Brive meet Pontypridd

The convoluted qualifying procedures for the knock-out stages of the Heineken European Cup were finally resolved yesterday and the most intriguing result is a re-run of the notorious Brive-Pontypridd encounter in next month's play-offs. Wasps' controversial 29-28 victory over Swansea, which included a hotly disputed Shane Roiser try after an apparently forward pass by Kenny Logan, had the double effect of guaranteeing Wasps a home quarter-final and a home semi-final should they get that far, as well as eliminating Swansea.

Glasgow's 30-15 win over Ulster earned them second spot in Pool B and with it a play-off place, while Swansea's Welsh rivals Pontypridd salvaged the play-off place reserved for the best third-placed side.

Munster's 23-16 victory over Harlequins may have served only to restore some much needed pride for Mick Galwey's team, but it had severe repercussions for Harlequins. With Pau predictably running riot against Treviso by 56-7 in Pool E, it means that Harlequins qualify for the quarter-finals but as the fifth best pool winners behind Wasps, Toulouse, Bath and Pau, and so are resigned to an away tie on the weekend of November 8th9th.

Andy Keast, the disgusted Quins coach, said: "The players were informed of their commercial responsibility to the club and failed to respond to that. It's a very simple lesson in life; you can't put out one hand out and take, if you're not prepared to put one hand out and give."

As regards the play-offs on November 1st-2nd, the holders, Brive, qualified as the best of the runners-up courtesy of yesterday's 39-29 win away to the Scottish Borders. They were followed by Pool A runners-up Leicester, who beat Milan away by 37-29, Cardiff, Llanelli and Glasgow, with Pontypridd completing the line-up.

Thus the three remaining quarter-final places will be filled by winners of the following ties: Brive v Pontypridd, Leicester v Glasgow and Cardiff v Llanelli.

The quarter-final draws for the European Cup and European Conference will be held on Tuesday, October 14th.

Leeds' rugby league and rugby union sides have made a joint inquiry for Bath's £100,000 transfer-listed England winger Jon Sleightholme. The 25-year-old Sleightholme, who has been the subject of interest from Cardiff since being made available by the West Country club, is to be offered the chance to play all-year round rugby.