Irish ref and rain will play key role

It may be an all-French affair when ASM Clermont Auvergne and Toulon clash at the Aviva Stadium this evening in the 18th Heineken Cup final, but there will be no escaping an Irish tinge to events in Dublin.

An Irish referee in Francophile Alain Rolland and the Dublin rain will make sure of that as these Top 14 title rivals each bid to win Europe’s most coveted club prize for the first time, but Toulon captain Jonny Wilkinson is not perturbed by the forecast of a 95% chance of showers.

“If it does rain it’s the same for both teams. Everyone wants to go out there and play, but at the same time we have this all through our careers,” Wilkinson, 34 next month, said yesterday.