Mountain to climb for Toulouse
Uncomfortable clash: Toulouse must host the best side in France at an inconvenient time
Toulouse face the unenviable task of playing the Top 14 leaders just one week ahead of their Heineken cup semi-final against London Irish.
Coach Guy Novès has called the task a "massive mountain" to climb.
Toulouse did the bare minimum to secure a 13-20 victory against Albi last weekend in a match that Novès described as a 'trap' after their décompression following their Heineken Cup quarter-final win over Cardiff Blues.
"Now we are going to play the best team in France at the moment with this match against Clermont," Novès told lesite.
"Thereafter, we are above all concentrating on the semi-final against London Irish which is close to our hearts."
"We have to face Clermont without thinking about Twickenham.
"The players must be prepared to stand up to the challenges presented by the Clermont players all over the park.
"Clermont play a bit like we do, but with a different style. Like us they try play attacking rugby. I think it's going to be an enormous spectacle."
"It would have been a much more interesting game in another context. But just one week ahead of the semi-final, it's not the best thing that could have happened to us.
"When we qualified, we knew we would have to manage this sort of calendar. This match is more interesting for Clermont but we're the ones in the semi-final [of the Heineken Cup]."
"This match is a bit of a thorn in our path. Playing a against a team of that level, using up our mental and physical resources one week ahead of our European meeting, is not the best of things.
"I hope we're not going to tire ourselves to much.
"It's very important for the players to meet the challenge knowing that Clermont score 30 or 40 points at all the other grounds of the French Championship.
"A massive mountain awaits us.The Clermont machine is a well oiled and full of confidence.
"Even if we're missing Clément Poitrenaud and Florian Fritz, the other players are in good from and they'll be ready."