Especially there is the memory of last week's home defeat. They were beating Llanelli 31-10 well into the second part, fell apart and lost 41-31.  For all that coach Guy Novès says that there is no crisis and that he sleeps peacefully. That is the stuff of nightmares, a huge blow to a team's confidence.

The match is a serious one. Biarritz, the champions, are third, which is not where there ambitions would have them. Toulouse, 16 times champions, are fifth, which is not at all where they would expect to be. If Toulouse win they are likely to move to fourth with Biarritz dropping to fifth because Perpignan are almost sure to win.

Results against common opponents:

Agen: Biarritz lost 20-18 away; Toulouse lost 24-16 away
Albi: Biarritz won 20-6 at home; Toulouse won 23-0 at home and drew 13-13 away
Bayonne: Biarritz won 54-0 at home and 15-11 away;
Bourgoin: Biarritz won 12-6 at home; Toulouse won 25-15 at home
Brive: Biarritz won 21-14 away; Toulouse won 24-9 away and lost 29-26 at home
Castres: Biarritz won 16-12 away; Toulouse won 35-3 at home
Clermont Auvergne: Biarritz won 29-24 at home and lost 25-17 away; Toulouse lost 46-9 away
Montauban: Biarritz lost 19-13 away; Toulouse won 24-19 away and 30-21 at home
Montpellier: Biarritz won 44-11 at home; Toulouse drew 9-9 away
Narbonne: Biarritz lost 25-18 away and won 42-14 at home
Perpignan: Biarritz won 25-10 at home; Toulouse lost 30-17 away
Stade Français:  Biarritz lost 22-16 away; Toulouse lost 16-12 at home

Toulouse are pleased to welcome back flyhalf Jean-Frédéric Dubois from the facial injury he sustained againbst Ulster, as Frédéric Michalak remains injured and their "medical joker" Gaffie du Toit has gone home to South Africa "for family reasons". He had been at the club for just over two weeks, time enough to start in both defeats at the hands of Llanelli. Toulouse may also have Yannick Jauzion and Omar Hasan back but will be without Frédéric Michalak, Daan Human Fabien Pelous, who did an ankle against Llanelli, and Gareth Thomas.

Biarritz have made several changes to their side from the one which played the Border Reivers. In come  August, Harinordoquy, Yachvili, Peyrelongue, Brusque and Cabannes donc, and Sereli Bobo is on the bench

Teams:

Biarritz: 15 Nicolas Brusque, 14 Philippe Bidabé, 13 Romain Cabannes, 12 Damien Traille, 11 Jean-Baptiste Gobelet, 10 Julien Peyrelongue, 9 Dimitri Yachvili, 8 Imanol Harinordoquy, 7 Thomas Lièvremont, 6 Serge Betsen, 5 David Couzinet, 4 Stephen Hall,  3 Benoît Lecouls, 2 Benoît August, 1 Petru Balan.
Replacements: 16 Benjamin Noirot, 17 Denis Avril, 18  Yohann Carpentier, 19 Mohamed Dridi, 20 Julien Dupuy, 21 Marcelo Bosch, 22 Sereli Bobo

Toulouse: 15 Clément Poitrenaud, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Yannick Jauzion, 12 Maleli Kunavore, 11 Cédric Heymans, 10 Jean-Frédéric Dubois, 9 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 8 Yannick Nyanga, 7 Isitolo Maka, 6 Thierry Dusautoir, 5 Patricio  Albacete, 4 Romain Millo-Chluski, 3 Omar Hasan, 2 Yannick Bru (captain), 1 Salvatore Perugini
Replacements: 16 Virgil Lacombe, 17 Jean-Baptiste Poux, 18 Grégory Lamboley, 19 Jean Bouilhou, 20 Valentin Courrent, 21 Maxime Medard, 22 Florian Fritz, 23 Trevor Brennan

Date: Saturday, 23 December 2006
Kick-off:  21.00 (Broadcast on Canal +)
Venue: Parc des Sports Aguiléra
Expected weather conditions: Clear but cold with a high of 9°C dropping at night, when the match will be played, to 1°C. Wind light. 
Referee: Jean-Christophe Gastou
Touch judges: Henri Claverie, Jacques Laplace
Assessor: Daniel Gillet
Goal judges: Stephan Pomarède, Jean-Marie Piraveau