We take a head to head look at Munster and Toulouse - as the two Heineken Cup heavyweights - with 49 Heineken Cup appearances each - prepare to play their 50^th games in the competition.

Toulouse kicked off the Heineken Cup on Tuesday October 31 1995 with a 54-10 win at Farul Constanta, with current Toulouse captain Emile Ntamack scoring the first try of the competition. The French side went on to win the inaugural title with a 21-18 victory over Cardiff at the Arms Park on January 6 1996.

The following year, Toulouse inflicted Munster's heaviest defeat in Heineken Cup history - beating the Irish province 60-19 in France.

Toulouse can also boast the Tournaments leading try scorer Michel Marfaing has notched 24 tries amongst his 287 points.

For Munster, twice beaten Cup finalists by English opposition, a narrow 9-8 defeat to Northampton at Twickenham in 2000, and a 15-9 defeat to Leicester Tigers in 2002 at the Millennium Stadium, Mick Galway has been the heart and soul of the side, making 47 appearances, including captaining the side in both cup finals.

Both sides have played consistently entertaining rugby throughout the eight years of the Heineken Cup, and here at ercrugby.com we have delved into the record books to unearth some statistics about the two teams...

Here are the stats...

And here are some of the great club players pre-Heineken Cup era...

TOULOUSE

ADOLPHE JAUREGUY: Winger, 31 caps (1920-29)

Great sprinter who scored 14 Test tries.

PIERRE VILLEPREUX: Fullback, 34 caps (1964-72)

Scored 163 Test points and still a huge figure in French rugby.

JEAN-CLAUDE SKRELA: Flanker, 46 caps (1971-78)

Ended his fine career with a try against Wales.

JEAN-PIERRE RIVES: Flanker, 59 caps (1975-84)

Always bleeding, always great. Thirty-nine times a winner.

MUNSTER

- come back tomorrow to read about some of Munster's finest

What are your memories of these players? We would like to hear from you - have your say by clicking here

And here are a couple of memorable matches...

TOULOUSE

21-18 v Cardiff (inaugural Heineken Cup final, January 6, 1996 - National Stadium, Cardiff)

Christophe Deylaud won the inaugural Heineken Cup for Toulouse with a penalty goal in the final seconds of extra time in front of 20,000 fans in Cardiff.

Deylaud's opposite number, Adrian Davies, set up a dramatic finale when he kicked his fifth penalty goal in the 83rd minute, to bring the scores level at 15-15 and force 30 minutes of extra time.

Toulouse scored the only tries in the thrilling match - through Thomas Castaignede and Jerome Cazalbou.

MUNSTER

25-17 v Castres Olympique (Heineken Cup semi-final, April 27, 2002 - Stade de la Mediterranee, Beziers)

Munster booked their place in their second Heineken Cup final with a sensational come-from-behind victory over Castres in France.

Castres took an early 9-0 lead, but five straight penalty goals from Ronan O'Gara gave Munster the advantage at 15-9, before Romain Teulet's fourth successful kick of the day narrowed the gap to three points.

O'Gara kicked his sixth and winger John Kelly sealed matters with an injury-time try. New Zealand-born winger Shaun Longstaff bagged a consolation try for the French side but it was too little too late.

What was the best game you ever saw involving these two sides? What was your highlight, and what was the low point? Have your say on the ercrugby.com fans forum by clicking here

And here are the match reports from Toulouse and Munsters firt ever Heineken Cup games...

HEINEKEN CUP Pool A, Tuesday, 31 October, 1995, RC Constanta.

FARUL CONSTANTA 10, TOULOUSE 54

(HT: 3-28).

TOULOUSE showed why they are favourites to be the first winners of the new European Cup when they routed the champions of Romania, scoring eight tries in the opening match of the tournament in Constanta today.

A big, mobile pack and near all-international threequarter line destroyed Farul, who could provide only limited resistance against the powerful, strong and quick double French champions.

Emile Ntamack, Toulouse's captain and World Cup star, scored twice as did fellow wing David Berty - but it was the heavyweight French pack who ruled the roost. Farul had no answer to their powerful scrummaging and dominant line-out and were fortunate to get a try when a loose pass from Ntamack was pounced on by scrum half Mihai Foca.

The match was extremely physical with Welsh referee Robert Davies required to issue warnings to both sides when enthusiasm boiled over. It was a strong message that the tournament will need strong officials.

Toulouse's victory away from home will signal a warning to the other 11 sides - that for anyone to beat Ntamack and his team they will have to control their powerhouse forwards.

Scorers: Toulouse: Tries - E Ntamack 2, D Berty 2, J-L Cester, T Castaignede, S Ougier, pen try; Cons: C Deylaud 7.

Farul Constanta: V Brici; C Sasu, A Tinca, N Fulina (capt), E Florea; V Besarau, M Foca; C Pingert, N Lupu (A Secuiu, 50m), D Manole, N Branescu, N Marin (E Rujada, 50m), C Florea, A Girbu, T Oroian.

Scorers: Farul Constanta: Try - Focat; Con - Florea; Penalty - Florea.

Toulouse: S Ougier; E Ntamack (capt), P Carbonneau, T Castaignede (O Carbonneau, 48m), D Berty; C Deylaud, J Cazalbou (E Artiguste, 48m); C Califano, P Soula, C Portolan (P Lassere, 70m), H Miorin, F Belot, J-L Cester, R Castel, S Dispagne.

Referee: RG Davies (Wales).

HEINEKEN CUP Group D, Wednesday, 1 November, 1995, Thomond Park, Limerick

MUNSTER 17, SWANSEA 13

(HT:7-6)

Swansea's gallant effort to snatch victory in Limerick failed by just a few minutes as Munster scored a late try to gain the two points.

It was 13-10 to Swansea when the Munster skipper and full-back Pat Murray joined the line to beat off a tackle and cross under the Swansea posts.

When wing Ken Smith converted it was curtains for Swansea who had taken the lead on two occasions. Wales international Aled Williams, at fly half, fired Swansea in front with a penalty but in the 18th minute Munster went ahead. Ireland cap right wing Richard Wallace raced over for Smith to convert though Williams cut the lead to 7-6 by the interval.

A long penalty shot by Smith took Munster to 10-6 but then Swansea produced a superb try as the pack paved the way before centre Neil Boobyer put right wing Alan Harris clear on the left. The young Wales A cap raced over on the opposite side of the field and Williams converted. However, Munster showed how strong they can be with a spirited finish that brought captain Murray the winning score.

Scorers: Munster: Tries: R Wallace, P Murray; Cons: K Smith (2); Pen: K Smith. Swansea: Try: A Harris; Con: A Williams; Pens: A Williams (2).

MUNSTER: P Murray (Shannon, capt); R Wallace (Garryowen), S McCahill(Sundays Well), D Larkin (Garryowen), K Smith (Garryowen); P Burke (Cork Constitution), D O'Mahoney (Cork Consitution); J Fitzgerald (Young Munster), T Kingston (Dolphin), P Clohessy (Young Munster), M Galwey(Shannon), G Fulcher (Cork Constitution), E Halvey (Shannon), A Foley(Shannon), D Corkery (Terenure).Replacement: M Fitzgerald (Young Munster) for J Fitzgerald 18-27; B Toland (Old Crescent) for Halvey 32.

SWANSEA: G Thomas; A Harris, R Boobyer, D Weatherley, Simon Davies; A Williams, Rhodri Jones; C Loader, G Jenkins, C Anthony, S Moore, A Moore, A Reynolds, R Appleyard, Stuart Davies (capt).Replacement: Lee Davies for Harris 27-31.

Referee: Ed Morrison (England).

What was the best game you ever saw involving these two sides? What was your highlight, and what was the low point? Have your say on the ercrugby.com fans forum by clicking here