Oxford is bracing itself for arguably its biggest ever international rugby occasion when England World Cup hero Jason Robinson brings his Sale Sharks team to town in search of a second major European title.
Run around Robbo is one of four British & Irish Lions in a Sale squad that boasts 17 internationals from five different countries. The Sharks, European Challenge Cup winners at the Kassam Stadium in 2002, will be looking to take a bite out of the 2000 champions Pau in what promises to be a classic Anglo-French battle.
Pau will arrive in Oxford having already beaten London Irish in the competition and will be seeking to add Sale to their scalps. They have former Wallaby lock Garrick Morgan, a winner with NEC Harlequins in 2001, in their second row and will arrive with a team packed with up to 10 Test players.
And that is only half the story! Before Sale and Pau set about in the European Challenge Cup final, which carries an automatic ticket into next season's Heineken Cup for the winners, Worcester and Auch will meet in the European Shield final.
French Championship side Auch have four internationals in their ranks, while Worcester, who secured their Zurich Premiership safety by beating Northampton Saints recently, have a double Challenge Cup winner in their side in England back row cap Pat Sanderson.
They also boast a Heineken Cup final player in former Stade Francais Paris wing Thomas Lombard and have seven internationals from six different nations in their ranks.
It all adds up to one of the best rugby days out that Oxford has ever witnessed and the prospect of the Kassam Stadium being filled to overflowing on Saturday, 21 May when any entente cordiale goes out the window for the afternoon.
Dare you miss it?
