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HEINEKEN CUP SEMI FINAL
Saturday 23rd April 3pm
Stade Francais v Biarritz Olympique
The first semi-final of this year’s Heineken Cup is an all French affair at Parc des Princes on Saturday where Stade Francais face Biarritz Olympique.
Stade Francais beat Castres 24-15 last weekend and stayed in fourth place in the French Championship.They won pool 6 to qualify for the quarter-final of this year’s Heineken Cup, winning five of their matches and losing to Ulster. They crushed Newcastle Falcons 48-8 at Parc des Princes to book their place in the last four. This is the sixth season Stade Francais have qualified for the Heineken Cup and they have reached the quarter-final stage every time, incredibly losing three of them to Munster. This is the third time they have played in the semi-final, previously they lost to Ulster in 1999 and beat Munster in 2001 before losing to Leicester in the final. They have only met French opposition three times before, winning all three, against Begles Bordeaux home and away in pool 1 in 1999 and Pau in the quarter-final of 2001.
Biarritz won 24-18 at Brive last weekend and stay second in the league, two points behind leaders Bourgoin. As a confidence booster, last month they won their home match against Stade Francais 41-3. Biarritz did brilliantly to top pool 1, completing a double against Leicester and only losing the one match, to London Wasps at the Causeway Stadium. They beat Munster 19-10 in the quarter-final in San Sebastien, Spain. Biarritz have played in the Heineken Cup for the last five years and they have reached the quarter- final stage four times. Last year they made it to the semi-finals for the first time before going down to Toulouse, the only time they have met fellow Frenchmen in the competition, and they will be looking to go one step further this season by making it to their first final.
This should be a very even contest with the flair of the Stade Francais backs against the power of the Biarritz pack of forwards. Biarritz are tipped to make it to their first final.
Prediction: Biarritz Olympique to win by 3 points
HEINEKEN CUP SEMI FINAL
Sunday 24th April 3:30pm
Leicester Tigers v Toulouse
The second semi-final takes place at Leicester City’s Walkers Stadium on Sunday and brings together two of the best teams ever to have played in the competition. Leicester Tigers and Toulouse, the only two sides to have won the trophy twice and the only two sides to have appeared in three finals. Toulouse are attempting to become the first team to reach three consecutive finals.
Leicester are going through a sticky period in the Zurich Premiership and after Sunday’s 19-17 defeat at Saracens they surrendered top spot to London Wasps on games won. They entertain Wasps in what will now be a play-off for the league leadership at Welford Road next Saturday. They only sneaked into the last eight in the Heineken Cup as a result of finishing runners-up to Biarritz in pool 1, but played brilliantly in the quarter-finals, beating top seeds Leinster at a packed Lansdowne Road, 28-13. Leicester have played in three semi-finals previously and won them all. They have played Toulouse in the Heineken Cup three times before. They beat them 37-11 at home in the semi-final of 1997 and the year after became the first team ( and still only one of four) to beat Toulouse on home soil. Toulouse reciprocated in the return leg and became the first team (and still only one of five) to beat Leicester at Welford Road.
Toulouse won 28-10 at Clermont Auvergne last weekend and stay third in the league, two points behind Biarritz and four behind Bourgoin. They qualified for this season’s quarter-finals by winning pool 3 and had a comfortable 37-9 home victory against Northampton to progress to the last four. Toulouse have played in six semi-finals previously winning three and losing three. They beat Swansea in the first year of the competition, 1996, before losing to Leicester in 1997. In 1998 they were unlucky as they drew 22-22 with Brive but lost 2-1 on try count. Their next semi-final was in 2000 when they went down 31-25 to Munster in Bordeaux. They got their revenge in 2003 when they beat Munster 13-12, and last year they beat Biarritz 19-11 before losing to London Wasps in a thrilling final.
These are two of the most experienced teams in the competition. Toulouse have played in a record 70 Heineken Cup matches and Leicester 59. They are also two of the most successful sides. Toulouse’s win in the quarter-final against Northampton made them the first to win 50 in the competition. Munster are second with 45 wins and Leicester third with 42. Cases can be made for both sides and this game could really go either way. ‘Home’ advantage of sorts, may give Leicester the edge.
Prediction: Leicester to win by 6 points
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