Could this be the Heineken Cup’s swan song year?

by Paul Cook –

Europe’s premier club competition, the Heineken Cup, kicked off it’s 19th year of existence last night as the cream of the English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French and Italian games renewed hostilities in search of the continent’s ultimate prize. However, they did so under the blackest of clouds as this also promises to be the 19th and final year of the competition’s existence if plans of a breakaway tournament orchestrated by the English and French contingent prove to be more than mere sabre rattling.

The Anglo-French alliance are unhappy with the current qualifying format that sees a minimum of ten of the twelve teams that compete in the Pro 12 competition (comprising sides from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy) qualify automatically while only the top six teams in the Premiership in England and the Top 14 in France are eligible, pending success in the trophy or it’s weaker cousin, the Amlin Challenge Cup, which opens up a seventh spot for either country.

They are also miffed at the uneven distribution of finances from the competition and while their search for greater meritocracy is largely warranted – factions within the Celtic nations have conceded as much – their apparent refusal to come to the table and negotiate for such improvements whilst ploughing on with the announcement of a rival competition, serves neither side of the ledger well.

The Celtic teams alone can ill afford the loss of revenue the departure of the English and French sides would inevitably force but by the same token, the ‘rebel alliance’ also realise that to embark upon a new tournament without the inclusion of the Celts and – to a lesser extent – the Italians, would be detrimental to their own pockets in the long run and to the integrity of their fledgling competition.

Toulon celebrate victory in last season’s Heineken Cup

So much so that they have extended a rather patronising olive branch to the very countries they would be leaving high and dry with an offer to join their new competition that now has a name, the wholly uninspiring Rugby Champions Cup.

Without doubt, the spectre of an exclusive Anglo-French cup in tandem with what would effectively be a Pro 12 cup, does not inspire the soul of many Northern Hemisphere rugby enthusiasts, reared on the blood and thunder of Munster versus Toulouse at a rowdy Thomond Park, Leicester versus Ospreys at a heaving and expectant Welford Road or Stade Francais vs Leinster in front of 80,000 screaming Parisians. But it is a nightmare scenario that appears increasingly likely if the current mindset from the warring parties is not radically altered any time soon.

In terms of the on-field battles ahead, the previous 18 years have seen the Irish, English and French share six trophy wins apiece and it would be the irony of all ironies if Ireland could usurp it’s rivals with a definitive seventh winner this season if indeed it is to be the last ever running of this famous competition.

In Leinster and Munster, they have two sides with both the pedigree and the roster to be considered as serious contenders, alongside the recently resurgent Ulster. The Ospreys from Wales would appear to be the only other threat from the Pro 12 sides, although Glasgow Warriors from Scotland, who top the Pro 12 after an unbeaten five rounds to start the season, may have something to say about that.

The other title favourites would appear to be Saracens, Leicester and Northampton from England, while reigning champions Toulon, four-time winners Toulouse and fellow compatriots Clermont-Auvergne, Racing Métro 92 and Montpellier should be the best bets from the Gallic contingent.

Here’s a look at each pool (the six pool winners plus two best runners-up qualify for the Quarter-Finals):

Pool One – Castres (FRA), Leinster (IRE), Northampton Saints (ENG), Ospreys (WAL)

While every sporting tournament these days appears to be intent on pigeonholing a ‘Group/Pool of Death’ during the qualifying stages, there are legitimate reasons for describing this powerful foursome as exactly that. Castres are the reigning Top 14 champions; Leinster the Pro 12 and Amlin Challenge Cup holders and winners of three of the last five Heineken Cups; Northampton are previous winners of the trophy, were runners-up in 2011 and currently sit in second place in the English Premiership while Ospreys have won two of the last three Pro 12 tournaments and contain four of the triumphant British & Irish Lions side in the shape of Adam Jones, Richard Hibbard, Alun-Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric.

Given the level of competition between the four sides – they’re all well capable of taking points off each other – it is hard to see a runners-up qualification coming from this pool. Castres currently sit 12th in the Top 14 after an indifferent start to their title defence, Ospreys are 3rd in the Pro 12 but have less of a pedigree in the tournament meaning that, as it stands, Leinster and/or Northampton – bolstered by star recruit George North – look to be the picks to progress but bonus points will be crucial in determining if they can both make it.

Leinster beat Northampton in their last Heineken Cup encounter, the 2011 final

Pool Two – Cardiff Blues (WAL), Exeter Chiefs (ENG), Glasgow Warriors (SCO), Toulon (FRA)

‘Moneybags’ Toulon as they are now unofficially titled, look set fair to be the team to beat again this time around and if the vast array of talent at their disposal click at the right time, they will take some stopping from defending their title. With the likes of former All Black Carl Hayman in the front row, South African behemoth Bakkies Botha at the lineout, Argentine captain Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe in the loose, England’s World Cup winner Jonny Wilkinson as the pivot and a backline including Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell and Bryan Habana, it is truly a star studded outfit.

That should leave Cardiff, Exeter and Glasgow battling it out for a potential qualifying runners-up spot and there’s little to choose between them. Glasgow continue to ruffle feathers in the Pro 12 under the guiding hand of Scottish legend Gregor Townsend, Cardiff have Lions captain Sam Warburton and Lions destroyer-in-chief Leigh Halfpenny on board and Exeter – now led by former Wallaby Dean Mumm – are a team on the rise in the English Premiership. The matches between the Blues and the Warriors could prove decisive.

Pool Three – Toulouse (FRA), Saracens (ENG), Connacht (IRE), Zebre (ITA)

Traditionally, the pools containing an Italian team have proven to be the most likely to produce two qualifiers down the years as their three combatants rack up the bonus points against them and, despite the improvements being made at national level and the progress of fellow Italians, Benetton Treviso, in the Pro 12, it is unlikely that the presence of Zebre in Pool Three will buck that trend.

The team based in Parma in Northern Italy only won it’s first Pro 12 match in 25 attempts three weeks ago and are unlikely to trouble the powerhouses of Toulouse and Saracens, who should merely be fighting for top spot. That likely scenario is fuelled by the inclusion of Connacht, the weakest of Ireland’s four participants. The men from the wet and wild Western coast of the Emerald Isle are embarking on their third successive Heineken Cup campaign but new coach Pat Lam will have his work cut out to alter the form book here.

Pool Four – Clermont Auvergne (FRA), Harlequins (ENG), Racing Métro (FRA), Scarlets (WAL)

Last year’s runners-up, Clermont Auvergne, should be the team to beat in Pool Four but their meetings with Top 14 rivals Racing Métro 92 may be the pivotal clashes in determining the top dog. Clermont will be desperate to land their inaugural Heineken Cup for popular departing coach Vern Cotter, who takes charge of Scotland at season’s end, but although Racing’s expensive off-season acquisition of gun Lions triumvirate Jonny Sexton, Jamie Roberts and Dan Lydiate has yet to fully fire, the potential when they do is mouth watering.

Harlequins were English champions two seasons ago but are probably guilty of standing still after their success while their competitors improved and so far this season look like a talented but inconsistent team, however, they could still figure in the final wash-up. Scarlets are possibly the weakest of the Welsh entrants this year but the talents of gun Lions centre Jonathan Davies in their ranks may see them achieve a win or two.

All Black recruit Rene Ranger could be Montpellier’s secret weapon
as they search for a maiden Heineken Cup title

Pool Five – Ulster (IRE), Leicester (ENG), Benetton Treviso (ITA), Montpellier (FRA)

Another intriguing pool with three-time Heineken Cup champions and reigning English Premiership champions Leicester Tigers the team to beat on paper with 2012 runners-up Ulster pushing them hard and the potential dark horses of the tournament, Montpellier, more than capable of upsetting the applecart. Benetton Treviso offer far more than compatriots Zebre and have already claimed a few notable scalps since their introduction to the revamped Pro 12 back in 2010 but are unlikely to be more than a mere hindrance at best here.

Ulster became the first Irish side to win the tournament back in 1999 and their progress in recent years has seen them knocking on the door of a major trophy. Should they progress from this group and earn a home quarter-final, no side will fancy a trip to a revamped and boisterous Ravenhill in Belfast – their tussles with the Tigers will be crucial. Montpellier, currently sitting proudly on top of the Top 14 and about to welcome damaging Kiwi centre Rene Ranger into the fold are the unknown quantity in this tournament, a role that may serve them well in the pool stages at the very least.

Pool Six – Edinburgh (SCO), Gloucester (ENG), Munster (IRE), Perpignan (FRA)

While Glasgow are blasting a trail at the summit of the Pro 12, their Scottish rivals Edinburgh are burning a hole at the foot of it, sitting in last place after five rounds. A side that reached the Heineken Cup semi-finals only two years ago has been on a downward spiral ever since and the quality of opposition in Pool Six should see them rendered surplus to requirements this time out. Gloucester will need to overcome their current inconsistency if they are to impress which should leave a straight shoot-out between Munster and Perpignan for top spot.

Four-time finalists and two-time winners Munster are in their second year of a rebuild under coach Rob Penney and after a mediocre 2012/13 season by their high standards, the signs are that things are slowly clicking into place for the Red Army, their win over arch-rivals Leinster two weeks ago an example. Perpignan have a rich history of success at national level but have failed to turn that into anything of substance in the Heineken Cup, a runners-up placing in 2003 their best achievement. Learning how to win on the road will be the key to their progress.

British & Irish Lions duo Paul O’Connell and Conor Murray will be hoping to go one better with Munster this season after last year’s loss to Clermont Auvergne in an epic semi-final

*******

LIKELY QUALIFIERS: Northampton/Leinster, Toulon, Saracens, Clermont Auvergne, Leicester, Munster (as pool winners) – Toulouse, Ulster (best runners-up)

FIXTURES/RESULTS:

Friday 11th October

Pool 3 – Connacht 17 – 23 Saracens

Pool 5 – Ulster 22 – 16 Leicester Tigers

Pool 3 – Toulouse 38 – 5 Zebre

Saturday 12th October

Pool 6 – Edinburgh v Munster

Pool 5 – Benetton Treviso v Montpellier

Pool 4 – Harlequins v Scarlets

Pool 1 – Castres v Northampton Saints

Pool 1 – Ospreys v Leinster

Pool 6 – Gloucester v Perpignan

Sunday 13th October

Pool 2 – Exeter Chiefs v Cardiff Blues

Pool 2 – Toulon v Glasgow Warriors

Pool 4 – Racing Métro 92 v ASM Clermont Auvergne