Basque club Bayonne are hoping a win against Brive this weekend will move them closer to securing Heineken Cup qualification for the first time in their history.
The Basques currently sit in fifth place in the Top 14 Orange League table with 55 points and just one spot above the 1997 Heineken Cup winners Brive on 54 points. A win for either team at the Municipal Stadium in Brive on Saturday would go along way to guaranteeing a top six finish and a coveted Heineken Cup spot for the 2009/10 season.
Richard Dourthe's side have a difficult final championship run-in welcoming the last three French championship winners Toulouse, Stade Francais and Basque rivals Biarritz to the Stade Jean Dauger in three of four home games with five rounds to play so Saturday's match could be critical
Brive and their growing English contingent have also set their sights on a Heineken Cup spot following an 11 season absence from the top table, their last outing being against Bath in the 1998 Heineken Cup final.
The club are unbeaten since October and include Biarritz and Stade Français among their scalps and will be hoping a win the European Challenge Cup quarter-final against Worcester on Saturday, 11th April could open up another potential route to European glory.