Heineken Cup | Match Centre | ERC | Official Website : Sharks size up Blues

Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon) has been named ERC European Player of the Year 2013. The prestigious award crowns an outstanding season for the out-half who led the French club to a dramatic Heineken Cup final victory over ASM Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

It's down to the wire now for the five contenders who have been shortlisted for the ultimate individual accolade in northern hemisphere rugby, ERC European Player of the Year 2013.

With the build-up to the Dublin 2013 European club rugby finals intensifying by the day, the four elite clubs of ASM Clermont Auvergne, Toulon, Leinster Rugby and Stade Francais Paris, who are focused on their quest for Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup silverware respectively, won't be the only clubs with Europe on their mind over the weekend of 17 and 18 May.

The Salford-based club have failed to register a win this season and have slumped to bottom of the English Premiership.

Their coach Pete Anglesea admits the Sharks view the clash as a chance to kick-start their season and former Cardiff Blues duo Andy Powell and Nick Macleod will have extra incentive to impress.

Their former region are under pressure having lost two home matches in a row.

The Blues will also want to make amends having crashed to a humiliating 34-3 to reigning champions Leinster at last year's quarter-final stage.

It will be the fifth time the two sides have clashed in the Heineken Cup with honours currently even.

The Welsh region were 36-19 victors the last time the two sides clashed.

ASM Clermont Auvergne	Benetton Treviso	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Cardiff Blues	Castres Olympique	Connacht Rugby
Edinburgh Rugby	Exeter Chiefs	Glasgow Warriors	Harlequins	Leicester Tigers	Leinster Rugby
Montpellier	Munster Rugby	Northampton Saints	Ospreys	Racing Métro 92	Sale Sharks
Saracens	Scarlets	Toulon	Toulouse	Ulster Rugby	Zebre

Agen	Bath Rugby	Bayonne	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Bizkaia Gernika RT	Bordeaux-Begles
Bucharest Wolves	Cammi Rugby Calvisano	Femi-CZ VEA Rovigo	Gloucester Rugby	Grenoble	I Cavalieri Prato
Leinster Rugby	London Irish	London Wasps	London Welsh	Mont de Marsan	Newport Gwent Dragons
Perpignan	Rugby Mogliano	Stade Francais Paris	Toulouse	Worcester Warriors

Date	Home	Score	Away	Att
19/1/13	Cardiff Blues	26 - 14	Sale Sharks	7,473
14/10/12	Sale Sharks	34 - 33	Cardiff Blues	5,853
16/1/10	Cardiff Blues	36 - 19	Sale Sharks	9,172

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