Toulouse

As the 2015 Rugby World Cup draws ever closer Mike Stanton continues to look at some of the best young players that could feature at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. This week it is French midfield mystero, Gael Fickou.

There were away wins for Toulon and Toulouse over Ulster and Bath respectively in the day's early European Champions Cup clashes.

Munster head coach Rob Penney has lauded his team's performance in their Heineken Cup quarter-final against Toulouse as 'outstanding' and 'terrific'.

Munster were outstanding as they beat four-time Heineken Cup winners Toulouse 47-23 in front of a raucous crowd at Thomond Park.

France look set to be without their inspirational captain, and former World Player of the Year, Thierry Dusautoir, for the entire Six Nations because of injury.

Saracens saw their hopes of topping Pool 3 in the Heineken Cup all but ended in south-west France as they were beaten 21-11 by Toulouse.

Saracens fell short at a packed out Wembley on Friday night as a late Owen Farrell drop-goal missed the mark; handing Toulouse a 17-16 victory and the upper hand in Pool 3 of the competition.

With the cold snap across France waning, the 18th round of the Top 14 sees a full complement of fixtures as the battle for the play-offs and relegation heats up.

Toulouse, Clermont Auvergne and Toulon edged closer towards confirming their play-off status with victories as the 17th round of the Top 14 was affected by the cold snap that saw the France versus Ireland match postponed this weekend.

Clermont Auvergne kept up the pressure on leaders Toulouse as both sides secured away victories in the sixteenth round of the French Top 14.

The French Top 14 returns this weekend after mixed results in European competitions for its sides.

With Phillipe Saint-André having announced his Six Nations squad on Thursday, the 30 men selected will be out to prove themselves worthy of making France's starting XV against Italy in one month's time.

The curtain fell on 2011 with Toulouse extending their lead at the top of the Top 14 table, after Clermont Auvergne were held up at Lyon. Elsewhere there were surprise victories for Bordeaux-Bègles and Biarritz.

Harlequins' unbeaten run of 14 games came to an end with a thud on Friday, well beaten by an experienced and fiercely physical Toulouse side.

Brian O'Driscoll justified his decision to turn down an invite to the Royal Wedding in favour of preparation with his Leinster side