Provinces hoping for a strong finish

European Cup News:  Munster and Ulster's final matches in the pool stages of this season's Heineken European Cup will take place on Saturday, January 21st with Leinster's fate down for decision 24 hours later.

Mark McCall's Ulster must travel to Treviso in their final outing hoping that they will still be in a position to qualify. First they take on Biarritz at Ravenhill - a game they simply must win.

Declan Kidney will be hoping Munster can win away at Castres next time out, something that they couldn't manage last season, to maintain their interest up to their final outings against runaway pool leaders, the Sale Sharks.

The English side should account for the Dragons next time out so Munster will be chasing one of the two runner-up places across the six pools.

One of their primary rivals could be Leinster. Bath head Leinster's group but must travel to Bourgoin next time out and if they were to slip up there and Leinster beat Glasgow then it would set up a mouth- watering winner-take-all clash at the Recreation Ground on the Sunday. If Bath win in France then Leinster cannot top the pool and will be chasing a runner-up place.

The first team to automatically qualify for a coveted European Cup quarter-final place will be settled on Friday, January 20th. The two matches on the final weekend of the league format of the tournament in each of the six pools must kick off simultaneously.

The Leicester Tigers, who lead Pool Three with 15 points after round four travel to ASM Clermont Auvergne while Stade Français, currently second with 14 points, will have home advantage over the Ospreys on the Friday night. There will be four games on the Sunday.

The Munster and Leinster matches will be broadcast live, two of seven games that will be transmitted in real time over that particular weekend, with Sky Sports due to confirm the other matches in the new year.

The six Pool winners automatically qualify for the quarter-finals with the four teams with the best finishing records earning home advantage and ranked one to four. The two best placed runners-up qualify as the number seven and eight ranked teams and, along with the teams ranked five and six, play away from home in the last eight.

The quarter-finals will be played on the weekend of March 31st-April 2nd.

EUROPEAN CUP ROUND SIX (All kick-offs Irish time)

Friday, January, 20th: Pool Three: ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leicester Tigers (7.30); Stade Français Paris v Ospreys (7.30).

Saturday, January 21st: Pool One: Newport Gwent Dragons v Castres Olympique (5.15); Munster v Sale Sharks (5.15, RTE). Pool Four: Biarritz Olympique v Saracens (3.0, FR2); Benetton Treviso v Ulster (4.0, Sky Italia). Pool Six: London Wasps v Edinburgh Gunners (1.00); Llanelli Scarlets v Toulouse (1.0, Sky Sports).

Sunday, January 22nd: Pool Two: Perpignan v Rugby Calvisano (1.0); Leeds Tykes v Cardiff Blues (1.0, Sky Sports). Pool Five: Bath Rugby v Leinster (3.0, Sky Sports); Glasgow Warriors v Bourgoin (3.0).