Provinces draw the short straws

RUGBY: They were probably the quarter-final pairings the Irish provinces least favoured going into the weekend's final round of the Heineken European Cup pool stages. Alas, Murphy's Law duly decreed that Geordan Murphy, Martin Johnson, Neil Back and their fellow Leicester Tigers will be coming to Lansdowne Road while Munster have been consigned to an away tie against Biarritz on the first weekend of April. Nice trip, shame about the opposition.

Although Perpignan followed Castres out of the tournament by losing in Edinburgh yesterday (so giving Leicester their final lifeline), Stade Français' bloodless coup (27-0) in ending Gloucester's unbeaten Cup record at Kingsholm (condemning Munster to a trip to Biarritz) ensured that for the fifth year in a row three French clubs have reached the quarter-finals. All of which again underlines how little interest the French have in Europe.

What's more, it's their big three and they are all at home, with Toulouse entertaining Northampton and Stade hosting Newcastle. So while the English clung on to three qualifiers, all of them are away.

Given a line-up featuring three ties in France and the time required for French television to analyse their options, it's likely the dates and times of the quarter-finals on the first weekend in April won't be finalised until this evening or tomorrow. The safest forecast is that Leinster will perhaps host Leicester on their customary Saturday evening slot at 5.15.

The two Irish provinces have drawn shortish straws given they play the two survivors from the jungle warfare in Pool One otherwise known as the Group of Death. In Leinster's case, it hardly seems a fair reward for emerging from the pool stages as the number one seeds and the only unbeaten team. But in Munster's case, they only have themselves to blame.

Ultimately, their failure to press on and obtain a bonus point in the second-half of their games against the Ospreys and Harlequins over the last two weekends was the difference between them playing Biarritz at Lansdowne Road or, as is now the case, the Parc des Sports Aguilera. The difference, financially, would probably have been in the region of €6-700,000 from gate receipts.

Biarritz have looked into the possibility of moving their quarter-final to their neighbouring Basque city of San Sebastian in Spain, and playing the match at Real Sociedad's ground, Estadio Anoeta.

This would possibly create more travelling difficulties for the Red Army, but then again it would also see their allocation of tickets increase greatly as well. Given the Parc des Sports Aguilera only has a capacity of 12,667, Munster's 25 per cent allocation would be a miserly 3,000 or so. Were it played at the Estadio Anoeta, capacity 32,082, that would rise to at least 8,000.

However, even allowing for the two months there would be logistical difficulties in this proposed switch, such as insurance policies for players and territorial rights for broadcasters. It looks unlikely.

Both Irish sides have drifted in the revised betting on foot of the quarter-final draw, and have been made underdogs for the quarter-final ties, less so in Leinster's case.

Leinster have shared three wins apiece in six cup meetings with Leicester, winning the last two in Dublin (at Donnybrook) as well as ending Leicester's long unbeaten run at Welford Road five seasons ago (albeit in what was a dead rubber for the Tigers) but lost there the last time the sides met, 29-18 in the quarter-finals three seasons ago.

"It's as tough a draw as you could get at home, the top team in the Zurich Premiership," said coach Declan Kidney. "They have a number of players who have retired from international rugby, but are still more than capable of playing international rugby. So their whole focus is just on finishing out their careers on top. The Six Nations won't be as big a distraction for Leicester as it has been in the past. As all good sides do they test every facet of your play." Particularly, Leinster fans will note, opposition packs. Johnson and Co. will be relishing this one.

At least Leinster are at home. Not only have 25 of the 32 previous quarter-finals been won by the home side, no side drawn away from home in the last eight has ever gone on to win it.

Biarritz extended their winning sequence in Europe at home to 11 on Saturday, following up last week's stunning win in Welford Road over then tournament favourites Leicester eight days ago by knocking out holders Wasps with an 18-15 win that was more deserved than the scoreline indicates.

Munster have never met Biarritz. They do, admittedly, have a good record in France despite this season's defeat in Castres, having won on six of their last 11 visits there.

Alan Gaffney admitted that it is not what they would have wanted. "We were hoping that Gloucester would have put up a performance against Stade and won the game, in which case we would have drawn Newcastle at home. It was unfortunate not to get a bonus point yesterday, but that's life. We can't do anything about it and we move on.

"They've got a side with a very strong forward pack and a very good back line. Down in the south of France it's going to be no easy task. Leinster have a tough one too. But we'll go there confidently. We haven't played well in the last two weeks but we must be doing something right, we have won 15 of our last 16. It's not all doom and gloom by any stretch of the imagination."

However, it is from this stage of the season that the effect of the Six Nations works more against the Irish provinces. Leicester and Biarritz will not suffer anything like the same withdrawals during the coming 10 weeks.

The Irish frontliners went into a three-day national camp last night, which almost seems cruel, and the provinces will have little time together between now and one Celtic League game, the weekend after next. Then they only re-acquaint themselves the week before the quarter-finals (when Munster play the Dragons away and Leinster host Llanelli).

Connacht will also be outsiders when they face Sale Sharks, the European Challenge Cup winners two seasons ago, in the semi-finals. The draw for home advantage in the two-legged semi-finals will be made at a later date. All the remaining sides have until March 10th to have two additional players registered to their squads, and can also bring in a front row replacement.