Clash of France's titans
Ready for war: John Smit and Davit Zirakashvili will lead Clermont's foreign legion
The game all French rugby fans have been waiting for is upon us at last. Toulouse host Clermont on Saturday in a battle for the leadership of the Top 14.
Rougerie, Smit, Clerc, Heymans, Pelous, Ellisalde, Kelleher, Bonnaire, Vermeulen...the list goes on and on. There will be no lack of big names or quality players in la ville rose.
Runaway leaders of the Top 14 a month ago, Toulouse's pace has slowed as the star-studded club's attention has been diverted by the Heineken Cup.
Clermont have had no such worries - taking over as championship leaders by racking up seven consecutive victories in a run of form that has struck fear in the hearts of all those who've opposed them.
Both teams are proud proponents of running rugby and one week ahead of their Heineken Cup semi-final against London Irish, the hosts will to keen to use Saturday's showdown to show just how dangerous they are with ball in hand.
As for Clermont, no one can deny that they deserve their place at the summit of the Top 14 table. The arrival of kiwi coach Vern Cotter has turned the team into a ruthlessly clinical unit, as their recent results prove.
At an average of nearly 47 points a game in their last five outings, Les Jaunards seem to be doing everything right.
The club from central France have the best attack in the country: Fijian winger Napolioni Nagala is the championship's leading try scorer (eleven in eight games!) and fly-half Brock James has racked up more points (178) than anyone else in the Top 14.
Toulouse aren't far behind though. Maxime Médard has scored nine tries this year and Vincent Clerc, despite being absent during the Six Nations, has scored seven. They also have the best defence in France.
In short, Saturday's protagonists are far and away the two best teams in France. Clermont now have the challenge of becoming the first visiting team to win at Ernest Wallon since November 2006.
In eleven visits to Toulouse, Clermont have only ever come out on top once.
Clermont were however 21-17 winners when they hosted their rivals from the south-west the weekend before Christmas and ruined Toulouse's season a few months earlier last year by winning their Top 14 semi-final 20-15.
Toulouse Coach Guy Novès is by no means excited by Clermont's visit and has called the encounter "a thorn in our path" ahead of their match against London Irish.
Despite Novès less-than-enthusiastic comments, the Toulouse players will not want for motivation as they go out to prove that Stade Toulousain are still the benchmark by which all French teams measure themselves.