Hungry Biarritz ready for battle

French teams have all too often displayed little in the way of appetite on the road in Europe but Biarritz are far from likely to fall into that category for the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final against Leinster at the RDS today.

Coach Laurent Rodriguez has implored his team to ‘go to Dublin starved to death’ — it sounds much better in French — as the holders must retain this trophy to secure Heineken Cup action next season. It’s all or nothing for them, then. Feast or famine.

Minus key men such as prop Fabien Barcella and full-back Iain Balshaw they still have Imanol Harinordoquy, Dmitri Yachvili and Damien Traille in the spine of the side.