Owens and Barnes to referee Leinster ties

Nigel Owens will referee Leinster’s return to Heineken Cup action against Clermont Auvergne on Sunday week. Joe Schmidt’s former club are now 51 games unbeaten at the Stade Marcel Michelin.

Englishman Wayne Barnes will repeat the role he filled during last year’s Heineken Cup semi-final for the return fixture at the Aviva Stadium on December 15th.

Munster’s game against Saracens at Thomond Park on Saturday week will be refereed by another familiar face in Frenchman Romain Poite with Pascal Gauzere in charge of the return leg, eight days later, at Vicarage Road.

Ulster have another French official, Jerome Garces, for their trip to Franklin’s Gardens on Friday week with Owens in charge of the Ravenhill game also on December 15th.

ROUND 3

Fri, Dec 7th

Pool 4 Glasgow v Castres 7.35pm Wayne Barnes (Eng). Pool 3 Connacht v Biarritz 8pm Greg Garner (Eng) . Pool 4 Northampton v Ulster 8pm Jérome Garces (Fra).

Sat, Dec 8th

Pool 5 Scarlets v Exeter 1.35pm Mathieu Raynal (Fra) . Pool 2 Toulouse v Ospreys 2.35pm Alain Rolland (Ire) . Pool 3 Zebre v Harlequins 2.35pm Neil Paterson(Sco) . Pool 6 Sale Sharks v Toulon 3.40pm Leighton Hodges (Wal) . Pool 1 Munster Rugby v Saracens 6pm Romain Poite (Fra).

Pool 1 Racing Metro 92 v Edinburgh Rugby 7pm Peter Fitzgibbon (Ire).

Sun, Dec 9th

Pool 6 Cardiff v Montpellier 12.45pm John Lacey (Ire). Pool 2 Leicester v Treviso 3pm Pascal Gauzere (Fra). Pool 5 Clermont Auvergne v Leinster 4pm Nigel Owens (Wal).

ROUND 4

Fri, Dec 14th

Pool 1 Edinburgh v Racing Metro 8pm Dudley Phillips (Ire). Pool 3 Biarritz v Connacht 9pm Leighton Hodges (Wal).

Sat, Dec 15th

Pool 2 Ospreys v Toulouse 1.35pm George Clancy (Ire) . Pool 2 Treviso v Leicester 2.35pm Alain Rolland (Ire) . Pool 3 Harlequins v Zebre 3pm Mathieu Raynal (Fra) . Pool 5 Leinster v Clermont Auvergne 3.40pm Wayne Barnes (Eng) . Pool 5 Exeter v Scarlets 3.40pm Romain Poite (Fra) . Pool 4 Ulster v Northampton 6pm Nigel Owens (Wal) . Pool 6 Montpellier v Cardiff 7pm Greg Garner (Eng).

Sun, Dec 16th

Pool 4 Castres v Glasgow 1.45pm Andrew Small (Eng) . Pool 1 Saracens v Munster 3pm Pascal Gauzere (Fra). Pool 6 Toulon v Sale Sharks 4pm John Lacey (Ire).