Pelous warns of physical battle

Toulouse know they will have to win the physical battle if they are to overcome Leicester in Sunday's Heineken Cup semi-final.

The French outfit, last year’s losing finalists but winners in 1996 and 2003, will be playing their 70th European match this weekend.

Leicester have also won Europe’s premier competition twice and Toulouse captain Fabien Pelous, who is out of action until the end of the season with a knee injury, knows they will be extremely tough opponents.

“Leicester is a team that tries to push their rivals to make mistakes and prevent them from playing their game,” the Toulouse and France lock said.

“They are in that sense quite similar to most English teams who have been very physical and played very strategic rugby.”

Toulouse coach Guy Noves said: “Leicester will simply try to destroy and crush us so we must be capable to win one-on-one duels and be efficient in attack to pace our game.”

The French boss has chosen the mercurial Frederic Michalak to lead Toulouse on Sunday in the absence of Pelous.

“We had to find someone with the necessary charisma, with leading qualities and whose speech motivates his partners,” said Noves.

“Frederic has all that and has been performing brilliantly recently. He represents the values of the club.”

Michalak remains confident he will live up to expectations.

“I am not particularly worried about it,” he said. “And I don’t feel under more pressure than usual, either.

“This is a European semi-final against one of the great teams in Europe.

“Being given the captaincy is more a sign of trust than a weight for me.

“I am a usual leader with the team and that’s the role I will have again on Sunday.”

Toulouse will be boosted by their recent 28-10 victory over Clermont Auvergne in the French championship, however, they know Leicester will start as favourites.

Toulouse winger Vincent Clerc believes this will be an advantage.

“The status of underdogs suit us perfectly,” said the French international. “We feel under less pressure.

“Leicester have very complete and efficient players, (Andy) Goode is an excellent number 10 and fantastic kicker.

“They almost have no weakness at all but if we manage to impose our game we will have a chance.”

On the injury front Fabrice Collazo has been called up by Noves as back-up following prop Jean-Baptiste Poux’s shoulder problem.

The other semi-final is an all French affair tomorrow between Biarritz and Stade Francais at the Parc des Princes.

Biarritz are favourites as they go into the tie having emerged as winners from the ‘group of death’, which included Leicester and last year’s winners Wasps.

They also inflicted a 41-3 league defeat on their Parisian rivals in the French championship less than a month ago.

Biarritz assistant coach Jacques Delmas feels his side’s victories over Leicester and Wasps in January gave them the confidence they needed for a successful European campaign.

“The matches we played against the English teams made us aware of our potential,” Delmas said.

“The trigger was our match against Leicester during which the players showed a great spirit, unity and combativeness,” coach Patrice Lagisquet added.

Captain Thomas Lievremont believes that experience gained in previous campaigns has made Biarritz a stronger side.

“We are stronger than last year ahead of our semi-final against Toulouse,” he said.

“We know the mistakes we made back then and we have gained experience, that’s why we are stronger.”

Stade Francais have named a 25-man squad which includes fly-half David Skrela and centre Brian Liebenberg, who have not trained this week and are doubts for the game.

Skrela, whose performance against the Newcastle Falcons in the quarter-finals (48-8) was described as “exceptional” by coach Fabien Galthie, has a rib injury although he is hopeful of playing.

Liebenberg, who can also play fly-half, has an ankle injury, which means Galthie could decide to start Jerome Fillol instead if neither of his key players manage to recover in time.

But Skrela has not given up hope of playing yet.

“I feel far better and I sleep fine, too,” he said. “I don’t feel any pain anymore when I stay still. Some movements are still slightly painful, but who knows?”