Sport

Heineken Cup previews

Pool One: Munster's main pool rivals have, ominously, hit form

Compiled by Gerry Thornley
Fri Oct 21 2005 - 01:00

Pool One: Munster's main pool rivals have, ominously, hit form. Sale top the Premiership after last Friday's well-timed, high-octane 18-10 over Wasps and though they've lost nine of 12 European Cup games, are the Challenge Cup holders, have genuine scrum/pack power, and plenty of potency out wide in Mark Cueto and co.

The return from injury of Yann Delaigue has seen Castres arrest a slump of four successive defeats with 48-14 and 41-9 home wins over Brive and Clermont Auvergne.

Kees Meeuws, 11 tries in 22 games for the club, has been made captain and has been joined by ex-All Blacks' frontrow partner Carl Hoeft. So the visit of the Dragons, dodgy in setplay, facing a prop crisis and lacking strength in depth, looks like a home banker.

Rumours of Munster's demise may have been premature, for they have strengthened their depth, but the international windows will again hit and defeat tonight wouldn't leave them much room for manoeuvre.

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Forecast: Winners - Munster. Runners-up - Sale.

FIXTURES - Oct 21st: Sale v Munster, 7.30, Edgeley Park; Oct 22nd: Castres v Dragons, 6.15, Pierre-Antoine; Oct 28th: Dragons v Sale, 7.30, Rodney Parade; Oct 29th: Munster v Castres, 5.15, Thomond Park; Dec 9th: Castres v Sale, 8.30, Pierre-Antoine; Dec 10th: Dragons v Munster, 1.0, Rodney Parade; Dec 16/17/18th: Munster v Dragons, tbc, Thomond Park; Dec 16/17/18th: Sale v Castres, tbc, Edgeley Park; Jan 13/14/15th: Castres v Munster, tbc, Pierre-Antoine; Jan 13/14/15th: Sale v Dragons, tbc, Edgeley Park; Jan 20/21/22nd: Dragons v Castres, tbc, Rodney Parade; Jan 20/21/22nd: Munster v Sale, tbc, Thomond Park

Pool Two: Not even perplexing Perpignan can blow this shallow pool, can they? Unbeaten in Catalonia for 30 matches, last season's spineless defeats at Edinburgh, Newcastle and the Dragons linger, but with new lock Nathan Hines and Fijian teenage wing Samueli Naulu adding to a potent mix, they lie second domestically after seven wins in nine, beating all bar Toulouse and Biarritz away of European Cup rivals.

Justin Marshall, after a lifetime behind dominant Canterbury and All Blacks packs, cannot be enjoying life at Leeds, where seven defeats have yielded one bonus point, while as their RDS non-show highlighted, Cardiff are dismal travellers, with no away cup wins in four years, and only three of their last 17 on the road. So, as with Jonah Lomu's arrival, seeing will be believing. Calvisano, two wins out of 24 Cup ties, have acquired South African veteran Johan Ackerman and Tongan Milton Ngaumo, but lie third to Treviso domestically after defeats to Viadana and Overmach Parma, and again look ripe for plucking.

Forecast: Winners - Perpignan (and a quarter-final in Barcelona's Nou Camp?). Runners-up - Cardiff.

FIXTURES - Oct 22nd: Blues v Leeds, 1.0, Arms Park; Oct 22nd: Calvisano v Perpignan, 2.0, San Michele; Oct 28th: Leeds v Calvisano, 8:0, Headingley; Oct 28th: Perpignan v Blues, 8.30, Aime Giral; Dec 10th: Calvisano v Blues, 2.0, San Michele; Dec 11th: Leeds v Perpignan, 2.30, Headingley; Dec 16/17/18th: Blues v Calvisano, tbc, tbc; Dec 16/17/18th: Perpignan v Leeds, tbc, tbc; Jan 13/14/15th: Calvisano v Leeds, tbc, San Michele; Jan 13/14/15th: Blues v Perpignan, tbc, tbc; Jan 20/21/22nd: Leeds v Blues, tbc, Headingley; Jan 20/21/22nd: Perpignan v Calvisano, tbc, tbc

Pool Three: A brute of a draw for Lyn Jones' low-flying Ospreys, over-stretched and hit by injuries to key players as well as second-season syndrome.

It's their misfortune to have the "seventh" French entry, and although a star-studded Clermont, with their heavyweight pack, are again under-achieving (with four successive away defeats), they don't do home defeats - witness win over Stade Francais two weeks ago. Max Guazzini's Parisian Latinos, buoyed by their win against Toulouse last week, have again targeted the European Cup after coming to within a few minutes of doing so last season. Again injury hit, they can cope better than most, usually finish seasons strongly and pacey, ball-handling hooker Dimitri Szarzewski is another star in the making.

It's hard to see Leicester, post-Johnno, repeating successes of 2001 and 2002 after an undistinguished start to the season and, ominously for them, they've lost their last five meetings against French opposition.

Forecast: Stade to win the pool. Runners-up: Leicester to follow them home as one of best runners-up.

FIXTURES - Oct 22nd: Leicester v Clermont, 2.45, Welford Road; Oct 23rd: Ospreys v Stade Français, 3.0, New Stadium; Oct 29th: Stade Français v Leicester, 2.0, Charlety; Oct 30th: Clermont v Ospreys, 4.0, Marcel Michelin; Dec 10th: Clermont v Stade Français, 4.0, Marcel Michelin; Dec 11th: Leicester v Ospreys 3.0, Welford Road; Dec 16/17/18th: Ospreys v Leicester, tbc,New Stadium; Dec 16/17/18th: Stade Français v Clermont, tbc, Jean-Bouin; Jan 13/14/15th: Leicester v Stade Français, tbc, Welford Road; Jan 13/14/15th: Ospreys v Clermont, tbc,New Stadium; Jan 20/21/22nd: Clermont v Leicester, tbc, Marcel Michelin; Jan 20/21/22nd: Stade Français v Ospreys, tbc, Jean-Bouin.

 Pool Four: Robbed of a place in last season's final before gaining revenge over Stade Français to win the Bouclier de Brennus, Biarritz have looked a little limited and weary this season, strong defensively and up front, but reliant on Dimitri Yachvilli's goal-kicking. Hard to play against, and hard to watch.

Having finished last season strongly, Saracens' cosmopolitan outfit have been unexceptional this season. Treviso, with (Alessandro) Troncon and their fine loose forwards, have seven wins out of eight domestically but as three of them were half-centuries you wonder how it will prepare them for the heat of Ravenhill - they always lose their opener before, sights adjusted, taking scalps.

A confident, in-form Ulster haven't lost at home in four years and look to have their best chance of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since the 1999 glory year, though they'll possibly need to beat Saracens home and away as well, and stay relatively free of injuries.

Forecast: Ulster to chase home Biarritz, possibly as one of best runners-up.

FIXTURES: Oct 21st: Ulster v Treviso, 7.30pm, Ravenhill; Oct 23rd: Saracens v Biarritz, 3.30, Vicarage Road; Oct 29th: Treviso v Saracens, 2pm, Di Monigio; Biarritz v Ulster, 4.0, Aquila; Dec 9th: Ulster v Saracens, 7.30, Ravenhill; Dec 11th: Biarritz v Treviso, 4pm, tbc; Dec 16th/17th/18th: Treviso v Biarritz, tbc, Di Monigio; Saracens v Ulster, tbc, Vicarage Road; Jan 13th/14th/15th: Saracens v Benetton, tbc, Vicarage Road; Ulster v Biarritz, tbc, Ravenhill; Jan 20th/21st/22nd: Treviso v Ulster, tbc, Di Monigio; Biarritz v Saracens, tbc, tbc

Pool Five: Déjà vu, and both Bourgoin and Bath will have a whiff of cordite in their nostrils due to last season. Bourgoin cannot be as dilettantish as before (one win in 12 ties) and are fourth in le championnat with a three-year unbeaten home record domestically, but were well beaten by Perpignan and Biarritz in the last three weeks.

Bath, with four wins on the bounce, look the biggest threat, given Danny Grewcock, Steve Borthwick and co again look tailor-made to take on the Leinster pack, and they're far from one-dimensional.

Inconsistent Glasgow, as Munster were reminded this season, can be dangerous at Hughendon, but they've lost 21 away European Cup ties in a row since winning the inaugural competition at Ravenhill eight seasons ago.

Three of Leinster's Lions have been sidelined, they look callow, but they needed refreshing, and if the young guns, David Blaney, Ciarán Potts, Jamie Heaslip and co, can slug it out, they have the cutting edge to come through the group.

Forecast: Leinster to win, with Bath runners-up.

FIXTURES: Oct 21st: Bourgoin v Glasgow, 8.30, Pierre Rajon; Oct 22nd: Leinster v Bath, 5.15, RDS; Oct 29th: Bath v Bourgoin, 2.15, The Rec; Oct 30th: Glasgow v Leinster, 1pm, Hughenden; Dec 10th: Bath v Glasgow, 2.15, The Rec; Leinster v Bourgoin, 5.15, RDS; Dec 16th/17th/18th: Bourgoin v Leinster, tbc, Pierre Rajon; Glasgow v Bath, tbc, Hughenden; Jan 13th/14th/15th: Bourgoin v Bath, tbc, Pierre Rajon; Leinster v Glasgow, tbc, RDS; Jan 20th/21st/22nd: Bath v Leinster, tbc, The Rec; Glasgow v Bourgoin, tbc, Hughenden

Pool Six: A good one for the Irish boys to avoid. On recent pedigree, probably the best four European Cup teams in their respective countries.

Toulouse will, for once, have their work cut out earning their annual home quarter-final earner, and though their first defeat of the season to Stade was probably bad timing for Llanelli, they must visit Wasps in a reprise of 2004 final in week two. Even so, Edinburgh holds good memories for them and with the arrival of the brilliant Yannick Nyanga, they look stronger than ever.

The itinerary enables Wasps to obtain a good start, "Lol" (Lawrence Dallaglio) is back, they usually finish strongly and defence is rock-like, but post-Gatland, the jury is still out. Llanelli still look like Welsh standard-bearers and will take scalps in Stradey Park, but Scott Quinnell and Stephen Jones voids remain.

Edinburgh, who've won in Stradey this season, look stronger than when reaching the quarter-finals with Toulouse two years ago, but they had doubles over the Ospreys and the Tykes then.

Forecast: Winners : Toulouse; runners-up: Wasps.

FIXTURES: Oct 22nd: Toulouse v Scarlet, 4pm, Ernest Wallon; Oct 23rd: Edinburgh v Wasps, 1pm, Murrayfield; Oct 29th: Scarlets v Edinburgh, 3pm, Stradey Park; Oct 30th: Wasps v Toulouse, 3pm, Causeway; Dec 10th: Edinburgh v Toulouse, 4pm, Murrayfield; Dec 11th: Scarlets v Wasps, 1pm, Stradey Park; Dec 16th/17th/18th: Wasps v Scarlets, tbc, Causeway ; Toulouse v Edinburgh, tbc, Ernest Wallon; Jan 13th/14th/15th: Edinburgh v Scarlets, tbc, Murrayfield; Toulouse v Wasps, tbc, Municipal; Jan 20th/21st/22nd: Scarlets v Toulouse, tbc, Stradey Park; Wasps v Edinburgh, tbc, Causeway.