ACC, r4 preview: Bourgoin and Bayonne kick off crucial weekend of European club action

17 December 2009

Round four of the Amlin Challenge Cup kicks off tonight with Bourgoin and Bayonne both in action as they seek to take another step closer to qualifying for the knockout stages.

Bourgoin - last year's runners-up - are currently level with Pool 1 leaders Leeds Carnegie, but will fancy taking over top spot with if they can secure a bonus-point home win against Rugby Parma, who they beat 14-9 in Italy last weekend.

Bayonne are also at home, but face far tougher opposition as they welcome former Heineken and ACC champions London Wasps. The Guinness Premiership outfit won 22-18 in London in Round 3 and will be captained by former French international Serge Betsen. Wasps currently hold a three-point lead over Bayonne in Pool 4, but that could all change if the Basques can pull of a convincing home win. 

Amlin Challenge Cup - Pool results and tables

Elsewhere, Pool 3 leaders Toulon will be looking to continue their 100% start with an away win against Rugby Rovigo - who they smashed 73-3 last weekend - while Montauban know they must win big at home to Newcastle Falcons if they're to keep their own ambitions alive in Pool 5. Montpellier are also still in contention in Pool 2, but know they can't afford a slip-up away to Spanish side Olympus Rugby XV Madrid.

France's other representatives - Racing-Métro 92, SCA Albi and Castres - all have their own reasons for trying to win, but qualifying for the quarter-finals appears beyond all three at this stage. Their respective form in Top 14 carries more importance at present, with Racing (3rd) and Castres (1st) both looking to secure play-off berths - and Heineken Cup qualification - while basement club Albi haven't yet given up on hope of avoiding the drop.

Bourgoin v Rugby Parma
The big story with Bourgoin this weekend is the probably playing return of veteran prop Olivier Milloud after 18 months out injured. The 34-year-old has undergone two operations on his Achilles but has been named among the subs for tonight's clash and could come on for the final 20 minutes. "I don't know how fit I am, or how it will go. We'll see, all I want is to play again," he told L'Equipe. Bourgoin also have Benjamin Boyet back at fly-half for a game they must win to keep the pressure on Pool leaders Leeds Carnegie. Ideally, they would also clock an attacking bonus, but coach Eric Catinot will be cautioning his players about jumping the gun as they seek to to gone one step further than last year's European odyssey - when they lost in the final to Northampton Saints. They are currently level with Leeds on nine points, but have yet to visit the Guinness Premiership side in the pool games, so any advantage accrued this weekend could be crucial.
Verdict: Bourgoin win 

Bayonne v London Wasps
Bayonne go into this top-of-the-table clash with London Wasps needing a victory to regain pole position after their narrow 22-18 defeat in England last weekend. The Basques have targeted this competition as their only potential route into next season's Heineken Cup - they are currently languishing in 13th spot in Top 14 - so a win is absolutely essential tonight. Winger Pepito Elhorga captains Bayonne, with young French international Benjamin Fall on the other flank as the home side go in search of tries. Craig Gower and Cédric Garcia make up the half-back combination, while the likes of Rémy Martin, Rodney Blake and Julien Puricelli are also in the starting line-up. Wasps have made four changes from the side which won in London, with director of rugby Tony Hanks recalling Paul Sackey, Ben Jacobs, Simon Shaw and Rob Webber. "We were pleased with the result last weekend but the competitive nature of the fixture was evident from the off. With such a short turnaround and a run out on Bayonne's own turf, we expect this to be even more intense," he said. "Both sides have all to play for and points at this stage are crucial to moving into the quarter-final window, so it is a game we are relishing and one the players are really up for."
England starlet Danny Cipriani is on the bench, with Dave Walder continuing to start at fly-half, while Wasps will be captained by the 35-year-old former French international Serge Betsen.
Verdict: Bayonne win

Montauban v Newcastle Flacons
Marc Raynaud's Montauban have some serious ground to make up following last week's 17-6 defeat in Newcastle, so nothing less than a win will do as they seek to make inroads into the Falcons' six-point advantage at the top of Pool 5. Montauban will definitely be without flanker Alejandro Campos - who will be sidelined for a month with a broken hand - while there are also fitness concerns over Brice Mach (back) and Felix Le Bourhis (calf). But the home side will still fancy their chances as they seek to maximise the considerable home advantage they have at the Stade Sapiac, where they beat Clermont Auvergne 20-15 earlier this month. Nick Adams and Andrew Henderson both start for the home side, with Cédric Coll and Julien Audy making up the half-back combination again. Newcastle have made three changes from the side which won last week, with Micky Ward coming in at tighthead prop, Mark Sorenson at lock and Ed Williamson at openside flanker. Injuries continue to rule out Carl Hayman, Adam Balding, Tim Swinson, Jon Golding and Rob Vickerman, but director of rugby Steve Bates remains optimistic of another victory for the Guinness Premiership side. "We've shown we can do it. We're on top of the group after three wins from three, and the prospect of a home quarter-final is a massive incentive for us to really give it a good go over in France," he told the Falcons' website.
Verdict: Montauban win

Rugby Roma v Racing-Métro 92
Racing go into this match on the back of a seven-match winning streak in all competitions, but their priorities remain in Top 14, where they are currently riding high in third spot and chasing the twin goals of a play-off berth and Heineken Cup competition. They have already lost to both Bayonne and London Wasps in this competition  leaving them a distant third in Pool 4 at present - but Pierre Berbizier will still be expecting another victory as the Paris club tries to maintain its current winning momentum. But the experienced coach will once again allow several key players to rest as he turns his head to future domestic battles. Racing won 62-0 in Paris last weekend, and another handsome win looks on the cards again.
Verdict: Racing-Métro 92 win

Rugby Rovigo v Toulon
Toulon's European odyssey continues with a trip to Italy this weekend as they travel to play  Rugby Rovigo side they thrashed 73-3 last week. The Pool 3 leaders have won all their matches to date and sit handsomely placed four points ahead of nearest rivals Saracens as they seek to win through to the quarter-finals. Winger Gabi Lovobalavu ran in four tries during last weekend's rout and will be looking to add to his ACC haul of six so far this campaign as he leads the competition's try-scoring charts. Philippe Saint-André's team can't afford any slip-ups, however, and a five-point is an absolute prerequisite against a team which has 185 points in just three games.
Verdict: Toulon win

Olympus Rugby XV Madrid v Montpellier
Montpellier have blown hot and cold in this competition so far - much like in their Top 14 campaign - and now find themselves three points behind Pool 2 leaders Connacht Rugby. A bonus-point win in Spain would help maintain the pressure on the Irish side, but Montpellier will once more have to do so without French internationals Fulgence Ouedraogo (injured) and Francois Trinh-Duc (not registered to play). Thus it will be a blended squad of youth and experience which travels to the Spanish capital, with former England centre Ollie Smith once more in the starting line-up. Last week's 57-24 scoreline suggests Olympus could be competitive if they can hold off Montpellier for the opening 20 minutes, but the French side really should have too much savvy to get caught out.
Verdict: Montpellier win

SCA Albi v Petrarca Padova
It would be cruel to label this match as pointless, but in terms of qualifying for the quarter-finals this is a mere sideshow. For Albi it represents an excellent opportunity to record a third straight victory - following wins over Biarritz (20-9) and Petrarca (35-16) - while for Petrarca the goal remains more modest; to earn a defensive bonus point.
Verdict: SCA Albi win

Saracens v Castres
This may be a clash of respective leaders of England and France, but as a contest it is a non-starter as Castres have already conceded. "Had we won our home game against Toulon in round 1 we may have had a different approach since then," said the French side's scrum-half Alexandre Albouy. "But knowing that only the Pool winner could qualify, we knew it would b very complicated from then on. We can still keep our hopes alive to get to the Heineken Cup through our position in our domestic championship so the pressure on our shoulders isn't the same as that on other opponents". Saracens will treat the game seriously as they continue towards their goal of qualifying for the quarters, but Castres will use this more as a warm-up friendly for the more serious (in their own eyes) battles ahead. No-one really expected the French side to be leading Top 14 at this stage of the season, so it's hard to fault their channelling of priorities with the current squad and resources at their disposal.
Verdict: Saracens win

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