Agen v Gloucester Stade Armandie, 7.30. On TV: Sky Sports 3:There was precious little Christmas cheer for Agen in December as a vibrant European Cup challenge was derailed emphatically by successive defeats to Leinster - first at Lansdowne Road and then when the Irish became the only side apart from Perpignan to escape with a victory from Stade Armandie this season.
It means that the French club must not alone win tonight but hope that Leinster don't pick up a bonus point win against Edinburgh at Donnybrook tomorrow. Those two outcomes would guarantee the Irish province a place in the play-offs with one round of matches remaining.
Gloucester, who trail Leinster by four points, know that nothing other than victory will suffice tonight. When these sides met at Kingsholm earlier in the tournament Agen surprised their west country hosts 32-26 with Fijian maverick Rupeni Caucaunibuca producing a scintillating display.
Since then the English club have recovered somewhat - they lost to Leinster at Lansdowne Road in their opening game - by beating Edinburgh, home and away, grabbing bonus points on each occasion. Coach Dean Ryan has plumped for young Ryan Lamb at outhalf over Willie Walker while England internationals James Simpson-Daniel and Mike Tindall add pace and steel having missed the first game between the teams.
Rory Lawson is preferred to Peter Richards at scrumhalf but it is up front that Gloucester are going to have to survive. To that end they have opted for a French/Welsh/Italian front row combination in the considerable bulk of Christian Califano, Mefin Davies and Carlos Nieto.
Gloucester and Italy captain Marco Bortolami is going to have to produce a towering performance for his pack even if Agen have elected to leave former All Black Kees Meeuws on the bench and South African loosehead prop Pieter van Nikerk out of the match 22. Instead they have opted for a front row of Laurent Cabarry, Samoan Ace Tiatia and French international Alessio Galasso.
The flair in the French side is provided by left wing Caucaunibuca and fullback Pepito Elhorga but much will depend on the halfbacks who were less than convincing in both the Leinster matches.
Overall, however, the English club appear the better motivated.
AGEN:P Elhorga; D Vainqueur, M Ahotaeiloa, A Mignardi, R Caucaunibuca; J Miquel, N Morlaes (capt); L Cabarry, A Tiatia, A Galasso; W Stolz, S Socol; M Lievremont, F Culine, T Soucaze. Replacements: J Narjissi, K Meeuws, C Popescu, C Yukes, A Fulton, M Faaletino, C Stoltz.
GLOUCESTER:O Morgan; J Simpson-Daniel, M Tindall, A Allen, I Balshaw, R Lamb, R Lawson; C Califano, M Davies, C Nieto; M Bortolami (capt), A Brown, P Buxton, A Hazell, J Forrester. Replacements: O Azam, P Collazo, W James, J Boer, P Richards, W Walker, M Foster.
Referee:Donal Courtney (Ireland).
