performance out of their shiny, pink-piped bag?

If Stade do win it will be because they mugged Leinster in their own home, with their Italian alpha male at the fore.

Leinster v Stade Francais, ko 8pm on Sky Sports 2

Leinster: R Kearney; Conway, McFadden, Madigan, Nacewa; Sexton, Boss; McGrath, Cronin, Ross, Roux, Toner, Ruddock, O’Brien, Heaslip (c)

Subs: Strauss, Healy, Hagan, Cullen, Jennings, Cooney, Goodman, D Kearney

Stade Francais: Porical; Sinzelle, Doumayrou, Williams, Bonneval; Plisson, Dupuy; De Malmanche, Sempere, Slimani, Lavalla, Mostert, Lyons, Rabadan, Parisse (c)

Subs: Bonfils, Wright, Becasseau, van Zyl, Tomiki, Nayacalevu, Arias, Warwick

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)