Preview - ECC Pool Two, round five

Kick-off times are local

Top play bottom when London Irish head off for Parma with its cheese, ham and baptistry, a match the Exiles would be expected to win wherever played.

PARMA v LONDON IRISH
Saturday January 14, Stadio de Rugby, 14:30

Parma: 15 Paul Emerick, 14 Marco Neethling, 13 Alessandro Chillon, 12 Albert Tuipulotu, 11 Andrea Orsi, 10 Francesco Mazzariol, 9 José Pellicena (captain), 8 Manoa Vosawai, 7 Robert Barbieri, 6 Juan Martín Soffredini, 5 Fabio Gumiero, 4 Federico Minello, 3 German Fontana, 2 Bruno Masetti, 1 Fabio Staibano
Replacements: 16 Michael Barbieri, 17 Marco Coletti, 18 Sébastien Busato, 19 Sergio Cortesi, 20 Benoît Durand, 21 Marco Frati, 22 Riccardo Robuschi

London Irish: 15 Michael Horak, 14 Delon Armitage, 13 Rodd Penney, 12 Nils Mordt, 11 Topsy Ojo, 10 Ross Laidlaw, 9 Paul Hodgson, 8 Phil Murphy, 7 Kieron Dawson, 6 Paul Gustard, 5 Kieran Roche, 4 Ryan Strudwick (captain), 3 Rob Hardwick,2 Adrian Flavin,  1 Michael Collins
Replacements: 16 Richard Skuse, 17 David Paice, 18 Bob Casey, 19 Declan Danaher, 20 Olivier Magne, 21 Barry Everitt, 22 Shane Geraghty

Referee: Jean-Pierre Matheu (France)
Touch judges: Herve Dubes, Patrick Pechambert (both France)
Match commissioner: Gianpaulo Celon (Italy)

PAU v AGEN
Saturday January 14, Stade du Hameau, 18:30

Pau are battling this year, only just off the bottom of France's Top 14 while Agen are comfortable at 8th. Pau had to play off to avoid relegation last season and are having a tough time this season. Survival in the Top 14 may just be their main focus.

That Fijian flyer Rueni Caucaunibuca is not in the Agen squad would not surprise many.

Pau:15 Julian Dumitras, 14 Mathieu Dourthe, 13 Jean-Emmanuel Cassin, 12 Grégory Puyo, 11 Jean-Marc Souverbie, 10 Gonzalo Quesada, 9 Clément Darbo, 8 Thomas Soucaze, 7 Patrick Tabacco, 6 Romain Terrain, 5 Garrick Morgan, 4 Abdellatif Boutaty, 3 Olivier Sourgens, 2 Ace Tiatia, 1 Fabien Boiroux
Replacements: 16 Florian Cazalot, 17 Johane Luro, 18 David Laperne, 19 Karl Rudski, 20 Elvis Laborde-Greche, 21 Fabien Cibray, 22 Jean-Charles Cistacq

Agen: 15  Luc Lafforgue (captain), 14  Yannick Larguet, 13  Conrad Stoltz, 12  Sylvain Mirande, 11  Aca Ratuva, 10  Jérôme Miquel, 9  François Tandonnet, 8  Sorin Socol, 7  Colin Yukes, 6  Aaron Persico, 5  Jean Michel Parent, 4  Damien Fèvre, 3  Patrick Blanco, 2  Jalil Narjissi, 1  Christian Califano
Replacements: 16  Cezar Popescu, 17  Ariel Castellina, 18  Fabrice Culine, 19  Matthieu Lièvremont, 20  Nicolas Morlaes, 21  Julien Tilloles, 22  Opeti Fonua

Referee: David Changleng (Scotland)
Touch judges: David Jack, Jim Yuille (both Scotland)
Match commissioner: Francois Alguacil (France)