Playing the pools

What the provinces can expect

Munster (Pool 1)

SALE SHARKS

A multinational squad that includes Luke McAlister and Sébastien Chabal. Suffered from a World Cup hangover last season, just failing to make the Premiership play-offs and losing the European Challenge Cup semi-final to Bath. Have priors with Munster from 2005/06. YouTube still has a great clip of O'Connell and co emptying Chabal in Limerick.

ASM CLERMONT AUVERGNE

Munster's 26-19 bonus-point defeat in Clermont last January proved a watershed on the road to a second title. Just finished top of the French league for the first time, enhancing their status as France's most progressive club. Will relish another crack at the champions and may even send a first XV to Thomond Park, unlike last season.

MONTAUBAN

Edged past Mark McHugh's Montpellier for the final French qualifier spot by beating Albi last weekend. Will be expected to do what most middle-tier French clubs do and send dummy sides to away matches as domestic activity takes precedence. Could well rise to the Clermont Auvergne games though.

Ulster (Pool 4)

STADE FRANCAIS

Beaten finalists twice (they were defeated by Leicester in 2001 and Toulouse in 2005), Stade Français must be desperate to establish themselves alongside European rugby's elite by finally annexing the European Cup.

They can categorise this pool as a straightforward route into the quarter-finals.

LLANELLI SCARLETS

The Llanelli Scarlets are no longer the Welsh standard-bearers in Europe, having fallen short of the standard recently set by the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues.

Must cope with an exodus of talent, most notably their Lions scrumhalf Dwayne Peel to the Sale Sharks.

HARLEQUINS

Ulster coach Matt Williams is surely pleased with drawing the Scarlets along with England's sixth-ranked club.

Dean Richards's squad will struggle to maintain the dual competitiveness of domestic and European activity.

 Leinster (Pool 2)

LONDON WASPS

Despite the retirement of Lawrence Dallaglio and long-term injury to their superstar outhalf Danny Cipriani, Wasps remain the best team in English rugby and proved as much by eventually recovering from the World Cup to claim the title.

The arrival of Serge Betsen and the Kiwi scrumhalf Mark Robinson maintains their strength in depth but coaching resources will be stretched by the international commitments of Ian McGeehan (Lions) and Shaun Edwards (Wales and possibly the Lions) .

CASTRES OLYMPIQUE

Considered the best of the rest in France. Finished fifth in the Top 14, but 10 points adrift of fourth-placed Perpignan. Jeremy Davidson and Mark McCall are on the coaching staff. Dangerous opposition.

EDINBURGH

Not again! Leinster have come up short in Murrayfield in the previous two pool campaigns (29-10 and 25-24), playing error-strewn rugby on both occasions. Edinburgh should again prove difficult to beat but only if coach Andy Robinson is allowed build on his squad.