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ERC – Heineken Cup
Toulouse: We fear Jones
8 December 2006, 10:54 am
By WRU
Stephen Jones will strike fear into the hearts of the Toulouse defence when the Llanelli Scarlets take on the 2005 Heineken Cup champions today, says their French star Yannick Jauzion.
The Wales captain and Scarlets playmaker returned to Stradey Park last summer after two seasons with French side Clermont Auvergne and French international Jauzion says the British Lion will be the biggest threat to Toulouse on Saturday.

Toulouse have humbled the Scarlets four times in the last two years of European games and the sides will square off twice in the next fortnight in their bid to make the Heineken Cup quarter-finals from Pool Five.

Yet three-times champions Toulouse were hammered 30-3 by Ulster in October's Pool Five clash and defeat at Llanelli would significantly dent their qualification aspirations.

"Jones is a great asset at fly half, he is a real playmaker and is also dangerous in his own right; a player capable of scoring quick tries," said Jauzion. "He's a great goal kicker and will punish any mistakes we make.

"We desperately need to beat Llanelli, defeat would make things very hard for us. We are in no doubt about the need for us to put in a perfect performance over the next two weeks. We need to take the maximum points possible."

By their own lofty standards, Toulouse are struggling this season. They are fifth in the French Championship, having been beaten five times already this season in their domestic competition.

They are down to their fourth-choice fly half with Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (knee), Frédéric Michalak (knee) and Jean-Frédéric Dubois (cheekbone) ruled out, opening the way for ex-Springbok international Gaffie Du Toit. Ex-Wales captain Gareth Thomas is also out, with a knee injury.

Yet Jauzion says Toulouse are approaching the Stradey Park showdown as though it were a quarter-final and are determined to get their season back on track.

Jauzion commented: "Every time we have failed this season we have come away knowing that we made mistakes but we are determined not to come away with the same feeling this time.

"We are in effect playing our quarter-final of the Heineken Cup. Llanelli are a very strong side, we have seen them play a lot of high level rugby this season.

"They play our style of game, and although we have come away with the goods for the last two seasons we are aware that this has no bearing on our games this season. Llanelli are stronger and far more confident than in previous years. They will be looking to bring the game to us."

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