A scent of revenge will inevitably float on Saturday (4:15 p.m.) at the Toulouse Stadium, which should be full for the reception of the Irish province of Ulster.

The defending champion still has a problem with the cancellation in January by the organizer of the competition, the EPCR (European Professional Club Rugby), of his last group match against Cardiff, which he considered to be in able and entitled to play despite several Covid-19 contaminations in its ranks.

"I am not angry and will not be angry," Toulouse president Didier Lacroix said in an interview with AFP.

"It is up to us to defend our skin, whatever the table in which we are registered, whatever the conditions in which we have been qualified".

Narrowly passed after the cancellation of their two home matches, the five-time European champions (record) inherited with Ulster from South African Duane Vermeulen a dangerous opponent, currently second in the United Rugby Championship (the championship Irish, Scottish, Welsh, South African and Italian provinces and teams).

"The Fight of the Villages"

Played for the first time in an unusual round-trip format in rugby, the round of 16 will see two Franco-French confrontations between teams which, coincidentally, have already faced each other last week in the Top 14.

The reunion on Saturday (2:00 p.m.) between the coaches of Bordeaux-Bègles Christophe Urios and La Rochelle Ronan O'Gara, who bickered during the victory of the Maritimes in Gironde (16-15), are eagerly awaited.

But the former Irish opener was suspended for two weeks by the National Rugby League (NRL) for previous acts and will have to attend the two continental games to come from the stands.

Urios had however taken a malicious pleasure at the beginning of the week to raise the temperature even further before this new Atlantic "derby": "For me, that's rugby. It's the fight of the villages, even if there, they are big cities”.

"These are final phase matches against an opponent with whom we do not necessarily appreciate," he insisted.

"I like this chapel, it excites me. I like when we are different, that sometimes we don't respect each other".

"The Smell of Blood"

The other 100% French duel will offer Saturday (6.30 p.m.) at the Jean-Bouin stadium the second part of the Ile-de-France trilogy between Racing 92 and the French stadium.

Who would have obviously preferred that their paths did not cross so often.

"We will have to see over time if it is a formula (round trip) that settles", commented the center of Racing Henry Chavancy.

"I like the + dry + final phase matches, because it has a little more + the smell of blood +, they are exciting matches".

Severely beaten at their neighbor Hauts-de-Seine (53-20) last weekend, the Parisians of the French stadium, left behind in the league (11th place), only have Europe to save their season.

It's a bit the opposite for Montpellier, leader of the Top 14, opposed Sunday (2:00 p.m.) to the reigning English champions, the Harlequins, carried by their international opener Marcus Smith.

Not totally concerned during the group stage, like the historic slap received at Leinster (89-7), the MHR, which has just extended all of its staff until 2025, will he play this time more continental play?

The question also arises for Clermont.

In the fight in the race for qualification for the final phase of the Top 14, the Auvergne club, not necessarily armed to play on two fronts, may have its head elsewhere on Sunday (4:15 p.m.) against Leicester, solid leader of the English championship .

© 2022 AFP