ACC, r5: Jonny Wilkinson to start for Toulon against Saracens; Montpellier optimistic

14 January 2010

England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has been named in Toulon's starting XV for their crucial Amlin Challenge Cup match away to Saracens tonight (Thursday).

The 30-year-old is one of several British players featured in the squad, with former Saracens stalwart Kris Chesney also getting a start (in the second row). Wilkinson's former Newcastle and England colleague Tom May begins at inside centre, while ex-Munster prop Tim Ryan is on the bench.

Toulon won the French leg against Saracens 31-23 back in October and are currently top of Pool 3 with 18 points having recorded four victories from four. Saracens, who need to win to maintain their quarter-final hopes, are currently second with 13 points. 

Amlin Challenge Cup - Pool results and tables

Toulon skipper Joe van Niekerk is also named for the Vicarage Road showdown, while Felipe Contepomi is on the bench.

Saracens scrum-half Neil de Kock admitted it was a must-win game for the Guinness Premiership side. "It's pretty clear that we need to get the win on Thursday night if we are to maintain our hopes of making the knockout stages," he said.

"Toulon have some very good players and we are keen to make up for our defeat in the south of France earlier in the season. But we have some great players of our own and we will concentrate on our game and do what we need to do to get the win," added de Kock.

Bourgoin are the other French side playing on Thursday night, with a a home match against Bucuresti Oaks in Pool 1. The French team, who were runners up in this competition last season, are currently level on 14 points with Pool 1 leaders Leeds Carnegie, so they will be hunting for a bonus point as they seek to progress to the knockout stages again.

Bourgoin won 21-19 in Bucharest and have former France prop Olivier Milloud at loosehead for tonight's game. South African Wessel Jooste captains the side in Julien Frier's absence, with Sebastien Laloo assuming the fly-half duties and former Leeds man Alberto Di Bernardo playing at full-back. Leeds are away to Rugby Parma on Saturday.

Montpellier are in action on Friday as they travel to Ireland to take on Pool 2 leaders Connacht. Just two points separate the sides at present, with Connacht's 22-19 win in France earlier in the competition proving crucial. That result means Montpellier realistically need to win tonight to have any hope of going through to the last eight.

Montpellier prop Michel Macurdy admitted the home loss to Connacht had put the French side "in a tricky position" but said he and his colleagues remained optimistic they could go to Ireland and win.

"We still have a chance to make things right," he said. "On a good day we can pull it off so let's hope we will do well in Connacht, it's definitely an important game for us. They are a good team and they made us struggle in the Round 2 match," he told ercrugby.com.

Macurdy has plenty of experience of playing Connacht away - both with Montpellier and his previous clubs Toulon and Racing - and admitted it could be "rather a hostile ground to play at". Macurdy, who will captain Montpellier tonight, promised that Montpellier would be taking the game seriously as they harbour genuine ambitions of progressing in the tournament - especially with the ultimate carrot of a Heineken Cup slot next season for the competition winners.

Of the other French teams in action this weekend only Montauban and Racing-Métro 92 have any possibility of progressing, although both would need other results to go their way.

Racing are away to Top 14 strugglers Bayonne in Pool 4, with the hosts beginning life under head coach number three this season following the sacking of Thierry Mentières on Wednesday. Racing are currently five points behind group leaders London Wasps, but the latter are at home to Roma, so Racing's prospects of topping the pool look highly unlikely.

Montauban are away to Petrarca Padova in Pool five as they seek to make up ground of group leaders Newcastle Falcons - who are three points ahead. In that regard Marc Raynaud's men will be looking for a helping hand from SCA Albi, who are at home to Newcastle on Saturday.

Castres' home game against Rugby Rovigo in Pool 3 is an academic affair, with neither team having any hope of going through. Castres, who lost their Top 14 after losing at Montpellier at the weekend, are likely to take the opportunity to rest weary legs.

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