Which team will lift this year's Heienken Cup trophy at Twickenham in May?
The most exciting tournament in the Northern Hemisphere returns this weekend; the Heineken Cup is back and after the end of the Rugby World Cup rugby fans in Europe will be looking forward to getting their fix of top class rugby once again. The Heineken Cup brings together some of the best players in Europe in one of the most competitive competitions in World Rugby. This year’s tournament will see young talented players having the chance to play against some of the best opposition in club rugby. To get through the pool stages in the tournament there seems to be a simple formula; win every home game and pick up an away victory or two or at least losing bonus points on the road. It is worth bearing in mind that those teams who top the pool automatically qualify for the next round and the two best placed runners up in the Pools also qualify. The question is, who has the strength in depth and ability to win this year’s tournament?
Pool 1
Teams: Castres, Munster, Northampton, Scarlets
Castres
The three time winners of the French Top 14 have not been at the top of their game for a while, with their last Championship victory coming back in 1993, however, Castres did win the Challenge Cup in 2003. French teams in Europe are famously unpredictable away from home, but they will be tough to beat in the south-west of France. They are not a strong as neighbours Toulouse, but they have some quality players to call on such as Chris Masoe; the All Black who won 20 caps for his country, he is known in Castres as a powerful ball carrier with deceptive pace and handling skill. In the centres, Max Evans is a dangerous attacking player with excellent footwork and the pace to cause defences problems. Castres can be criticised for having a surprising lack of quality back up players to their starting team, most French teams have a large budget, but Castres compared to their competitors in the Top 14 spend much less on their side than big spenders Toulon, Toulouse and Biarritz.
Prediction: 4th in Pool 1 Castres will struggle to get out of this group, they face tough competition in Munster and Northampton and Scarlets away will be a challenge in the rainy conditions in Wales.
Munster
The men from Limerick need no introduction in regards to European rugby; Munster has won the Heineken Cup twice to date in 2006 and 2008 whilst also having been finalists on two other occasions. Lately Leinster has taken over Irish Rugby’s crown in Europe; however, with the intimidating Thomond Park as a home base, teams would be foolish to underestimate the Irish side. Munster’s main competition in this pool is Northampton, whom they met three times in the 2009/10 season, firstly in Pool 1in which the Saints won the first meeting 31-27 at home and Munster won their home match in a narrow 12-9 victory. The sides also met in the quarter-final which Munster won 33-19 in Limerick. Munster has International players throughout the side; in the forwards they have one of the best packs in World Rugby with the likes of Jerry Flannery, their inspiration captain Paul O’Connell and the combative David Wallace. The backs are capably led by Ronan O’Gara, the current top point scorer in Heineken Cup rugby with 1,196 and he can unleash the try-scorer former All Black Doug Howlett. However, Munster fans will be disappointed to hear about Keith Earls’ knee injury which will rule him out of the first two rounds of the tournament.
Prediction: Pool 1 winners and semi-finalists-Munster know how to win big matches and their home form is outstanding in the Heineken Cup, some of the experienced players may be taking part in the tournament for the last time and they will look to leave a lasting impression on European rugby. Munster may not quite have the legs to make the final this year, but as ever they are a team to watch out for.
Northampton
Last year Northampton had a fantastic season and were beaten 33-22 by Leinster at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, this was an exciting final for the neutral rugby fan, but the Saints will have been disappointed to let in 27 unanswered points in 26 minutes against the Irish side. This will have been a hugely important learning tool for Jim Mallinder’s men and they will be keen to avenge last year’s disappointment. The Saints have had a reasonable start in the Aviva Premiership and currently sit in 6th place in the table. There are International players throughout the team; Mallinder has assembled a fantastic side with a powerful set of forwards including Brian Mujati and Soane Tonga’uiha as the imposing props and hardworking English players in Courtney Lawes and Tom Wood. Elsewhere in the back-line there are try-scorers everywhere, from the agile fly-half Ryan Lamb who has a keen eye for a gap and a subtle dummy and expert try scorers and counter-attackers in Chris Ashton, Ben Foden and Russian Vasily Artemiev.
Prediction: Pool runners up (going through as one of the best runners up) and finalists- the Saints has outstanding talent at their disposal and they seem to have more strength in depth this season. They must pick up bonus points at home against Castres and Scarlets to help them go through and any away points are a benefit. Expect Ashton to try and set try-scoring records a plenty in this year’s tournament.
Scarlets
The Scarlets have consistently been a mid-table side in the Celtic League (now known as the RaboDirect Pro12 division) apart from winning the 2003/4 season. In Europe, they have had some success as they made the quarter-final in the same season they won the league and they also were beaten 27-16 by Munster in the 2004/5 season. Parc Y Scarlets can be a tough place for teams to visit with the weather conditions and a passionate crowd playing an important part in the outcome of matches. Captained by Matthew Rees, the British and Irish Lions hooker leads the Scarlets with plenty of incredibly talented Welsh Internationals at his side with Morgan Stoddart at full-back and George North on the wing. North had an outstanding World Cup for Wales, he can find his way to the try-line with ease and is surprisingly strong in defence for a 19 year old. The side also boasts two fantastic fly-halves with the veteran Stephen Jones and Rhys Priestland, who was unfortunate to get injured a the World Cup in New Zealand as he was guiding Wales with authority as a fantastic tactical kicker and playmaker.
Prediction: 3rd in Pool 1 the Scarlets face an incredibly tough pool and will be unlikely to pick up any points away from home at Thomond Park, Franklins Gardens or Stade Pierre-Antoine. Whilst the Scarlets are not likely to make it through to the knock-out stages, they will still look to blood exciting young players into Heineken Cup rugby.
Pool 2
Teams: Cardiff Blues, Edinburgh, London Irish, Racing Metro
Cardiff Blues
The Blues have struggled at time in the Celtic League with the Irish provinces dominating most seasons; however, they had great form from 2005-2008 where they finished 4th and 2nd twice. They have been more successful in the Heineken Cup having been quarter-finalists in 2007/8 and semi-finalists in 2008/9 where they famously drew 26-26 with Leicester Tigers, only to lose 6-7 on penalties after extra-time as Martyn Williams unfortunately missed a penalty attempt. They continued their good form in Europe in the 2009/10 season with a 28-21 win over Toulon in the final of the European Challenge Cup in Marseille. Cardiff has also been great performers in the Anglo-Welsh tournament having been semi-finalists twice and convincing champions in 2009 with a 50-12 demolition of Gloucester at Twickenham. There is no doubt that Cardiff has plenty of potential this season, they have an excellent side with Jamie Roberts on the back of an outstanding World Cup for Wales and Leigh Halfpenny who also was impressive in New Zealand, who was unfortunate to miss a long-range penalty attempt by a matter of inches against France in the semi-final that would have put Wales through to their first ever World Cup final. Also, risky signing Gavin Henson will be looking to work his way back into Warren Gatland’s good books with headlines for the right reasons. Henson has the ability to be an excellent player; however, he makes silly mistakes off the pitch. Gethin Jenkins is an outstanding servant to Welsh rugby and the Blues and is a powerful scrummager who can cause front-rows throughout Europe serious problems. Other key forwards include the club captain New Zealander Paul Tito who is an aggressive ball carrier and the Welsh captain Sam Warburton who was controversially red carded in the 9-8 semi-final loss against France in the World Cup. Warburton will look to set down a marker in European rugby and forget about the controversy in New Zealand.
Prediction: Pool 2 winners and semi-finalists Cardiff has the ability to cause serious damage in Europe this season, there is an exceptional balance in youth and experience in the side and they have a powerful set of forwards to go with their talented back line.
Edinburgh
The Scottish side has an unconvincing record in Europe having only made the quarter finals once in the 2003/4 season. The gunners have underachieved in their domestic competition with their only highlights coming in the 2008/9 season when they finished 2nd in the Celtic League and in 2002/3 they made the quarter-finals of the competition. Even though they have underachieved, they should not be underestimated as Edinburgh can boast that they have some impressive International players. In the forwards, Ross Ford bolsters their front row and is an expert throwing in to the line-out; he is joined by Allan Jacobsen in the front-row who is a highly experienced prop with a respectable 60 caps for Scotland. Edinburgh has the ever reliable boot of Chris Patterson to rely on; Patterson is famous for his accuracy having kicked 36 consecutive goals for his country in 2007 and having not missed a kick in the 2007 World Cup or 2008 Six Nations. Patterson will punish any teams who have poor discipline in their own half; his ability to chip away at the scoreboard will keep Edinburgh in with a chance in their matches. Edinburgh don’t have to solely rely on Patterson however, they have Nick De Luca and Tim Visser who are both capable try-scorers and able to get over the gain-line.
Prediction: 4th in Pool 2- Edinburgh face tough opponents in their group, Cardiff are strong in the Heineken Cup and London Irish have been in good form recently. The Scottish side also face a tough test from Racing Metro who are reliable at home and can cause teams problems in away matches if they decide to turn up.
London Irish
London Irish go into the first Heineken Cup weekend off the back of an enthralling 24-24 draw with Leicester at Welford Road thanks to a strong fighting spirit installed into the team by Toby Booth and Mike Catt. Booth’s men have become a top side in English rugby in recent years with the 2008/9 season culminating in the Premiership Final where the Irish came devastatingly close to beating Leicester in the 10-9 loss at Twickenham. In Europe, London Irish came close to making the final of the Heineken Cup 2007/8 season, but the Reading side lost 15-21 to Toulouse. In the European Challenge Cup, Europe’s 2nd tier competition the Irish lost out in the final 36-34 against Gloucester in injury time where a James Forrester try destroyed their dreams of European glory. Their only Cup success in the past decade was the Powergen Cup win in 2002 with a 38-7 win over Northampton. A talented squad has been assembled at the Madejski stadium with young English players looking to assure their International futures. The back-line is fortunate to have the reliable boot of Tom Homer to call on to grind out victories from the kicking tee. Homer has scored an impressive 126 points in 8 matches the Aviva Premiership this season which makes him the leading point scorer in the league; this has led some to suggest that he should be given a chance for England in the upcoming Six Nations. Another full-back/wing with lethal pace is Delon Armitage, the England International has an impressive arsenal to call on; he can kick at goal, he is a phenomenal counter attacking player and he is confident in defence. Daniel Bowden is a creative fly-half who is able to put his talented backs into space and kick for territory. In the forwards, the young Alex Corbisiero is one to watch, he impressed Martin Johnson enough to win a place to New Zealand for the World Cup this year. Elsewhere, Irish can call on Nick Kennedy who is one of the most reliable line-out forwards in Europe and Chris Hala-ufia who is able to get his team beyond the gain-line with ease from the back of the scrum. Hala-ufia is currently serving a 7 week ban for a high tackle on Gloucester’s Olly Morgan, but he will be a key player for his side when he returns from suspension.
Prediction: Runners up in Pool 2 the Irish will struggle to put together enough bonus points and away wins to force themselves into the knock-out stages, however, they should manage 2nd place in the pool with a strong home record and the talented kicking of Tom Homer.
Racing Métro
The Parisian side has won the French Championship 5 teams in its history, however, the last time they won the tournament was back in 1990, since then they have had an inconsistent 20 years or so. They were relegated, but they bounced back to gain promotion back to the Top 14 in the 2008/9 season. They have many iconic French forwards in their ranks including Lionel Nallet who captains the side and Sébastien Chabal. These are two of the fiercest competitors in French rugby; they are aggressive and give Racing Metro’s set-piece real strength. The back-line is commanded by Juan Martin Hernandez; the Argentinian fly-half has been capped 32 times by his country and the former Stade Français playmaker is a great kicker and can weave his way through defences and release his talented outside backs. With Racing Metro’s large player budget they can allow themselves the luxury of having several International Wingers including Italy’s Mirco Bergamasco and Sireli Bobo. Bobo is a real physical presence with the pace to match most wingers in the competition and Bergamasco famously kicked 17 points as he guided Italy to a 22-21 victory at the Stadio Flamino in last season’s Six Nations. When Francois Steyn returns from his shoulder injury which he suffered at the World Cup in New Zealand Racing will have even more kicking options and more defensive nous.
Prediction: 3rd in Pool 2 Racing Metro have a talented squad, but their away form is not strong enough. They will comfortably cope with Edinburgh, but Cardiff and London Irish will pose more potent threats.
Pool 3
Teams: Bath, Glasgow, Leinster, Montpellier
Bath
Bath’s recent large investment from Bruce Craig has brought in fresh talent to the club and allowed the side to set up a fantastic elite training base at Farleigh House. This is exactly what teams who are looking to be the best side in Europe need. Overall, Bath has had a terrific record in Europe and domestically, having won the Heineken Cup in the 1997/8 season and won the European Challenge cup in the 2007/8 season. Bath has also won the Premiership 6 times in its history, an impressive feat that they will hope to repeat in the near future. Bath has been able to bring in World Cup winning fly-half Stephen Donald, who will provide much needed direction and flair in the No.10 jersey. Sam Vesty, who has been filling in for the injured Olly Barkley has been struggling to make the position his own or to control games so far this season. Barkley will hope to be a big part of Bath’s Heineken Cup campaign as he looks to return after his horrific double fracture in his leg sustained at Kingsholm last season. Elsewhere in the backs, Matt Banahan provides physicality in the midfield with a surprising amount of pace for such a big man. At full-back, Nick Abendanon is a terrific counter-attacking threat and he defends well above his size and weight. Bath has had to replace the club stalwart Danny Grewcock this season and it looks like they have filled his boots with former Gloucester lock Dave Attwood. The former Cherry and White has touched down twice for his new club in the Premiership over the past two weeks and he looks strong in the set-piece. Another fine signing is Francois Louw, the South African flanker who will win turnover ball for his side and is a real defensive workhorse.
Prediction: Runners up in Pool 3 Bath will not be able to turn Leinster over away and will do well to beat the current Champions at home. Because Montpellier and Glasgow are not easy places to go away to Bath will be unlikely to gather enough points to go through as one of the best runners up. Ian McGeechan’s side will focus more on the Aviva Premiership this year looking to avenge a disappointing season last year in which the side missed out on the play-off positions.
Glasgow
The Warriors are another Scottish side that have struggled in the Heineken Cup; they have only made the knock-out stages in the competition once in the 1997/98 season when they were humiliated in a 90-19 loss at the hands of Leicester at Welford Road. Glasgow’s major highlight was in the 2008/9 season in which they managed to beat Toulouse, the three times winners of the Heineken Cup away in a 33-26 victory. There are some gifted players in the squad; however, the Warriors are usually unable to cope against European teams with much bigger budgets at their disposal. In a mainly Scottish squad, there is some real potential with the young Richie Gray in the 2nd row who is an agile line-out forward and tremendous defender and John Barclay at flanker who has played for Scotland 32 times. The main strength of Glasgow’s team lies in the half-back pairing of Chris Cusiter and Ruaridh Jackson. With Cusiter at scrum-half the Warriors are guaranteed quick and efficient ball balanced with a terrific tactical kicking ability and Jackson has shown real promise at the tender age of 23. Jackson made a name for himself in the 19-16 victory against Samoa in Aberdeen as he kicked the winning penalty in the 80th minute. If side transgress at the breakdown Jackson has the kicking game to punish them.
Prediction: 4th in Pool 3 Glasgow lack the strength in depth and World class quality needed to succeed in the Heineken Cup. They will face the current holders in Leinster and tough competition from Bath and Montpellier. The future of Scottish rugby will be on display, so whatever the results, the young scots will learn a great deal from the experience.
Leinster
Leinster has been the dominant force in Europe in recent years; having won the Heineken Cup in the 2008/9 and 2010/11 seasons. Last season’s final in particular showed why they are one the best teams in Europe, they came back from a disappointing first-half against Northampton to score 27 points in 26 minutes. The final score was 33-22 in one of the best ever finals in World rugby. The Leinster side is arguably the squad with the most strength in depth in the tournament; they boast the likes of Sean O’Brien who was named the ERC’s player of the year last season and Cian Healy, who is a reliable front-row forward at scrum-time. The side is ably led by Leo Cullen, a veteran player in the second-row and Jamie Heaslip in the back-row provides outstanding leadership from the back of the scrum. Leinster fans will be devastated to hear that Brian O’Driscoll is obliged to undergo shoulder surgery; O’Driscoll has consistently been one of the best attacking and defensive players in the World. He currently holds the Six Nations record as the top try scorer with a phenomenal haul of 25 tries. The sooner he can get back to full fitness the better for Leinster. However, Leinster can call upon Gordon D’Arcy to lead the centres and Luke Fitzgerald and Shane Horgan capable try scorers for Leinster and Ireland. Jonathan Sexton was one of the best fly-halves in European rugby last season and he was man of the match in the final earlier this year. His tactical kicking and passing game is able to unlock any team in Europe.
Prediction: Champions Leinster are the form team in Europe over the past few seasons and the players in the squad had so much belief in themselves that they were able to earn themselves an unlikely victory in last year’s final. The strength in depth is just right in the squad and when they have a fully fit Brian O’Driscoll they look likely to make it into the final once again.
Montpellier
Montpellier finished as runners up in the Top 14 last season, the lost 15-10 to Toulouse at the Stade de France. This was an important turnaround for Montpellier because they had been promoted from the 2nd division in 2003; they have assembled a team that can really challenge in the Top 14 with many Internationals amongst the squad. In Europe, Montpellier has had some success in the European Challenge Cup with their 25-19 win in the final against Viadana in 2004. Rémy Martin is one of the stand-out forwards in the back row; the flanker has won 14 caps for his country and has become a key player for his club as a commanding player at the breakdown and a useful line-out option. At fly-half Montpellier has the mercurial talent of François Trinh-Duc to lead his back line in search of a place in the knock-out stages. Trinh-Duc helped France to the semi-final and then the final of the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand with a drop-goal in the quarter-final win over England and he was an integral member of the move which put Thierry Dusetoir in for their only try. Unfortunately for France, he could not make a 48 metre penalty attempt count which would have possibly won them their first World Cup. For all of their Internationals in their side, Montpellier still sit out of the top 30 ranking wise in European teams.
Prediction: 3rd in Pool 3 Montpellier will be a tough area of France to visit for the Pool 3 teams, but their away form is not good enough to progress into the knock-out stages.
Pool 4
Teams: Arioni, Clermont Auvergne, Leicester Tigers, Ulster
Arioni
The Italian club side were the whipping boys in the Magners League for much of last season; they had a points difference of -270 and only managed to win one match against Connacht at home in March when they won 25-13. However, surprisingly in their debut season in the Heineken Cup they managed to beat Biarritz 25-13 in one of the shocks of the season. Arioni will have learnt a great deal in their first season and Italian rugby will benefit from the inclusion of two Italian teams from last season onwards. Arioni signed the former Italian captain Marco Bortolami from Gloucester in a shrewd move; the second-row has won 76 caps for Italy and has had a fantastic career for club and country. Bortolami won his first cap at the age of 20 and he led Gloucester to a Premiership final. One of the most exciting players for Arioni is Matteo Pratichetti; the 26 year old winger has won 22 caps for Italy and knows his way to the try-line.
Prediction: 4th in Pool 4 It will be another steep learning curve for Arioni this season, they lack strength in depth and enough star quality to compete at a top European level. If they win one match at home it will be a successful campaign for the Italians. There will be no likely upsets this season in Arioni’s favour Leicester were runners up in the Aviva Premiership last season, Ulster finished 3rd in the Magners league and Clermont finished 4th in a very competitive season in the French Top 14.
Clermont Auvergne
Clermont were disappointed to lose 29-6 the semi-final against Toulouse last season after having won the Top 14 the year before. In European rugby, Clermont has won the European Challenge Cup in 1999 and in 2007. Clermont has made the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup on 3 occasions; however, they have been comfortably beaten by Toulouse (1999/200) and they lost by one point against Castres and Leinster in 2002 and 2010. The French side has some outstanding forwards including Julien Bonnaire who was so influential for France in the World Cup with his work around the breakdown being highly praised in the quarter-final against England and Nathan Hines who is a fantastic second-row in the line-out and in the loose. There are plenty of options in the backs; they have the luxury of choosing between Brock James and David Skrela; both fantastic tactical kickers and dangerous attacking options. In the centre, Aurélien Rougerie leads the side and is a devastatingly effective attacking player; he is quick and powerful and can play in the centres or on the wing. A notable signing for Clermont is Lee Byrne from Ospreys he was on exceptional form in 2009 when he toured with the British and Irish Lions, recently, over the past year he has struggled with fitness, but when he is on form he is one of the safest pairs of hands under the high ball and is a fantastic defender.
Prediction: Runners up in Pool 4 and quarter finalists. Clermont will look to bounce back from a disappointing end to last season with a strong performance in Europe. If Clermont can find a win away at Ravenhill against Ulster they could go through as one of the best runners up in the Pool stages with bonus point wins against Arioni.
Leicester Tigers
The Tigers had a disappointing start to the season in the Aviva Premiership; they lost several key players to International duty at the World Cup and injury. Last week they looked to be getting back to winning ways until the final few minutes against London Irish. They gave away a scrappy try and the match ended up in a 24 all draw. Leicester won the Heineken Cup in back to back seasons in 2001 and 2002 and have won the English Premiership on 9 occasions. Leicester’s success is down to a strong fan base and heavy investment, according to their website in 2009/10 they turned over an impressive £18.5 million. It is fair to say that the Tigers have been a dominant force in European and Domestic rugby, it is no surprise with the wealth of talent that Leicester has on their books. In the front-row Martin Castrogiovanni is a talisman in the scrum; his scrummaging is the key to Leicester’s strong attacking platforms and set-piece dominance. Elsewhere in the forwards, Tom Croft is a line-out jumper, turnover winner and try-scorer, Croft is one of Leicester’s most consistent players and he should be a likely candidate to replace Lewis Moody as England’s captain. The back line has the likes of Manu Tuilagi who has stormed onto the International scene over the past few months and his brother Alesana is equally destructive in attack and defence. Last year the Tuilagi brothers scored an overwhelming 20 tries between them for Leicester in the Aviva Premiership. Toby Flood has been inconsistent lately, but when he is on form he is one of the best fly-halves in World Rugby, he needs to be given another chance in the Six Nations this year and assured that he can take over Jonny Wilkinson’s mantle.
Prediction: Pool 4 winners- quarter finalists Leicester will dominate Arioni home and away and will have a good chance at knocking over Ulster and Clermont away. Depending on injuries Leicester will have a shot at the making the semi-final, but questions still remain over some of the youngsters’ composure in the side.
Ulster
The Irish province had a fantastic season in the Magners League last year; they finished 3rd after consistent performances throughout the year. Ulster has performed well in the Heineken Cup; they won the tournament in the 1998/99 season and reached the quarter-finals last season. Ruan Pienaar is an outstanding talent at scrum-half for Ulster; unfortunately he is out for 4-6 weeks with a hamstring injury sustained in training. Luckily for Ulster they have plenty of other excellent players in their squad including the stocky figure of Paddy Wallace in the centres and Andrew Trimble and Simon Danielli who are experts at finishing from the wing.
Prediction: 3rd in Pool 4 Ulster will struggle slightly without Ruan Pienaar in the first couple of rounds in the tournament; this could prevent them from progressing further in the competition.
Pool 5
Teams: Benetton Treviso, Biarritz, Ospreys, Saracens
Benetton Treviso
The Italians have never made it past the group stages in the Heineken Cup and have never won more than three matches in any campaign in Europe. Treviso has often been the whipping boys of a competitive group and as such they have had some big losses. The team is mainly Italian and it acts as a feeding pool to the Italian national team. Luke McLean is one of the most entertaining players in the Italian club side; the Australian full-back/fly-half has represented Italy through family ties and has scored over 50 points in 21 matches for the Azzurri. Gonzalo Garcia is talented centre with 25 caps for Italy at the age of 27, he will go on to make more appearances for his country and he has made a real impact for his side in the Celtic League.
Prediction: 4th in Pool 4 sadly the Italian side will be on the end of some large defeats once again, however, the experience the young Italians will be gaining in the Heineken cup will be vital to the Italian national side.
Biarritz
Biarritz has a diverse range of talented players in the squad; the side from the South-West of France have had plenty of success in the Top 14 and in the Heineken Cup. They have won the French championship 5 times and the Heineken Cup twice, which has made them one of the most successful sides in French rugby. They have also been through to the quarter-finals or further nine times since 1997 which is an impressive feat. It is no surprise that they have achieved so much given the large budget that Biarritz can use for their squad. Dimitri Yachvilli is one of the most accurate place kickers in European rugby and he can control a game with authority at scrum-half. There is plenty of pace in the backs with Takudzwa Ngwenya one of the most dangerous attacking threats in European rugby and there is plenty of life left in Ian Balshaw’s legs. In the forwards some of the French national players play for Biarritz including Imanol Harinordoquoy and Jérome Thion. Harinordoquoy is arguably the best flanker in World rugby and Thion is an experienced line-out forward who can provide real impetus in a driving maul.
Prediction: Runners up in Pool 5 Saracens have found a winning formula that many teams struggle to replicate and too often Biarritz cannot find their away form when they need it. Bonus points will be hard to come by with Saracens and Ospreys having strong home records.
Ospreys
The Ospreys have performed well over the past 7 seasons in the Celtic League; they have topped the league twice and they won the Grand final in the 2009/10 season with a 17-12 win over Leinster. The Ospreys have been quarter-finalists three times, they were part of a fascinating quarter-final against Biarritz where they lost 29-28 thanks to a Biarritz come back in the second-half. The Ospreys won the Anglo Welsh cup in 2008 with a 23-6 victory against Leicester which showed they can cope with some of the best teams in Europe. Mike Phillips, James Hook and Lee Byrne have all left the Ospreys in the summer; however, there are still plenty of talented players in South Wales. Tommy Bowe is a consistent performer on the Wing and Shane Williams is looking to bow out of club rugby with style. The forwards are traditionally strong and the current crop of Ospreys are experienced warriors. Scott Johnson, the Ospreys coach can still call on Ian Gough and Alun Wyn Jones in the second-row and Ryan Jones and George Stowers provide excellent ball retention in the back-row.
Prediction: 3rd in Pool 5 the Ospreys will struggle to cope with the intensity set by Biarritz and Saracens, the Ospreys do not have a good enough fly-half to compete with the best backs in European rugby.
Saracens
Last year’s Aviva Premiership champions have had a fantastic start to the season in the domestic competition so far. Saracens have won 7 out of 8 matches this season including a hard fought 19-17 win over Gloucester at Kingsholm. Last year in Europe they had a disappointing pool performance as they finished 4th having only won one match in the campaign. Shalk Brits was one of the best players in World rugby last season, his pace and ability to finish tries made him one of the most dynamic hookers in the World. Carlos Nieto is one of the premiership’s experts when it comes to the set-piece and Matt Stephens was performing well again in the league last season following his drugs ban. The back-row is outstanding with Jacques Burger, Andy Saull and Ernst Joubert making up one of the most hardworking and effective trios in the Premiership. The backs are equally talented with Neil de Kock and experienced scrum-half who gives his backs quick-ball. The former Sale fly-half Charlie Hodgson has settled in well to his new side and he is allowing Owen Farrell the chance to shine at inside centre. On the wing, David Strettle is beating more defenders than anyone in the Premiership and he is always a danger going forward.
Prediction: Pool 5 winners Saracens know what it takes to win big games now, they are able to play a tight game with the forwards or they can spin the ball out wide and tear teams apart with their attacking flair. Farrell is definitely one to watch and must be an outside chance to start for the England in the Six Nations this season.
Pool 6
Teams: Connaught, Gloucester, Harlequins, Toulouse
Connaught
Connaught is the relatively unknown team the Heineken Cup this year, they are not as strong as any of the other Irish provinces and they do not have the budget needed to genuinely compete in Europe. Last year they finished 9th in the Magners league so many pundits are not expecting much in Europe this year. The key players for Connaught will be Tongan Fetu’u Vainikolo who has had experience in the Super 15 for the Highlanders and he has been capped by his country. He is a physical presence with plenty of pace and he will look to make gaps in defences. Connaught’s skipper John Mudloon has been capped by Ireland and will be a vital back-row forward in ensuring his side do not embarrass themselves in the tournament.
Prediction: 4th in Pool 6 Connaught will be on the end of heavy defeats especially away at Stade Toulousain, Kingsholm and the Twickenham Stoop. If they win any of their home matches they will be proud of their efforts.
Gloucester
The fans at Kingsholm were overjoyed to win the LV=Cup last season with a convincing 34-7 win over Newcastle at Franklins Gardens, the Cherry and Whites also came 3rd and lost narrowly 12-10 to Saracens in the semi-final play off at Vicarage Road. Gloucester lost the game management that Nicky Robinson provided for the past two seasons; however, Freddie Burns has stepped up to make the fly-half shirt his own with some fantastic individual performances. Henry Trinder has looked like a constant danger in the centre as he has made some beautifully timed runs and he has set up Charlie Sharples and his other colleagues for tries. In the engine room Nick Wood has showed that he has the potential to be the front-row solution for England with brilliant performances in the scrum, his front-row colleague Darren Dawiduk at hooker has been outstanding in open play and he has assured Gloucester solid set-piece ball. Against Exeter Akapusi Qera was one of the best performers, his commitment at the contact area is brutal and he is able to make significant ground in attack barging through his opponents.
Prediction: 3rd in Pool 6 Gloucester will struggle if they pick up injuries at fly-half with only Freddie Burns and Tim Taylor as established Premiership fly-halves. The Cherry and Whites face a tough away trip to Toulouse this weekend and then they welcome Premiership fliers Harlequins to Kingsholm the next week. The first two weeks of Heineken Cup rugby will be a real challenge for Bryan Redpath’s men.
Harlequins
The Londoners have made an outstanding start to the season as they have won every game in 10 matches in all competitions. Last year’s European Challenge Cup champions have recovered well from the ‘Bloodgate’ affair that soiled the English club’s reputation. Nicky Evans has been one of the best players in the premiership so far as he has racked up an impressive 100 points for his side whilst guiding his talented outside backs to some big wins including a 42-6 demolition of Gloucester. Jordan Turner-Hall is another young centre who has been getting his name on to the International radar and must be in for a chance of representing his country in the near future. Mike Brown has put in some fantastic performances at full-back and he ran in a fantastic solo try in their 26-13 win over Bath at the Rec last week. In the forwards, Chris Robshaw has lead his side in Nick Easter’s absence with great aplomb and Joe Marler has been putting in some strong performances in the front-row.
Prediction: Runners up in Pool 5 and possible quarter-finalists if Harlequins can manage enough bonus points they should qualify as one of the best runners ups in the tournament. Harlequins have the potential to cause a shock away in Toulouse if they play to their capability.
Toulouse
The multi-championship winning side from the South West of France need no introduction to European rugby fans; Toulouse has hauled in an outstanding 18 French championships and four Heineken cups in their history. With tremendous forwards such as William Servat at hooker Patricio Albacete in the second-row and Thierry Dusetoir as one of Europe’s finest flankers they can create a strong platform for their dangerous attacking elite to find space to exploit. Toulouse can boast a dream back-line with Yannick Jauzion and Florian Fritz in the centres; Luke McAlister has been guiding his new side well at fly-half or in the centres. Guy Novès has the unenviable task of selecting the starting full-back out of Maxime Medard and Clément Poitrenaud; both players have outstanding attacking and defensive qualities and can bring different things to the side.
Prediction: Pool 6 winners and semi finalists Toulouse will cope with the competition in Pool 6, Gloucester will want to restore and keep their home record for as long as possible at Kingsholm, but they will face a tough challenge when Toulouse visit Gloucester. The most successful team in Europe will be likely to make it to the semi-finals with relative ease, and depending on form and injuries they could squeeze their way into yet another final.
Have you got any thoughts or comments on who you think will win this year’s Heineken Cup? Message/follow me on twitter @tommyd91. Also, please follow Crouchtouchengage if you wish to receive regular updates from the Aviva Premiership, the Heineken Cup and International Rugby.
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