Heineken Cup Draw 2009/2010

European Rugby Cup Pools Throw up Mouthwatering Clashes

Jun 9, 2009

The draw for the 2009/10 Heineken rugby Cup has been made, with champions Leinster getting a favourable group. The race to the Heineken Cup final in Paris starts here!

Despite the use of a seeding system for the second season, the draw for the Heineken Cup has thrown up pools which will have some teams holding their heads in despair and others licking their lips at the prospect.

Heineken Cup Pool 1

This group looks to be a two horse race. Munster, perennial qualifiers for the knockout stages will be tested all the way by French Top 14 champions Perpignan, but with their home games at Thomond Park almost a banker, they are likely to top the group.

Northampton Saints will have a big say in whether there are two qualifiers from this group. Although their form away from home precludes them from being challengers themselves, they do have the ability to win their home games and this could make the difference in the pool.

Treviso, whilst generally the best of the Italian sides are unlikely to cause any shocks in this company.

Qualifier: Never bet against Munster. Perpignan to get enough points to also qualify.

Heineken Cup Pool 2

Probably the easiest of the six pools, but which of Biarritz or Gloucester get through depends on whether the French side achieve their undoubted potential and whether Gloucester show their undoubted propensity to implode under pressure.

Heineken Cup Pool 3

Vying with Pool 5 as this season’s, ‘Pool of Death’, pool 3 sees the English champions and last season’s Heineken finalists go up against French T14 finalists Clermont Auvergne and star studded Welsh side the Ospreys.

The O’s and Tigers have been regular pool opponents in recent seasons and both qualified last year thanks to bonus points scored. Expect it to go to the wire again with the top 3 winning all their home games and gaining the full 10 points against Italian whipping boys Viadana.

Qualifier: Leicester to go through on bonus points, with the Ospreys getting a best runner up spot.

Heineken Cup Pool 4

This group is likely to be a straight shootout between Bath and Stade Francais, although the French side’s unwillingness to play well outside the Periphique may hinder them. The key to the group is likely to be the Stade v Bath game in Paris. This will probably be held at the Stade de France with an 80,000 crowd and a huge amount of razamatazz. If Bath gain at least a bonus point there, they will almost certainly qualify.

Bath's main issue is the resignation of some players who have allegedly refused to take drug tests. They need to sort this issue out quickly.

Ulster will be difficult to beat at Ravenhill, but won’t have the firepower to compete against the big two in the group. Edinburgh are unlikely to feature, especially now they have lost coach Andy Robinson to the Scottish national job.

Heineken Cup Pool 5

Toulouse were the only French club to qualify for the knockout stages last season, narrowly losing a scintillating quarter final to the Cardiff Blues. The Blues will look to repeat their unbeaten pool record of 2008 and avoid any penalty shootouts from there.

The two top seeds may not have things their own way though. The group is completed by two English sides Sale and Harlequins. While Sale don’t have any Heineken Cup pedigree to speak of, they are still a difficult team to beat at home. Harlequins are in a state of disarray after being found guilty of faking a blood injury in last year's semi final.

Heineken Cup Pool 6

Champions Leinster have got a favourable group from which to launch their title defence. Even though London Irish got to the final of the Guinness Premiership this year, they don’t have enough Heineken Cup experience to be considered massive challengers. The Scarlets, for so long the only Welsh team to be regular knockout qualifiers, have had two desperate seasons and are unlikely to be a serious threat this year.

French side Brive finished 6th in the Top 14 and their glory days in the Heineken Cup are a dim and distant memory, their only win coming way back in 1997.

Heineken Cup Final Tickets

The final of the Heineken Cup will be held at the Stade de France in Paris on May 22nd 2010. Tickets are on sale and 20,000 have already been sold.

The copyright of the article Heineken Cup Draw 2009/2010 in Rugby is owned by Neil Hughes. Permission to republish Heineken Cup Draw 2009/2010 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.