But the Flames are formidable on offense, too, thanks to the senior quarterback Mike Brown.
The problems will be formidable on everything from national VAT rates to broadband infrastructure investment and how national spectrum allocation can be harmonised.
Last year as a 2-year-old, Interactif was formidable on the grass, winning the With Anticipation Stakes and the Bourbon Stakes and finishing a close third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
In hindsight it was less of a shock, for the 32-year-old had already won Olympiad gold in 2004 and is well known as a momentum player who is formidable on a winning streak, though his career also shows some losing runs.
But while the guestbook was formidable on Friday night, it was a footnote to what Miguel was really up to.
With more than 1,000 balloonists arriving for the start this weekend of Balloon Fiesta 2000, the yearly installment of New Mexico's hot-air balloon festival, there was formidable competition on the airwaves this week.
Thank you to Zoë Ball, the talented television and radio presenter, for shamelessly voicing what all of us with children are afraid to admit: that our little sprogs might be formidable drains on our bank balances, but they do offer extremely convenient excuses to avoid some very tedious nights out.
He was told he could have 10 minutes with Ayer, who was very ill at the time, and whose reputation was formidable-going-on-daunting, but their conversation carried on through an extended photoshoot and for another few hours afterwards.
His show's competitors on rival networks are formidable, including "JAG" on CBS, "That 70's Show" on Fox, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on UPN and "Gilmore Girls" on WB.
