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.

Biarritz bank on Barraque

Biarritz Olympique have sprung a surprise by selecting 21-year-old Jean-Pascal Barraque in the centre for their Amlin Challenge Cup final showdown with Toulon at the Twickenham Stoop tomorrow night (8pm).

It will be Barraque's first start in Europe and comes after just 35 minutes of Amlin action following appearances as a replacement against London Wasps and then Brive in the knock-out stages.

The hand injury suffered by Benoit Baby has forced the 2006 and 2010 Heineken Cup finalists into the change with Barraque - who celebrated his 21^st birthday less than a month ago - partnering the hugely experienced Damien Traille in the midfield with Argentine international Marcelo Bosch on the bench.

Captain and No8 Imanol Harinordoquy proved his recovery from a knee injury by going the full distance last weekend in the Top 14 win against Stade Français Paris, while veteran prop Sylvain Marconnet is on replacement duty for potentially his 88th and final European match before hanging up his boots.

Barraque and Traille will go head-to-head in the centre with Wallaby legend Matt Giteau and Mathieu Bastareaud, with Jonny Wilkinson and Sebastien Tollous-Borde named as the Toulon half back combination.

Welsh prop Eifion Lewis-Roberts and England flanker Steffon Armitage - this week honoured as the Top 14 Players' Player-of-the-Season - both start for the 2010 tournament finalists who are searching for their first piece of silverware for 20 years.

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Finals Edition: Listen to the best guide to the European Rugby Cup Finals weekend in Dublin, which sees Leinster Rugby take on Stade Francais Paris at the RDS on Friday night in the Amlin Challenge Cup Final and then ASM Clermont Auvergne tackle Toulon in an all-French affair at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

With eight leading clubs still in the race for coveted Dublin 2013 Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup final berths, this weekend's European semi-finals will be watched keenly by Bath Rugby, Connacht Rugby and London Wasps among others as their hopes of qualification for the 2013/14 Heineken Cup hang in the balance.

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

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Biarritz bank on Barraque

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