Healey Returns to the Big Stage

Austin Healey has the chance to make his case this afternoon at Stade Jean Bouin after being left out of England's victorious World Cup squad. The 30-year-old returns to the scrum-half berth in the most glamorous fixture of the day, the Heineken Cup meeting with Stade Français, a repeat of the 2001 final which Healey burnished with the late searing break that gave Leon Lloyd the winning try.

Leicester have moved the fly-half Sam Vesty to full-back and on the bench will be three of England's World Cup final squad, the hooker Dorian West plus Ben Kay and Lewis Moody.

Italy's club sides might not have made the earth move in Europe but Gloucester are turning to their heavy brigade for today's Heineken Cup trip to Treviso. England's World Cup props Trevor Woodman and Phil Vickery both start the match at Stadio Comunale di Monigo.

Gloucester's director of rugby Nigel Melville knows that his team, who failed to reach the knockout stages last season after a demoralising defeat against Munster in Limerick, cannot afford to underestimate the Italians whose pack has a hard-nosed look about it.

"Treviso have really come on as a team in the last few years and are capable of beating anyone at home. We'll have to be at the top of our game this weekend," Melville said. Injuries have sidelined Gloucester's wing Marcel Garvey and the back-row man James Forrester.

Munster, again waiting to ambush Gloucester in Pool Five, have a more difficult trip to Bourgoin today. Bourgoin, who travel to Kingsholm next weekend, are coached by the former Gloucester coach Philippe Saint-André and are perennial dark horses.

Jason Robinson, England's World Cup final try-scorer, returns to Sale colours at Edgeley Park against Cardiff Blues this evening. The Sharks are without their prop Kevin Yates, banned for stamping in the game against London Irish last weekend, and the injured Australian flanker Stu Pinkerton and the wing Steve Hanley.

Elsewhere today the Pool Three favourites Leinster play host to Biarritz in a re-run of last season's quarter-final, won 18-13 by the Irish side, and Borders travel to Agen in a Pool Four match that looks like a painful cup baptism for Scotland's newest district side.

Another top match tomorrow is in High Wycombe. Lawrence Dallaglio leads Wasps against last year's runners-up Perpignan. Mark Regan, another World Cup winner, hooks for Leeds against Neath-Swansea Ospreys at Headingley.