Weekend Heineken Cup Preview

The first of Saturday's live games comes from <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Northern Ireland, where Ulster host Stade Francais. As with all of this weeks Heineken Cup fixtures, this is the return leg of the games from last week. Stade won that game at home, by 30-10, and retain control of Pool 6. The critical match is likely to be the away game at Gloucester, but Fabien Galthie must be careful not to take this one too lightly.Ulster have a proud record at Ravenhill, and the 1999 winners of the competition have not lost to these opponents there is three meetings. However, this has been a poor season in general, and there are some major injury concerns for Mark McCall.The most significant of these is to fly half David Humphrey's who has a foot injury, and his experience would be invaluable, not to mention his goal kicking skills. Scrum half Kieran Campbell, flanker Neil Best, and centre Johnny Bell are the other doubts, although Paddy Wallace and Matt Mustchin have been added to the initial squad. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Both McCall and Galthie will not announce the team until Saturday, but the bookies have the French as 4/11 favourites. They convinced in their away match at Cardiff in Round 2 and so the old theory of French sides being poor travellers may not hold true in this case. The handicap is around ten points however and we are not overly excited by this. Three other French clubs are involved in the televised action on Saturday afternoon, the first of whom are the long time favourites in this competition, Toulouse. For them, perhaps the bad travellers mantra does ring true. They lost at a struggling Northampton last week, and now have to avenge that defeat at the Stade Ernest Wallon. We fully expect them to do so. This was not the first time that they have slipped up in Europe away from home, with an opening weekend defeat to Edinburgh last season springing to mind. When the Scots made the return journey however, the score was 33-0, and we would not be at all surprised to see a similar margin in this one. Saints have been awful domestically and are bottom of the Zurich Premiership. This prompted the sacking of coach Alan Solomons, and the installation of Steve Thompson as skipper which roused the troops last week, but visiting the Pink City is arguably the hardest task in European rugby, and they look set to struggle. Having Bruce Reihana back is a boost however, and the side is otherwise unchanged. Toulouse welcome back Trevor Brennan and French international scrum half Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, although Benoit Baby and David Gerard are out. The French, who lost in the final last year, must win if they are to top Pool 3 and having witnessed their 43-18 demolition of Glasgow at home in Round 2, we feel the -14 point handicap is on the low side. Please note, we have put this as part of a double with the next game. The next French team is Castres, and they go to Munster for what is sure to a feisty encounter. No quarter was given in France last week, and many, including the man himself, felt that Ronan O'Gara was given some harsh treatment. Paul Volley was the main protagonist, and was showing all the combative skills that Wasps fans have become used to seeing over the last few years, before his move to he French club in the summer. He will certainly not shirk a challenge and it should make for great viewing as O'Gara is the darling of the Munster faithful. Thomond Park is the very definition of a fortress and Munster have never lost a Heineken Cup match there. They came very close in Round One however, when a struggling Harlequins only went down by 9-15 and pushed for a try right until the final whistle. They got the win though, and followed this up with a hard fought 20-18 success at the Ospreys. This leaves them on 9 points, but two behind Castres, who have also won two of heir three, and secured a draw away at Harlequins. They won last week by 19-12, and the margin would have been larger had it not been for their propensity for giving away penalties. Coach Christophe Urios and inspirational skipper Mario Ladesma will be keen to work on that area, and if they can, we feel they can push this Munster side close. To advise backing a Castres win would be a huge call considering the awesome record of the home side at this venue, but there is a + 12 point handicap which we are happy to go with as part of a double. Outright odds for the match have Castres at 10/3 with Munster priced at 1/4. Perpignan are the final Gallic side on TV on Saturday, and hey take on Newport-Gwent Dragons needing to win badly, after going down 14-27 in Wales last week. In their favour they have the intense Stade Aime Giral, where the infamously hostile Catalan atmosphere is worth several points in itself. They have already thrashed Edinburgh there 23-0 in Round One, and retain hopes of qualifying from what could become a very tight Pool. A win here with a bonus point would take them level with the Dragons, and table topping Newcastle still have to visit France in the final game. The Dragons have been going well in the Celtic League and recreated some of that form last week. However, there is a feeling that Perpignan, finalists from two years ago, underestimated them, and there is no danger of the same mistake being made twice. A new front row has been called in, consisting of Sebastien Chobet, Laurent Sempere and Vincent Debaty. In addition the scrum half and skipper Ludovic Loustau and flanker Vincent Roigt have been brought recalled. We expect the French to be fired up and to win. The bookies agree and have them as 1/4 favourites, with the Dragons at 3/1 and a handicap available of round ten points. None of these bets hold a great deal of appeal.