Toulouse are on the verge of a quarter-final place but need to beat Edinburgh to reach the last eight. 

The French side lost in Dublin but have been sound at home this season. They dispatched both Leinster and Leicester in the South of France and despite Edinburgh’s improved form, Toulouse should expect to qualify.

After their rousing win against Leicester last weekend Edinburgh have made five changes in their team to face Toulouse away in their final Heineken Cup Pool 6 match on Saturday.

Head coach Andy Robinson is introducing Calum MacRae, Ben Meyer, Augusto Allori, Andrew Kelly and Alan MacDonald to the starting line-up and insists the selection is made with performance in France uppermost in his mind.

“I was asked after the Leicester game last Saturday if we’d now be looking to prepare for our next Magners League match against Munster in mid-February but as I said then, we’re going to Toulouse to win.

“Our whole focus is just on Toulouse and I’d like people to understand whoever wears the shirt it doesn’t matter. It’s Edinburgh on the field and we’re there to win.”

MacDonald was introduced as a second-half substitute for Roland Reid last weekend and the duo swap roles for this Saturday.

Robinson noted that Nick De Luca, Mike Blair, Allan Jacobsen and Ross Ford had “given their all” for Edinburgh over the last few months and that his decision to rest them from this game was a reflection on that effort, the forthcoming international calendar and the desire to manage them for Magners League matches later in the year.

He added: “This is my call. I’m looking at this from the player management viewpoint. I’ve asked them over the last three months to put their bodies on the line and that they’ve done.

“It’s also a great opportunity for the players who’re coming in as there’s no better place to prove yourself than in Toulouse.”