Heineken Cup dates

Just been revealed:

POOLS

POOL 1: Munster, Northampton Saints, Scarlets, Castres Olympique
POOL 2: Cardiff Blues, London Irish, Edinburgh, Racing Metro 92
POOL 3: Leinster, Bath Rugby, Glasgow Warriors, Montpellier
POOL 4: Leicester Tigers, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Ulster Rugby, Aironi Rugby
POOL 5: Biarritz Olympique, Ospreys, Saracens, Benetton Treviso
POOL 6: Toulouse, Harlequins, Gloucester Rugby, Connacht Rugby

FIXTURES
(All kick-offs LOCAL time with host broadcaster where relevant)

ROUND 1

FRIDAY, 11 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 2 Racing Metro 92 v Cardiff Blues 21.00 Canal+
Pool 6 Harlequins v Connacht Rugby 20.00 Sky Sports

SATURDAY, 12 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Scarlets v Castres Olympique 15.00
Pool 1 Munster v Northampton Saints 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 2 London Irish v Edinburgh 13.30 Sky Sports
Pool 3 Montpellier v Leinster (Stade de la Mosson) 14.30 Canal+
Pool 4 Aironi Rugby v Leicester Tigers 14.30 Sky Italia
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v ASM Clermont Auvergne 15.40 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Ospreys v Biarritz Olympique 15.40 S4C

SUNDAY, 13 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 3 Glasgow Warriors v Bath Rugby 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Saracens v Benetton Treviso 15.00
Pool 6 Toulouse v Gloucester Rugby 16.00 FR2

ROUND 2

FRIDAY, 18 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Northampton Saints v Scarlets 20.00 Sky Sports
Pool 2 Cardiff Blues v London Irish 20.00 S4C
Pool 2 Edinburgh v Racing Metro 92 20.00
Pool 4 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Aironi Rugby 21.00 Canal+

SATURDAY, 19 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Castres Olympique v Munster 16.40 FR2
Pool 4 Leicester Tigers v Ulster Rugby 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Biarritz Olympique v Saracens 14.30 Canal+
Pool 5 Benetton Treviso v Ospreys 14.30 Sky Italia
Pool 6 Gloucester Rugby v Harlequins 15.40 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Connacht Rugby v Toulouse 18.00 Sky Sports

SUNDAY, 20 NOVEMBER, 2011
Pool 3 Leinster v Glasgow Warriors 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 3 Bath Rugby v Montpellier 15.00 Sky Sports

ROUND 3

FRIDAY, 9 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 2 Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh 20.00 S4C
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Aironi Rugby 19.30
Pool 6 Harlequins v Toulouse 20.00 Sky Sports

SATURDAY, 10 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Scarlets v Munster 15.40 Sky Sports
Pool 1 Castres Olympique v Northampton Saints 14.30 Canal+
Pool 2 Racing Metro 92 v London Irish 16.40 FR2
Pool 5 Benetton Treviso v Biarritz Olympique 14.30 Sky Italia
Pool 5 Saracens v Ospreys (Wembley Stadium) 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Connacht Rugby v Gloucester Rugby 13.30 Sky Sports

SUNDAY, 11 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 3 Glasgow Warriors v Montpellier 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 3 Bath Rugby v Leinster 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 4 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leicester Tigers 16.00 FR2

ROUND 4

FRIDAY, 16 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 2 Edinburgh v Cardiff Blues 20.00 S4C
Pool 5 Ospreys v Saracens 20.00 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Biarritz Olympique v Benetton Treviso 21.00 Canal+

SATURDAY, 17 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 2 London Irish v Racing Metro 92 15.00
Pool 3 Montpellier v Glasgow Warriors 16.40 FR2
Pool 3 Leinster v Bath Rugby (Aviva Stadium) 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Leicester Tigers v ASM Clermont Auvergne 13.30 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Aironi Rugby v Ulster Rugby 14.30 Sky Italia
Pool 6 Gloucester Rugby v Connacht Rugby 15.40 Sky Sports

SUNDAY, 18 DECEMBER, 2011
Pool 1 Munster v Scarlets 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 1 Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique 15.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Toulouse v Harlequins (Le Stadium) 16.00 FR2

ROUND 5

13 / 14 / 15 JANUARY, 2012
Pool 1 Munster v Castres Olympique
Pool 1 Scarlets v Northampton Saints
Pool 2 London Irish v Cardiff Blues
Pool 2 Racing Metro 92 v Edinburgh
Pool 3 Montpellier v Bath Rugby
Pool 3 Glasgow Warriors v Leinster
Pool 4 Aironi Rugby v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Leicester Tigers
Pool 5 Ospreys v Benetton Treviso
Pool 5 Saracens v Biarritz Olympique
Pool 6 Toulouse v Connacht Rugby
Pool 6 Harlequins v Gloucester Rugby

ROUND 6

20 / 21 / 22 JANUARY, 2012
Pool 1 Castres Olympique v Scarlets
Pool 1 Northampton Saints v Munster
Pool 2 Cardiff Blues v Racing Metro 92
Pool 2 Edinburgh v London Irish
Pool 3 Bath Rugby v Glasgow Warriors
Pool 3 Leinster v Montpellier
Pool 4 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Ulster Rugby
Pool 4 Leicester Tigers v Aironi Rugby
Pool 5 Benetton Treviso v Saracens
Pool 5 Biarritz Olympique v Ospreys
Pool 6 Connacht Rugby v Harlequins
Pool 6 Gloucester Rugby v Toulouse


QUARTER-FINALS - 6 / 7 / 8 APRIL, 2012
SEMI-FINALS - 27 / 28 / 29 APRIL, 2012
17th HEINEKEN CUP FINAL - TWICKENHAM STADIUM - 19 / 20 MAY, 2012

Gotta love the HC!

Finally Quins are back in it and i'm already excited about the first weekends watching. Although i'm sure there's a bit of de ja vue with the first team we're up against....

Can any one list the pools again as a refresher?

Any chance of making this a sticky?

Hi Yappysnap,

Very much looking forward to our respective return to the HC, although I think ours will be more successful!

You could have done without Toulouse being the back to back games. I'm hoping that by the time we play them at home, they will have qualified and not turn up allowing us to get the 2nd best spot (I'm not being completely one-eyed and thinking we'll top the group!)

Well done Hobo for giving us this information.

Really looking forward to the Heineken Cup.

Very well balanced groups.

Real opportunity for Saracens to take Group 5 by the scruff of the neck straight away.

If we can beat Biarritz away from home we will be in an excellent position. Biarritz might lose interest.

I actually think Quins and Gloucester will give Toulouse a lot more trouble than they are expected to.

Looking forward to watching Connacht in their first ever HC.

Looking forward to the HC full stop.

Great tournament.

all our games on a friday night...god dammit sky!!

Hey Hongkong,

Well i'll let you believe what you want, but i think coming away with silverware with have helped our boys no end and i think we could happily take 2 out of 3 of the opposition in our pool. (The one sticky team speaking in an odd accent and showing a penchant for black shirts and Gloucester only fulfill half of that criteria).

I still remember 2 seasons ago being 14-0 up against Toulouse at half time and then them switching on and spanking us. That battle for second spot is going to be monstrous. I agree it's going to be all about the second spot unless Tolouse slip up.

Beshocked cheers for the vote of confidence, i just can't see it though. At best i'd hope to sneak a win at home but if Tolouse decide to concentrate on the cup then we could be buggered.

As for Biarritz, well as long as you hold their pack they haven't shown anything behind that to trouble good teams, if you guys play like you do and keep control i think you may do alright.

Blues could get their campaign off to a good start with getting something against Racing.

Good home starts for the Scarlets and O's

Tough groups all round as always. Difficult job for the Ospreys to get out of the group stages again, hopefully they'll do better than last year

Cant help feel the back to back games are the key for the O's.....

I fear for them....

They need to take their chances, which they didnt do last year. They were beating Toulon last year with 10mins left, then threw the game away. You cant do that in this competition and expect to get out of the groups stages.

God knows what the O's will be like this season? I wait in trepidation

I think there is going to be less expected of them due to the players thay have lost and their team will have a bit more of a youthful look to it.

That said when their youngsters played throughout the 6 Nations they seemed to play better as a team.

They will still have the potential to field a virtual International pack so that should stand them in good stead if they all perform

bedfordwelsh wrote:I think there is going to be less expected of them due to the players thay have lost and their team will have a bit more of a youthful look to it.

That said when their youngsters played throughout the 6 Nations they seemed to play better as a team.

They will still have the potential to field a virtual International pack so that should stand them in good stead if they all perform

Agree. Rhys Webb started to play really well when he finally got a run of games. These youngsters will definitely play their part in the early stages of the HC

What will the Ospreys team look like next season? With Byrne,Phillips and Cap'n Hook it's going to be a different looking team surely?

Will ickle Shane still be around? At least you will have your two best players Tommy Bowe and Adam Jones.

Tough start for Edinburgh - they could be out of it before even getting going! Just the usual then...

as long as it's a good craic when we turn up in december, i don't mind

Those fixtures work out quite well for Ulster although i usually like the christmas home game to be one of the bigger matches. Still while Clermont and Leicester are pumelling eachother in the double header we have the easier draw (still not easy though) for the double header.

beshocked wrote:What will the Ospreys team look like next season? With Byrne,Phillips and Cap'n Hook it's going to be a different looking team surely?

Will ickle Shane still be around? At least you will have your two best players Tommy Bowe and Adam Jones.

beshocked,

I still reckon they can put a forward pack out something like this:

Bevington Hibbard A Jones
AWJ Evans
R Jones Bearman Tuiperic

Which isn't that bad a side on paper its whether they perform

Beshocked I think you're right, we are obviously well known for our home form and The Stoop is certainly no easy place to go. I think one of us will beat them at home (naturally it will be Glaws, but I'll hedge my bets!).

I can definitely see Sarries qualifying. It'll be between you & Biarittz, but I think both teams will qualify.

two 12.45 sunday games for leinster

mother

saturday night against bath in lansdowne rd

Thank you HKC that's my thoughts exactly.

I believe we have the pyschological edge over Biarritz and Ospreys after beating them in our last HC encounters.

Both in the 2007-8 season - one was Biarritz's heaviest ever HC defeat and the other was the defeat of the O's galacticos by an one legged Richard Hill.

Of course Toulouse are one of the best sides in Europe and current French champions for a reason but you (Gloucester) are such a pain to beat at home. Didn't Quins beat Toulouse at the stoop not long ago?

Can't see either of you winning in Toulouse though!

Bedfordwelsh thanks for the info. Can't say I have heard of half of them though. Hardly household names. Admittedly I am not vastly knowledgeable of the Pro12.

Obviously I know the three Joneses but that's it. Heard of Bearman but don't know if he is any good or not.

Could you tell me a little bit about the players?

Despite not expecting a star studded Ospreys side I won't take any side for granted even Treviso whose home form in the Pro12 has been respectable.

This is a real opportunity to go far in the HC in my opinion though and we should make the most of it.

It might sound a bit daft, but I always immediately look at the last round of matches when the fixtures are published. If you can get a home fixture in the last game it can be very important. The pools are generally competitive until the last weekend and home advantage counts for a lot, it can be the difference between a bonus point or not. I know others will say that the pools are mini leagues and the results balance themselves out, but to me the last game can be like an extra knockout game.

The final round of matches throws up some interesting contests, Northampton vs. Munster for instance could be a shootout for the pool.

Cumbrian wrote:

The final round of matches throws up some interesting contests, Northampton vs. Munster for instance could be a shootout for the pool.

As a Munster fan, I certainly hope so (unless we have put it to bed by then - of course)

I'll have a crack at an answer there,

Bevington - A 22 year old that has fully earned his Wales call-up (and cap) this season. A fine scrummager, great workrate and has unbelievable mobility for a prop, sometimes popping up on the shoulder of centres. The heir apparent to Gethin Jenkins and looks to already ousted Paul James (maybe) and Duncan Jones from the loosehead jersey for the Os.
Hibbard - A big, confrontational aggressive hooker that carries well and has a huge workrate. Throwing can be suspect, but miles ahead of Bennetts.
Jones - A class act that has surely established himself as one of, if not the, best tightheads in the world.

A.W.J. - Never seems to run out of energy and seems to everywhere and is always touted as a future Wales captain. Can sometimes go missing and make silly errors.
Evans - A big prospect a few years ago before he was hindered by injuries but is now back. A big guy who could offer the physical edge in the locks - similar to Botha in the SA pairing.

Jones - Still hasn't hit the heights of his 2005 form and 2008 IRB nomination. Still a quality player though.
Bearman - A bit of an unknown quantity. Preformed superbly for the Dragons but has suffered injuries over the last year or so. Could possibly be Stowers/Ryan/JT playing 8 depending on form.
Tipuric - An out an out fetcher that has great breakdown, handling and supporting skills. Possibly lacks the physicality of Warburton but has been great in all Ospreys games this season, especially when handed the captaincy.

Everyone agree? Or am I off my rocker?

Thanks for the info draigoch. Very insightful. What about your expected backline?

beshocked wrote:Thanks for the info draigoch. Very insightful. What about your expected backline?

.

There lies the issue

Who are Bath likely to sign at 10 now that Old McDonald has been refused asylum? I mean, a work permit!

Mickado wrote:Who are Bath likely to sign at 10 now that Old McDonald has been refused asylum? I mean, a work permit!

Paddy wallace?

OnASideNote wrote:

Mickado wrote:Who are Bath likely to sign at 10 now that Old McDonald has been refused asylum? I mean, a work permit!

Paddy wallace?

He might be seeking asylum after the world cup!

Mickado wrote:

OnASideNote wrote:

Mickado wrote:Who are Bath likely to sign at 10 now that Old McDonald has been refused asylum? I mean, a work permit!

Paddy wallace?

He might be seeking asylum after the world cup!

Um. backline..with all the leavers this is more a stab in the dark than anything...

Webb (Fotuali'i)
Biggar (Fotuali'i, Morgan)
Williams (Phillips, Dirksen)
Beck
Bishop (Dirksen)
Bowe (N. Walker, E. Walker, Fussell)
Fussell (Prydie, Davies)

Could be any of the above. I'd say right now only Bowe, Williams and maybe Biggar are 100% sure of a starting place. Webb and Beck look promising but maybe lack experience for the big HC games.
In addition to that I'm sure we'll see a overseas name come in. At centre hopefully..

Leinster have 2 x phhoking Sunday games at 12:45! I hate SKY.

Looking forward to our double-header with Bath. Saturday eve at Lansdowne - just before Christmas. Lovely stuff. Also looking forward to going to Bath the week before. Love that place.

Montpellier away 1st. A tricky bananna-skin type start.


Leinster on Tour again. I love the HC with a passion.

Draig,

thats a pretty in-experienced back line really, if you take Williams and Bowe out of it as well it could be very very in-experienced.

Could potentially undo a lot of the work done by the forwards - Than again no one will be expecting a lot

Completely agree bedford, we need an experienced centre I think. Just had a thought...what about HIM?

gcBlues wrote:all our games on a friday night...god dammit sky!!

It seems that Sky have little interest in this pool. S4C are showing 3 of our first four games live with the Metro game on Canal +. I just hope there's English commentary on the Red button as my Welsh is very limited