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Euro dreams

Ahead of this weekend¿s Heineken Cup, we look at where the semi-finals will be won and lost.

As the Heineken Cup heads towards its climax, just four sides are left in the hunt for the title.

Saracens v Toulon (Sky Sports 2 HD from 2.30pm)

Saracens will be hoping that their defeat against Gloucester in the Aviva Premiership was nothing more than a blip. Sarries had been flying high, winning six league games on the bounce and brushing aside the challenge of last year's finalists Ulster in the Heineken Cup. And they will be only too aware that they will need to recapture this form if they are to reach their first final. The club were semi-finalists in 2008-09, losing narrowly to Northampton, while they crashed out in the last eight to Clermont 12 months ago. Sarries will head to Twickenham, though, confident they have learned their lessons from those defeats. The Premiership leaders have built their game around a watertight defence and a strong kicking game. They have conceded just 30 tries in 28 games in the league and Europe, while Owen Farrell has given them the platform to build on. Farrell has landed 92 points in the Heineken Cup this season - including a stunning 32 points in the away win against Racing Metro. Despite the criticisms that they play a conservative style of percentage rugby, Saracens do also have a plan B as the wins over Edinburgh, Racing Metro and Ulster highlight. With Chris Ashton, Dave Strettle and Alex Goode they certainly have the class out wide. Up front the pack is exceptionally well-drilled and has strength in depth. Mako Vunipola, Matt Stevens, Rhys Gill, John Smith and Schalk Brits are among those vying for a place in the front row, while Steve Borthwick, Alistair Hargreaves and Moutitz Botha are class acts in the engine room. You then have Kelly Brown, Ernst Joubert, Jackson Wray, Andy Saull and Jacques Burger scrapping it out for the back row places - so the loss of the in-form Will Fraser through injury shouldn't be an issue. Toulon, though, are not short of strength-in-depth themselves. Their squad is like a 'who's who of world rugby' with owner Mourad Boudjellal having assembled an expensive collection of star players. So far his 'fantasy rugby' side has yet to repay the investment with silverware - with a Top 14 final and two Amlin Challenge Cup final defeats in recent years. Toulon, though, feel that this could be their year in Europe and domestically. They will arrive at Twickenham fully refreshed - with the fact they have already secured a home semi-final in the Top 14 play-offs meaning they were able to rest most of their stars at the weekend. A number of the squad will also feel at home in Sunday's surroundings, with Jonny Wilkinson, Andrew Sheridan and Simon Shaw regulars at Twickenham in the past - while fellow Englishmen Steffon Armitage and Nick Kennedy perhaps haven't won as many caps as they should have. There is likely to be a clash of styles with Wilkinson's boot key to Toulon's hopes, while the forward battle is likely to be an intriguing affair. Toulon certainly have the power in the pack, as they proved against Leicester in the last eight, while they are defensively solid. Armitage continues to make a mockery of his international exclusion, while Mathieu Bastareaud gets the backs over the gainline.

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