Stuart Barnes assesses the protaganists ahead of Saturday's Heineken Cup showdown in The Times.
"The lingering question that haunts and threatens the grandeur of the occasion is the fact that neither finalist appears to be amongst the French elite. Biarritz finished a desperately disappointing seventh, failing to even make the play-offs, while Toulouse lost their semi-final to current French champions Perpignan last Friday. Is this a shabby final fling?
"Superficially, it might be so, but a more detailed analysis of the combatants suggests otherwise. Toulouse have been playing knock-out game after knock-out game for a few weeks, trying for the European and domestic double. The grind and gruel of these games forced Guy Noves into a gamble and he omitted five likely starters for Saturday night in a bid to squeeze past Perpignan and keep their powder dry for the final.
"The gamble failed as Perpignan’s power and single-minded focus on domestic honours did for a more talented Toulouse team whose focus was blurred by this weekend’s game."
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