"It's the kind of game you play rugby for," he said earlier this week. "It's a great opportunity for us and a great way for us to move forward. I'm thoroughly looking forward to the challenge ahead of us and can't wait.

"It's been a fine line for us between winning and losing and we've tended to go off our gameplan and get a bit frantic at times. We just have to go back to what the coaches have told us and execute our plays. And then you never know what might happen!"

Since making his comeback from his injury absence last month, Reihana has featured in Saints' last six matches. He says that his knee is holding up well.

"I've had a few different reactions. The first couple of matches I couldn't train the following session because it had got a bump and swelled up.

"But over the last couple of weeks the swelling's gone down. I haven't had a whack on the knee, which is good, although I can't do any goal kicking at the moment.

"It's just lovely to be out there and train for most of the week with the boys because it helps me prepare for the weekend properly."

Reihana starts the Heineken Cup quarter final where he played the last half-hour of last Sunday’s GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP match at Bristol – at outside centre.

It is one of five changes made by head coach Paul Grayson. With Reihana’s move into midfield – from where he will captain the side – Carlos Spencer takes his place at outside half with Paul Diggin coming in at full-back. Stephen Myler drops to the bench.

Scorer of four tries already in this season’s Heineken Cup, Diggin will be seeing his first action since Saints spectacularly ended Leicester’s unbeaten home run in February.

There are two changes in the pack. Ben Lewitt and Matt Lord replace Darren Fox and Damien Browne. Fox also drops to the bench while Browne misses out on the match-day squad.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 2pm local time, 1pm BST and will be shown on Sky Sports.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS TEAM TO FACE BIARRITZ (intls in CAPS)
Heineken Cup quarter final, Estadio Anoeta, Sunday, April 1st 2007
15 Paul Diggin
14 SEAN LAMONT
13 BRUCE REIHANA (capt)
12 Robbie Kydd
11 BEN COHEN
10 CARLOS SPENCER
9 MARK ROBINSON
1 TOM SMITH
2 Dylan Hartley
3 John Brooks
4 Matt Lord
5 Christian Short
6 PAUL TUPAI
7 Ben Lewitt
8 CHRISTIAN LABIT

Replacements
16 MATIAS CORTESE
17 SOANE TONGA’UHIA
18 Mark Hopley
19 DAVID GERARD
20 Darren Fox
21 Johnny Howard
22 Stephen Myler