Fourth seed plays fifth in a game that could have easily taken place at Cardiff Arms Park rather than le Stadium in Toulouse.

Toulouse won Pool 6 and the Blues were winners of Pool 3. Both ended up on 20 points but the French side scored 13 tries, the Welsh side only 12. That meant a home tie for the triple European champions.

Guy Noves’ side come alive in the Heineken Cup and have been touted as favourites to lift the trophy for the fourth time in May after coming through a tough Pool including Leicester and Leinster.

But this is a breakthrough season for David Young’s Blues. For the first time since rugby went regional in Wales, Cardiff are in the final eight of the Heineken Cup.

It has been a long turn around for the Blues, but progress has undoubtedly been made since the 2004/5 season where the finished in last place in their Pool.

Young has built a settled side with quality all over the park. The pack is lead by Kiwi Xavier Rush. He is the definition of power and has the ability to control a match at will. His back row partner Welshman Martyn Williams provides a quickness of mind that often puts the Blues on the front foot.

And they have Kiwi strength in the backs as well. Ben Blair has cemented his place at full back at the expense of Rhys Williams. Blair is excellent in defence and his goal kicking has yielded 48 points for his team in the Pool stage.

David Young has named an unchanged starting XV from the team that defeated Edinburgh by 20-0 last weekend.

Having performed well up in Scotland, the Blues now travel to the South of France to take on three times Heineken Cup Champions Toulouse. The only change in the twenty two is Jamie Robinson who comes onto the bench in place of Marc Stcherbina.