Cardiff, Clermont Auvergne Added To Heineken Cup Ranks

The line-up of clubs that will duel out the 2005/06 Heineken Cup was completed on Sunday. Play-off winners Cardiff and Clermont Auvergne, the seventh-ranked side in France, both won through.

The Blues, who were led by Welsh winger Rhys Williams, ran in five tries in Brescia on Sunday afternoon, scoring a 38-9 defeat over third-ranked Italians Viadana to qualify for next season’s top-tier tournament.

Cardiff claimed their play-off place as the highest-placed non-qualifying team in the Celtic League, beating off the challenge of tenth-placed Connacht by just three league points.

Clermont Auvergne, meanwhile, who boast Wales and Lions fly-half Stephen Jones in their ranks, clinched the seventh French place when they triumphed 31-8 in a Top 16 head-to-head with Agen at Stade Marcel-Michelin.

Rugby Calvisano took Italy’s number one seed ranking for the 2005/06 Heineken Cup, by virtue of their 25-20 Super 12 Italian Championship final win over Benetton Treviso.

2005/06 Heineken Cup Confirmed Qualifiers:

ENGLAND (6): London Wasps, Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks, Bath Rugby, Saracens, Leeds Tykes.

FRANCE (7): (Top 4 rankings to be decided) Biarritz Olympique, Bourgoin, Stade Francais, Toulouse; Perpignan, Castres Olympique, Clermont Auvergne.

IRELAND (3): Munster, Leinster, Ulster.

ITALY (2): Rugby Calvisano, Benetton Treviso.

SCOTLAND (2): Glasgow Rugby, Edinburgh Rugby.

WALES (4): The Ospreys, Newport-Gwent Dragons, Llanelli Scarlets, Cardiff Blues.