Grayson says Saints have the heart to test Toulouse

PAUL GRAYSON has insisted Northampton intend doing far more than merely making up the numbers in their daunting Heineken Cup mission against French aristocrats Toulouse tonight.

Saints have been written off ahead of the quarter-final clash at the 36,500-capacity Le Stadium in Toulouse.

While a Northampton victory would represent one of the tournament’s biggest upsets, Grayson is upbeat about Saints’ ability to give their illustrious hosts a thorough examination. “I am totally confident we will defend with a lot of heart and desire, and that we will challenge them all the way. At this stage of such a tough tournament, if we pulled off something, then that would be an enormous result.”

Northampton beat Toulouse in a pool encounter at Franklin’s Gardens earlier this season, before losing the return fixture, but even without an injured Gareth Thomas and a suspended Benoit Baby, Fabien Pelous’ team will take some stopping. “If Toulouse were competing in the Six Nations, they would not come last. That is how good they are,” added Grayson, Saints’ technical coach, who will be on fly-half replacement duty tonight. “When we played them in Toulouse in December, it is fair to say that they looked pretty much like the full French side. They are a team simply stacked from top to bottom with quality players. Toulouse have huge power up-front, they have got great skill at half-back, strength in the centre and a couple of guys with jet shoes playing on the wing. That makes them a pretty awesome side.

“When we beat them at our ground, it was a pretty hectic time for Northampton with a change in management, so it was a nice diversion to get the win at home and then travel to Toulouse with the pressure off.

“Now, it is our third clash of the season coming up, and we will be going out there and throwing whatever we have at them.”

Saints have received a boost with Ben Cohen beginning his comeback after a month on the sidelines.

England wing Cohen hasn’t played since suffering a fractured cheekbone during the IRB Tsunami Aid game at Twickenham, but now returns instead of Andy Vilk to forge a centre partnership alongside Marc Stcherbina.

England hooker Steve Thompson and Scotland prop Tom Smith also return to the Northampton pack, with flanker Darren Fox replacing Mark Soden and South African lock Selborne Boome featuring among the replacements after recovering from back trouble.

Thomas, Baby, Isitolo Maka, Nicolas Jeanjean, Xavier Garbajosa and Dragos Dima are all missing from the Toulouse line-up, but it is likely to be unchanged following last Saturday’s 71-3 hammering of French Championship opponents Brive.