The hunt for red October

Swashbuckling captain Joe Van Niekerk tells Ian Moriarty that the French side are determined to put their best foot forward for the Heineken Cup.

ONE OF the more bizarre yet intriguing aspects of the Heineken Cup over the years has been the ambivalent relationship between the tournament and the French sides. Despite providing more Heineken champions than any other country, you could be forgiven for thinking that the world’s premier club competition has been, at times, a bit of an unwanted distraction from the 119-year-old French Championship.

Current champions Toulouse are the exception that proves the rule, while Biarritz and Brive back in the ‘90s have flown the tricolour on occasion. But there’s been an inescapable feeling that for the French clubs, the Heineken Cup has too often played the role of the housewife in denial while the love affair with the Top 14 continues.