CHAMPIONS CUP PREVIEW: Toulon can upset the apple cart

There are two real blockbuster games to headline the weekend of quarterfinal action in the Investec Champions Cup but if you are looking for a game that will shake up the elite European competition look no further than the last game of this phase in Toulon on Sunday.

Although they have a rich history in the competition, with no-one really needing reminding of the pivotal role some legendary South Africans have played in their historical success, Toulon didn’t feature as one of the favourites in the competition at the start of the season.

That was because they hadn’t challenged for European supremacy in a while, and when they went to Gqeberha in early December to open with a hard-fought win over the DHL Stormers it was regarded as something of a surprise.

The highly physical Toulon side though did lay down an undeniable marker in that game.

Often the French sides don’t go all out in away games, but they quickly made it apparent they had come to play with their fast paced and highly aggressive playing style.

They were borderline too physical in that game, and the referee missed a few off-the-ball challenges on Stormers players that should have been punished.

But their coach explained afterwards that it was what was required to win in South Africa.

It was Toulon’s first visit, and perhaps they over-compensated a bit. What they did do was make it clear that they were going to go all out to come top of their group, which is why they are hosting Toulouse on Sunday rather than travelling to the reigning champions club.

TOULOUSE ARE VISITING THE 'MAD HOUSE'

Toulouse are going to be hard to topple, even without their injured talisman Antoine Dupont. But not for nothing is the Toulon home ground of Stade Mayol described as a mad house, and that will be the big leveller when the two French giants clash.

To illustrate how tough an obstacle this will be for Toulouse in their quest for a seventh European title, Toulon have not lost at home this season.

In 10 Top 14 home games, they have won every one. And several of those games with quite a considerable degree of comfort.

The resurgence is happening and it is therefore understandable that in some quarters there is reference to a top four - Toulouse, Leinster, the charging Bordeaux-Begles and now Toulon.

Toulon have played Toulouse once this season and they conceded more than 50.

But it was an away game, and French teams invariably go under-strength when they travel against the big teams.

So this will be a different challenge for Toulouse, who won 38-15 against Sale Sharks but weren’t at their imperious best over the entire 80 minutes.

Indeed, they trailed at halftime, with it looking possible that Alex Sanderson’s Sale might pull off the upset of the season.

But Sale were blacked out in the second half by a Toulouse team that took control and who had Ange Capuzzo and Romain Ntamack in outstanding form.

Capuzzo unfortunately was stretchered off before the end with a suspected leg fracture so the win came at some cost for the champions.

Toulon also started slowly in their round of 16 match and then ended like a house on fire.

They were 28-0 down at one stage against under-strength Saracens, but came back to post 74 points.

That gave them the confidence they need heading into Sunday, although both coaches will be wary of repeating last week’s slow starts.

This time they are up against opponents that will punish any early game rust.

FRIDAY NIGHT MIGHT BE PREVIEW OF URC FINAL

It should be a compelling watch, as should the game that kicks off the weekend in Dublin on Friday night.

Leinster v Glasgow Warriors may well be a preview of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship final later in the season, with the Warriors as the reigning champions in the competition.

There is of course a strong South African influence in the game, with both coaches having served with the Springboks at some point, and Glasgow’s Franco Smith was also a useful Bok utility back in his playing days in the second half of the 1990s.

Against him is the most recent Bok World Cup-winning coach in Jacques Nienaber, who is the senior assistant to Leinster’s long serving Leo Cullen.

Leinster have got one thing right in the past three Champions Cup seasons - they have won all their pool games which has enabled them to win their pool and advance to the knock-out phase with a good enough seeding to play all their play-off games at home.

Well, there is a destination final, this year Cardiff, but the season before last that destination final was in Dublin, so Leinster have managed to give themselves a significant leg up.

But while they made three finals they lost all of them, albeit all of them by the narrowest of margins, and they are desperate to go better than that this season.

After three narrow misses, a fourth would be very difficult for them to recover from.

RG, JORDIE LEINSTER’S POINT OF DIFFERENCE THIS YEAR

That’s where further South African influence comes in, with Bok lock RG Snyman joining All Black centre Jordie Barrett in creating the point of difference for Leinster.

On their home ground, they should be too much for the Warriors, who are due to play in Dublin again in the URC in a few weeks, but given the clash in styles it should also be a great game to watch.

The other URC team still alive in the competition is Munster, who dug deep and showed typical grit and fortitude to beat two time champions La Rochelle, coached by former Munster legend Ronan O’Gara, last weekend.

Bordeaux Begles though on their home ground should be a bridge too far, and Castres, who were fortunate to beat Benetton in the round of 16, should also struggle to cross the bridge placed in front of them in the form of Northampton Saints’ home ground of Franklin Gardens.

Investec Champions Cup quarterfinals

Leinster v Glasgow Warriors (Dublin, Friday 9pm)

Bordeaux Begles v Munster (Bordeaux, Saturday 4pm)

Northampton Saints v Castres (Northampton, Saturday 6:30pm)