French Grand Slam captain Fabien Pelous will turn his attention to chasing another major honour as he focuses on Toulouse's defence of the Heineken Cup.
The 91-times capped second row will play his 48
th Heineken Cup match when his side meet Edinburgh Rugby in the quarter-finals at Stadium de Toulouse on Saturday, 10 April, and that puts him in line to become the first French player to join the ERC Elite Awards "50 Club" - if he can steer his side through to a record equalling third final, at Twickenham on Sunday 23 May.
The only players to have topped half a century of Heineken Cup caps are all forwards - Anthony Foley (Munster - 58), Robin McBryde (Llanelli Scarlets - 52), Chris Wyatt (Llanelli Scarlets - 51) and Victor Costello (Leinster Lions - 50).
Pelous has only played two Heineken Cup matches in this season's Pool stages, to make it 42 European ties with the club, but he also played five times for Dax in the 1996/1997 tournament.
Pelous' Toulouse team-mate and co-captain, Emile Ntamack, who scored the first try in thecompetition, back in 1995, has been an ever-present this season and hoisted his tally to 46 games.
But Wales and Llanelli Scarlets fly half Stephen Jones is in line to become the first back to reach 50 games and also the first player to be presented with two ERC Elite Awards.
He, like Pelous, will be making his 48
th Heineken Cup appearance in his side's quarter-final against Biarritz Olympique at Stradey Park on Friday, 9 April.
