Toulon to face stadium Blues?
Gethin Jenkins believes Cardiff Blues are in with a chance of turning over European Cup champions Toulon for a second time this weekend, thanks to the switch of venues for their Round Five fixture.
The French giants have opted to move Saturday's vital Pool Two game from Stade Felix Mayol to the much bigger, 35,624 capacity Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice and Jenkins feels that will favour the visitors.
"The fact they have taken the game to Nice is good for us," said the man who helped Toulon win the European title last season.
"I know how passionate and crazy their supporters are at Mayol.
"It's probably one of the best club atmospheres you can ever wish to play in. I'm sure it will still be crazy in Nice, but it is a much bigger ground and it won't be Mayol."
The 33-year-old Jenkins sat out Toulon's 45-25 victory over the Blues in Round Five at Mayol last season, but was captain of the Blues side that beat the champions 19-15 in Round Two at a passion-packed Arms Park in October.
"It's all or nothing for us in Toulon. We have to put in a good performance out there and we all know how big a task that is going to be," said Jenkins.
"They will be eager to beat us after we turned them over at home – they were gutted they lost in Cardiff. Having played there last year I know how much they want to keep up their form in Europe and to retain the European Cup.
"The French league is so long and drawn out they suffer dips in form, but since then they seem to have picked it up again and gone to a different level. We know how good they are going to be.
"When I was there we were able to rest four or five players every game. They have players able to take control all over the pitch."
Toulon lead Pool Two by two points from the Blues, but that could all change if the Welsh Region can do what no other team has managed to do in the European Cup in three seasons and that is beat Toulon at home.
