Toulouse Target The Treble

Fabien Pelous, the French lock and captain who had the heartbreak of seeing his team lose a thunderous Twickenham final 27-20 to London Wasps in May, leads his team out for their 64th match in the tournament against Llanelli Scarlets at Stradey Park on Friday night, declaring: "The Heineken Cup is a big challenge for Toulouse.
"Of course this tournament is our main objective for the season, but, first of all, we are looking for passion.
"Playing in this European championship produces unique feelings - particularly when you book your ticket to the final! Last season fate had it that victory at Twickenham would go to London Wasps but that only motivates you to strive to win through to the final again.
"Toulouse are getting stronger by the day and we are making progress all the time. I am confident we will be at the top of our game when we travel to Llanelli Scarlets on Friday."
Pelous - the only French player to have won an ERC Elite Award for 50 tournament appearances, which he achieved in the Twickenham final - certainly believes the treble is possible.
"Although, for us, the French domestic competition is massively important and cannot be set aside in the interests of European rugby, it is difficult to compare it with the Heineken Cup, which gives us the opportunity to pit ourselves against the best clubs in the Northern Hemisphere," he said.
"The Heineken Cup holds a particular significance for Toulouse and we are still chasing the record of being three-times winners of the competition.
"Having enjoyed being champions in 1996 and 2003, followed by the disappointment of having lost the final in 2004, we have plenty to prove and are hungry for the opportunity to compete for the cup again this year.
"Winning for a third time would be an exceptional feat but the squad is strong and if we concentrate on our game, it is achievable.
"We don't anticipate that based on their domestic form the game against Llanelli Scarlets will be an easy match. It is clear they have had a poor start to their domestic season, and we would like to take advantage of their current form to get a valuable away win, but Llanelli are a proud and passionate club and can produce outstanding rugby on their day.
"Playing away from home is always a challenge and domestic form can often bear little relation to performances in the Heineken Cup.
"To try to anticipate the performance of Llanelli, particularly based on their domestic form, would be risky. The only way to approach this match is to concentrate on our own game in order to ensure that we are as well-prepared as possible for this encounter."