European Cup Preview: Stormy Front (Rows) Expected

Allez Les Noirs
By Peter Snow's Swingometer
December 5 2003

The World Cup is not long over and the Heineken Cup is on us already. Such is the tenor of modern rugby that most if not all London Wasps' and Perpignan's French, English and other assorted internationals will be in High Wycombe to contest the opening game in pool 6.

Warren Gatland has stated that Wasps' ambition is to win the Heineken Cup, the only honour missing from Wasps burgeoning trophy cabinet. If this is seen as arrogance then so be it. To this end our last World Cup returnees, Lawrence Dallaglio and Josh Lewsey are on for our crack at Europe. Perpignan have the same goal and having tasted defeat in last season's final, they will be going all out to spoil London Wasps' avowed intent on Sunday.

What can we expect from this supposedly unfashionable French club? USAP are the 'arlequins of southern France. Curiously the Catalan team plays in the colours of Spain -- denoting their origins without adopting the colours of Catalunya's capital, Barcelona. The lack of a wage cap in France mean USAP have a team to match their chequebook. Just lok who has joined them over the summer: Lord Lucre (Dan Luger), Mickey O'Driscoll (no doubt picked up from Munster on the way to last season's final), Perry Freshwater (erstwhile member of Leicester's ABC club) and Franck Tournaire (of the hair, also an ex-Tigger).

Last season this uncompromising team started the competition with an easy home win against Viadana. Then it lost its way with successive defeats at Munster and Gloucester. Perpignan forced their way back into contention in the pool of death by finishing with three straight wins and crushing Gloucester by 15 points into the bargain. Viadana took them all the way in the second half before losing on their own turf by 35-39 in the final pool game. Nip and tuck, but Munster fell from grace, not Perpignan!

USAP then faced a tough trip to Stradey Park but stand-off Manny Edmonds kicked two dropped-goals to keep the visitors in front as Llanelli succumbed 19-26. The Frenchmen then ruined Leinster's plan of a home final by taking the semi-final 14-21. The home team failed to punish Perpignan's indiscipline in testing conditions. USAP's forward domination secured the win as BOD limped off.

The final was an all-French affair in Dublin. Toulouse fly-half Yann Delaigue kicked 17 points to quell USAP's challenge. Perpignan were 19-0 down at one stage and eventually lost 22-17 in front of a disappointing crowd of 28,600. They will be keen to go one better this season. The teams on that day were:

Toulouse: C Poîtrenaud; E Ntamack, X Garbajosa, Y Jauzion, V Clerc; Y Delaigue, F Michalak; B Lecouls, Y Bru, J-B Poux, D Gérard, F Pelous (cap) , T Brennan, J Bouilhou, C Labit. Replacements C Soulette, W Servat, G Lamboley, F Maka, S Dupuy, C Heymans, C Desbrosse.

Perpignan: J-M Souverbie; P Bomati, P Giordani, C Manas, F Cermeno; M Edmonds, L Loustau; R Peillard, M Konieckiewicz, N Mas, J Thion, R Alvarez Kairelis, G le Corvec, B Goutta (capt), P Murphy. Replacements: M Dal Maso, S De Besombes, C Porcu, L Mallier, J Basset, N Laharrague, D Marty.

The French League National du Rugby took the decision not to begin this season until the World Cup was almost done. Consequently USAP have played just four league fixtures prior to this weekend, winning three times and losing once:

1er Journée : 10/11 Octobre 2003 Montauban 19-25 Perpignan
2ème Journée : 17/18 Octobre 2003 Perpignan 20-16 Narbonne
3ème Journée : 24/25 Octobre 2003 Grenoble 29-28 Perpignan
4ème Journée : 28/29 Novembre 2003 Montpellier 9-18 Perpignan

Early in October they went out of the cup at the quarter final stage away to Biarritz by 23-20. Their results indicate that they fight tight battles. Players to watch for are their rapier fullback, Jean-Marc Souverbie; the hulking, young tighthead prop, Nicolas Mas; Aussie playmaker, Manny Edmonds (wouldn't he like to meet Josh the Rib Tickler?); international centre, Pascal Giordani and inspirational captain, openside Bernard Goutta.

For Wasps, perhaps our key to the comfort zone is Big Trevor Leota. Sir Trev has struggled to recover his form of last season. Whatever the reason, he need only take inspiration from the way his fellow Samoan, Pat Lam, played when Northampton took the Heineken Cup in 2000. Captain Lam's shoulder was practically hanging off as he took the field against Munster but he played through the pain barrier (inspired by his wife having given birth without pain-killers that very week) and pushed Munster onto their back feet.

The swingometer predicts a mighty forward battle before the backs eventually fly down the wings. The French are used to wet weather following their recent deluge. There won't be any this weekend. Wasps will be on our guard. If we eschew any points, like last weekend, then the winners will be red and yellow. However, Perpignan are not renowned for their discipline and this will be the deciding factor. If Sir Trev hits the lineouts and Gizmo bags the penalties it will be Wasps by ten.

London Wasps: 15 Mark Van Gisbergen; 14 Josh Lewsey, 13 Fraser Waters, 12 Stuart Abbott, 11 Tom Voyce; 10 Alex King, 9 Rob Howley; 1 Craig Dowd, 2 Trevor Leota, 3 Will Green, 4 Simon Shaw, 5 Richard Birkett, 6 Joe Worsley, 7 Jonny O’Connor, 8 Lawrence Dallaglio (Capt.)

Bench: 16 Ben Gotting, 17 Tim Payne, 18 Paul Volley, 19 Martin Purdy, 20 Peter Richards, 21 Mark Denney, 22 John Rudd

Perpignan, from:

ALVAREZ, KAIRELIS RIMAS; BOMATI, PASCAL; CERMENO, FREDERIC; DEBATY, VINCENT; EDMONDS, MANUEL; FILLOL, JEROME (SF CASG); FRESHWATER, PERRY (LEICESTER); GASTON, COLIN (NARBONNE); GIORDANI, PASCAL; GOUTTA, BERNARD (CAPT.); GRELON, NICOLAS (MONTAUBAN); HERBERT, DANIEL (RWC); HUNT, SIMON (NARBONNE); JANIN, DAVID (BOURGOIN); KONIECKIEWICZ, MICHEL; LABAT, JEROME (STADE MONTOIS); LAHARRAGUE, NICOLAS; LE CORVEC, GREGORY; LOUSTEAU, LUDOVIC; LUGER, DAN (HARLEQUINS); MALLIER, LIONEL; MANAS, CHRISTIAN; MARTY, DAVID; MAS, NICOLAS; MEYA, PASCAL; MORENO, ALEXANDRO; O'DRISCOLL, MICK (MUNSTER); PORCU, CHRISTOPHE; ROBERTSON, SCOTT; SAISSET, OLIVIER, TOURNAIRE FRANCK (LEICESTER)

CUP ODDS: 5-1 Toulouse; 8-1 Wasps; 10-1 Munster, Stade Francais; 12-1 Gloucester, Leinster; 14-1 Northampton; 16-1 Leicester, Llanelli, Perpignan; 25-1 Biarritz; 33-1 Sale; 40-1 Agen, Bourgoin; 50-1 Warriors, Ulster; 66-1 Ospreys; 80-1 Leeds; 125-1 Dragons; 150-1 Blues, Edinburgh; 500-1 Borders; 2,500-1 Calvisano; 5,000-1 Treviso.

Related links: French National League | Sunday's weather