The first of the Top 14 quarter-finals takes place on Friday, with defending champions Clermont Auvergne hosting Biarritz at the Stade Marcel Michelin.

For Vern Cotter's Clermont this match provides another stepping stone towards defending their hard-won inaugural title, although the mighty Stade Toulousain are next up for whichever team triumphs on Friday.

For those of a superstitious disposition they may look wryly at the date - Friday 13th - but fans, players and coaches will be hoping to avoid any horror shows as the Top 14 season draws to a climax.

Clermont, by dint of home advantage, must surely start as favourites, although both these sides actually finished on 72 points - along with Montpellier. 'Les Jaunards' had a tough workout away to Stade Toulousain last weekend, eventually losing 15-6 in a match that was dominated by the injury to Aurélien Rougerie.

The loss of any international player will always be keenly felt, but for Clermont to lose their inspirational skipper was ill luck indeed. What we saying about the superstitious types?

Last season Clermont were forced to come from behind to see off Racing-Métro 21-17 at the same stage, and it was four late kicks from scrum-half Morgan Parra which finally sealed the win. The feisty French scrum-half is likely to have another major impact on Friday's match, when he will be up against his international rival Dimitri Yachvili.

Both 'lefties' are now in charge of their team's kicking duties and their rivalry with ball either in hand or at foot will be key to the outcome of this match. How effective they are out of hand will, of course, be largely down to the service they get from their respective packs, and this is where the match will truly be won or lost - 'Pas de melee, pas de victoire' as they say in France.

The two sides have international class in abundance, both up front and out wide, and while Clermont will rue the loss of Rougerie, Biarritz will similarly be disappointed that the versatile Damien Traille has not recovered in time to feature.

Top 14 League Table 2010/11

The key to one-off games likes this is often which side handles the pressure best, and that means not only cutting out unforced errors but also maintaining discipline and taking your chances when offered.

No team has gone to the Stade Marcel Michelin this season and emerged victorious, but Biarritz did win there 16-13 in the league last season. They know the fortress can be breached, but they will have to play out of their skins to do so again.

That means hard graft from the likes of the Lund brothers - Magnus and Erik - as well as Imanol Harinordoquy and French World Cup selection Raphael Lakafia, and then it will also probably mean one of their match-winning backs getting over the try line. American speedster Takudzwa Ngwenya has an appetite for the big stage, and World Cup winner Iain Balshaw is capable of magic. But I fancy it will come down to Yachvili's boot is Biarritz are to triumph.

When these two side met here back in April it resulted in a comprehensive home win for Clermont as they trounced Biarritz 41-13, but no-one is expecting such a one-sided affair again.

Clermont Auvergne starting XV: Floch, Fofana, Joubert, Canale, Malzieu, James, Parra, Lapandry, Lauaki, Bonnaire, Privat (capt), Cudmore, Scelzo, Ledesma, Debaty. Subs: Ti Paulo, Faure, Pierre, Vermeulen, Senio, Russell, Murimurivalu, Zirakashvili

Biarritz starting XV: Balshaw, Ngwenya, Bosch, Mignardi, Bolakoro, Peyrelongue, Yachvili, Harinordoquy (capt), Lakafia, Lund M, Taele-Pavihi, Lund E, Johnstone, Terrain, Coetzee. Subs: Guinazu, Afoa, Thion, Lauret, Lesgourgues, Tranier, Haylett-Petty, Marconnet (23rd man)

Prediction: Clermont Auvergne win

Semi-finals: (to be played at Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)

Stade Toulousain v winner of Clermont/Biarritz
Racing-Métro 92 v winner of Castres/Montpellier