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Heineken Cup draw throws up some interesting ties
The draw for next season’s Heineken cup was made on Tuesday morning and as per usual the pools are something of a mixed bag.
In pool one last year’s surprise package Edinburgh could struggle to make an impact having been drawn with perennial quarter finalists Munster and English and French giants Saracens and Racing Metro. The Irish province will be favourites to get out of the group, with a host of Irish internationals and foreign imports such as BJ Botha and Doug Howlett on board, an impressive home record and a new head coach in the shape of Rob Penney who will no doubt be looking to make an immediate impact. Saracens will fancy their chances of making the knockout stages, however keeping a clean bill of health throughout will be vital to their chances of progressing as their strength in depth leaves much to be desired. New signings include the mercurial Chris Ashton and Springbok lock Alistair Hargreaves, giving Mark McCall more options in the backs and up front. Possessing a formidable pack and a number of English internationals out wide, Saracens should prove to be a tough nut to crack at home at the very least. As for Racing, they will be something of an unknown quantity up until they name their team for the first match. They certainly have the talent to make this group very tricky for the other parties concerned, but it is likely that we won’t see their first team too many times in Europe.
In pool two Ospreys fans will no doubt be left cursing their luck once more, having been handed an incredibly tough draw once again. The Rabo Pro 12 champions will face the most successful club in the history of the competition and current French champions Toulouse as well as Aviva Premiership finalists Leicester Tigers. Any three of these teams could potentially make it out of the group, however you have to favour Toulouse, given their pedigree in this competition, as well as the vast resources at their disposal. Leicester will be looking to make amends for a poor performance in last year’s tournament, which saw them obliterated in Ravenhill by Ulster, ultimately leading to them crashing out at the group stages. The performance of Ben Youngs will be vital to their prospects, while the recent decline of Geordan Murphy must be something of a concern. For the neutral, the prospect of seeing Miles Benjamin play at this level is to be looked forward to, while the battle to see who can secure the 10 shirt between Ford and Flood will be of great interest to English fans. Ospreys could be the real dark horse for this year’s competition, possessing an impressive tight five that is the match of any in Europe. In the back row, Ospreys fans will be hoping Ryan Jones can carry his excellent form into next season and that Justin Tipuric stays fit. The loss of the likes of Shane Williams and Tommy Bowe in the backs comes as a blow, but the emergence of young guns Hanno Dirksen and Ashley Beck means that they’ll still pose a substantial threat out wide. Such is the close nature of this group that the results the three favourites obtain against Italian side Treviso will be vital. Treviso have shown massive improvement over the past two seasons and will be a difficult obstacle at home. The ability of the others to get bonus points against the Italians will more than likely decide who gets out of this pool, but at the moment I’d favour Toulouse to do it.
Pool 3 is probably the poorest in the competition. New Italian franchise Zebra’s, based out of Parma, will struggle to get a point, while the most that Connacht can hope for is a scalp against one of Biarritz and Harlequins. For Harlequins this pool will be a real test of where they are as a club. If they want to establish themselves as a real European power Conor O’Shea’s men should look to win this pool comfortably. Their only real rivals Biarritz seem to be in terminal decline, and are growing ever more reliant on Dimitri Yachvilli and Imanol Harinordoquy, both well into their 30’s. Quins will no doubt be more wary of Connacht this time round, having suffered a shock defeat in Galway last season that ultimately cost them their spot in the knock out stages. 5 wins should be the minimum for the English champions and a place in the quarter finals would represent the club’s complete recovery from the blood-gate scandal of 2009.
The fourth pool sees two teams that have appeared in the past two finals in the shape of Northampton and Ulster matched up against each other. Despite a positive start to last year’s tournament away to Munster, Northampton’s challenge petered out by the end of the pool, succumbing to an embarrassing loss in Milton Keynes in the final game to the same opposition. The loss of first team regulars Chris Ashton, Roger Wilson and James Downey will no doubt hurt Saints, but they should still have enough quality to win all of their home games, which will give them a good platform to challenge for top spot. It will be difficult for Ulster and new head coach Mark Anscombe to replicate the run which saw the province make it all the way to the final in this year’s tournament. While they undoubtedly have the first XV to challenge anyone, should they suffer a few injuries they could be in trouble. Their back three should be entertaining to watch, with Jared Payne, Tommy Bowe, Craig Gilroy and Andrew Trimble all dangerous with ball in hand. Glasgow and Castres round off the group, although it’s unlikely that either will be in the running come weeks 5 & 6. The Scottish side will no doubt feel the loss of Richie Grey and Johnnie Beattie, while the French side are notorious for the lack of interest in the competition.
Pool five pits defending champions Leinster against French giants Clermont once again. By the completion of the pool stages the two sides will have met 6 times in the past 4 seasons. Clermont will no doubt be hungry for revenge following their defeat in this season’s semi-final and they certainly possess the tools to exact it. Their back line containing the likes of Wesley Fofana and Sitiveni Sivivatu could easily grace the international stage and their pack is no less impressive. What will be a worry for the 2011 French champions is the fact that their back play has been significantly less impressive since the departure of current Leinster head coach Joe Schmidt. The Irish province by contrast is in the midst of something of a golden age. 3 Heineken Cups in 4 years as well as 2 league final appearances in the last two seasons is testament to that fact and at the moment they show no signs of slowing down. The champions managed to utilize an astonishing 49 players in their Rabo Pro 12 campaign last season, so by and large depth shouldn’t be a problem. The second row will be an area of concern however, with only Leo Cullen and Devin Toner truly up to the required standard. Welsh side Scarlets and tournament debutants Exeter wrap up the pool, although it is unlikely that either will manage to reach the knockouts. Scarlets certainly have the backs to compete, but their forwards, in particular the second row, leave an awful lot to be desired. Exeter should view this year’s competition as a learning experience. They’re a solid outfit, however they lack international class throughout their side, with back row Tom Johnson and Outhalf Ignacio Mieres being notable exceptions.
Pool 6 is a difficult one to call, due to a weak top seeded side in Cardiff and some strong lower seed sides in the form of Montpellier and Toulon. Sale return to the competition, having not featured since 2009. Cardiff are unlikely to escape the pool, despite their top seed status, losing a whole host of last year’s team, including Casey Laulala to Munster and Gethin Jenkins to pool rivals Toulon. This, coupled with a less than convincing management team, means the Blues will be lucky to avoid finishing bottom of the pool. Toulon certainly have the most talented squad of the four sides involved, but as with Racing and Castres, the will yet again be questions of how serious they are about the competition. Their star studded squad featuring names such as Matt Giteau, Bakkies Botha, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Carl Hayman should have more than enough depth to compete both domestically and in Europe, but it will remain to be seen if they have the desire to seriously challenge continentally. Montpellier will hope to improve on last year’s showing in this competition, which started out with a lot of promise with a draw against champions Leinster. They’ll be worth keeping an eye on, if only for Georgian behemoth Mamuka Gorgodze, although they do possess a number of other quality players. Sale are England’s 6th team in this year’s competition, and will probably be one of the Premiership’s weaker performers. High profile signings Danny Cipriani and Richie Grey will give them a chance, but perhaps more important is the signing of Eifion Lewis-Roberts at tight head prop. The thoughts of sending Tony Buckley out against that Toulon unit is stomach turning. Sale will more than likely finish second or third in the pool, but it seems unlikely that they’ll truly be in contention to make the knock out stages.
So, who do I fancy for the quarters? I’m going to go with (in no particular order): Leinster, Northampton, Harlequins, Toulouse, Biarritz, Toulon, Munster, Clermont.
The draw for next season’s Heineken cup was made on Tuesday morning and as per usual the pools are something of a mixed bag.
In pool one last year’s surprise package Edinburgh could struggle to make an impact having been drawn with perennial quarter finalists Munster and English and French giants Saracens and Racing Metro. The Irish province will be favourites to get out of the group, with a host of Irish internationals and foreign imports such as BJ Botha and Doug Howlett on board, an impressive home record and a new head coach in the shape of Rob Penney who will no doubt be looking to make an immediate impact. Saracens will fancy their chances of making the knockout stages, however keeping a clean bill of health throughout will be vital to their chances of progressing as their strength in depth leaves much to be desired. New signings include the mercurial Chris Ashton and Springbok lock Alistair Hargreaves, giving Mark McCall more options in the backs and up front. Possessing a formidable pack and a number of English internationals out wide, Saracens should prove to be a tough nut to crack at home at the very least. As for Racing, they will be something of an unknown quantity up until they name their team for the first match. They certainly have the talent to make this group very tricky for the other parties concerned, but it is likely that we won’t see their first team too many times in Europe.
In pool two Ospreys fans will no doubt be left cursing their luck once more, having been handed an incredibly tough draw once again. The Rabo Pro 12 champions will face the most successful club in the history of the competition and current French champions Toulouse as well as Aviva Premiership finalists Leicester Tigers. Any three of these teams could potentially make it out of the group, however you have to favour Toulouse, given their pedigree in this competition, as well as the vast resources at their disposal. Leicester will be looking to make amends for a poor performance in last year’s tournament, which saw them obliterated in Ravenhill by Ulster, ultimately leading to them crashing out at the group stages. The performance of Ben Youngs will be vital to their prospects, while the recent decline of Geordan Murphy must be something of a concern. For the neutral, the prospect of seeing Miles Benjamin play at this level is to be looked forward to, while the battle to see who can secure the 10 shirt between Ford and Flood will be of great interest to English fans. Ospreys could be the real dark horse for this year’s competition, possessing an impressive tight five that is the match of any in Europe. In the back row, Ospreys fans will be hoping Ryan Jones can carry his excellent form into next season and that Justin Tipuric stays fit. The loss of the likes of Shane Williams and Tommy Bowe in the backs comes as a blow, but the emergence of young guns Hanno Dirksen and Ashley Beck means that they’ll still pose a substantial threat out wide. Such is the close nature of this group that the results the three favourites obtain against Italian side Treviso will be vital. Treviso have shown massive improvement over the past two seasons and will be a difficult obstacle at home. The ability of the others to get bonus points against the Italians will more than likely decide who gets out of this pool, but at the moment I’d favour Toulouse to do it.
Pool 3 is probably the poorest in the competition. New Italian franchise Zebra’s, based out of Parma, will struggle to get a point, while the most that Connacht can hope for is a scalp against one of Biarritz and Harlequins. For Harlequins this pool will be a real test of where they are as a club. If they want to establish themselves as a real European power Conor O’Shea’s men should look to win this pool comfortably. Their only real rivals Biarritz seem to be in terminal decline, and are growing ever more reliant on Dimitri Yachvilli and Imanol Harinordoquy, both well into their 30’s. Quins will no doubt be more wary of Connacht this time round, having suffered a shock defeat in Galway last season that ultimately cost them their spot in the knock out stages. 5 wins should be the minimum for the English champions and a place in the quarter finals would represent the club’s complete recovery from the blood-gate scandal of 2009.
The fourth pool sees two teams that have appeared in the past two finals in the shape of Northampton and Ulster matched up against each other. Despite a positive start to last year’s tournament away to Munster, Northampton’s challenge petered out by the end of the pool, succumbing to an embarrassing loss in Milton Keynes in the final game to the same opposition. The loss of first team regulars Chris Ashton, Roger Wilson and James Downey will no doubt hurt Saints, but they should still have enough quality to win all of their home games, which will give them a good platform to challenge for top spot. It will be difficult for Ulster and new head coach Mark Anscombe to replicate the run which saw the province make it all the way to the final in this year’s tournament. While they undoubtedly have the first XV to challenge anyone, should they suffer a few injuries they could be in trouble. Their back three should be entertaining to watch, with Jared Payne, Tommy Bowe, Craig Gilroy and Andrew Trimble all dangerous with ball in hand. Glasgow and Castres round off the group, although it’s unlikely that either will be in the running come weeks 5 & 6. The Scottish side will no doubt feel the loss of Richie Grey and Johnnie Beattie, while the French side are notorious for the lack of interest in the competition.
Pool five pits defending champions Leinster against French giants Clermont once again. By the completion of the pool stages the two sides will have met 6 times in the past 4 seasons. Clermont will no doubt be hungry for revenge following their defeat in this season’s semi-final and they certainly possess the tools to exact it. Their back line containing the likes of Wesley Fofana and Sitiveni Sivivatu could easily grace the international stage and their pack is no less impressive. What will be a worry for the 2011 French champions is the fact that their back play has been significantly less impressive since the departure of current Leinster head coach Joe Schmidt. The Irish province by contrast is in the midst of something of a golden age. 3 Heineken Cups in 4 years as well as 2 league final appearances in the last two seasons is testament to that fact and at the moment they show no signs of slowing down. The champions managed to utilize an astonishing 49 players in their Rabo Pro 12 campaign last season, so by and large depth shouldn’t be a problem. The second row will be an area of concern however, with only Leo Cullen and Devin Toner truly up to the required standard. Welsh side Scarlets and tournament debutants Exeter wrap up the pool, although it is unlikely that either will manage to reach the knockouts. Scarlets certainly have the backs to compete, but their forwards, in particular the second row, leave an awful lot to be desired. Exeter should view this year’s competition as a learning experience. They’re a solid outfit, however they lack international class throughout their side, with back row Tom Johnson and Outhalf Ignacio Mieres being notable exceptions.
Pool 6 is a difficult one to call, due to a weak top seeded side in Cardiff and some strong lower seed sides in the form of Montpellier and Toulon. Sale return to the competition, having not featured since 2009. Cardiff are unlikely to escape the pool, despite their top seed status, losing a whole host of last year’s team, including Casey Laulala to Munster and Gethin Jenkins to pool rivals Toulon. This, coupled with a less than convincing management team, means the Blues will be lucky to avoid finishing bottom of the pool. Toulon certainly have the most talented squad of the four sides involved, but as with Racing and Castres, the will yet again be questions of how serious they are about the competition. Their star studded squad featuring names such as Matt Giteau, Bakkies Botha, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Carl Hayman should have more than enough depth to compete both domestically and in Europe, but it will remain to be seen if they have the desire to seriously challenge continentally. Montpellier will hope to improve on last year’s showing in this competition, which started out with a lot of promise with a draw against champions Leinster. They’ll be worth keeping an eye on, if only for Georgian behemoth Mamuka Gorgodze, although they do possess a number of other quality players. Sale are England’s 6th team in this year’s competition, and will probably be one of the Premiership’s weaker performers. High profile signings Danny Cipriani and Richie Grey will give them a chance, but perhaps more important is the signing of Eifion Lewis-Roberts at tight head prop. The thoughts of sending Tony Buckley out against that Toulon unit is stomach turning. Sale will more than likely finish second or third in the pool, but it seems unlikely that they’ll truly be in contention to make the knock out stages.
So, who do I fancy for the quarters? I’m going to go with (in no particular order): Leinster, Northampton, Harlequins, Toulouse, Biarritz, Toulon, Munster, Clermont.
