The Albany Gazette - Champions Cup 'heartbreak' driving Toulouse revenge mission

Mauvaka and superstar scrum-half Antoine Dupont were missing through injury almost 12 months ago as Bordeaux-Begles continued their march to their first Champions Cup crown by surprising the tournament's historic dominant force in the semi-finals.

Toulouse reached this year's last eight after hammering Bristol in the last 16 on Saturday while Bordeaux-Begles thumped Leicester 24 hours later.

"We weren't lucky enough to play that match," France's Mauvaka told AFP this week.

"Seeing your mates losing that semi-final, it was heart-breaking for us.

"We can't wait for this weekend," the 29-year-old added.

Toulouse and Bordeaux-Begles have established themselves as the two leading clubs in France and the continent in recent seasons.

They have met in the two most recent Top 14 finals while Toulouse won the Champions Cup in 2024 and Bordeaux-Begles did so a year later.

Bordeaux-Begles claimed the spoils in their most recent meeting, winning 44-20 in the league last month.

Both sides have lethal backs like Dupont and winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey but front-rower Mauvaka predicts a tight tussle among the forwards.

"The game at their place three weeks ago, the score was heavy but if you watch the game in details, there was a battle up front," Mauvaka said.

"Especially in the first half. We blew up a bit in the second half.

"It's part of the work we have to do, to stay in the game, it promises to be war," he added with Toulouse vying for an eighth consecutive last four appearance.

- 'Good for the game' -

On Friday, last season's runners-up Northampton Saints head to English Prem champions Bath in a first all-English quarter-final since 2020.

The Saints have built a tense rivalry with Bath in past seasons with Phil Dowson's side leading this week's hosts by just a point in the Prem table.

"I think  it's  good for the game," Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson told reporters on Wednesday.

"It's  good for the Saints to be in that position, to be mixing it on these stages.

"We know the power of Bath as a club and  that's  something that we enjoy competing with," he added.

The Saints are set to name England scrum-half Alex Mitchell on the bench, with Test team-mate Fin Smith starting at fly-half.

Mitchell has been sidelined since England's 42-21 loss to Ireland in the Six Nations in late-February.

"To have two international players who are absolutely integral to this club again is fantastic," Dowson said.

"You've  got to bear in mind that Mitch  hasn't  played for a long time, he hasn't done tonnes of training.

"But we're  in a good spot there from a decision-making point of view," he added.

Elsewhere, three-time winners Toulon will be without former New Zealand centre Ma'a Nonu as they head to Glasgow.

The 43-year-old was banned for three weeks for a high tackle in last weekend's knock-out win over the Stormers.

Four-time winners Leinster and their All Blacks midfielder Rieko Ioane host Sale as the Irish province aim for a sixth-straight semi-final.

Fixtures (times GMT)

Friday

Bath (ENG) v Northampton (ENG) (1900)

Saturday

Glasgow (SCO) v Toulon (FRA) (1400), Leinster (IRL) v Sale (ENG) (1630)

Sunday

Bordeaux-Begles (FRA) v Toulouse (FRA) (1400)

(D.Lewis--TAG)