Heineken Cup: The Race For The Last-Eight
As many as 18 Heineken Cup teams are still in contention for European silverware following a pulsating weekend of round 5 action.
Reigning champions Toulon as well as Clermont Auvergne and Munster emerged as winners of Pool 2, Pool 4 and Pool 6 respectively to seal their places in the last-eight of the Heineken Cup.
Meanwhile, Ulster, Leicester Tigers and Toulouse are also guaranteed coveted spots in the quarter-finals.
Three-time tournament winners Leinster need just one point from their round 6 game against the Ospreys at the RDS to top Pool 1, while if Saracens manage to see off the challenge of Connacht at Alliianz Park next Saturday, they will join Toulouse as qualifiers from Pool 3.
Northampton Saints are still in the mix to secure their place in the knockout stages of Europe’s premier club tournament, but they will probably need to defeat Castres Olympique with a bonus point at Franklin’s Gardens in the their final pool fixture and hope that Leinster slip up.
With the third, fourth and fifth best Heineken Cup pool runners-up qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup, Northampton are also in contention here along with Cardiff Blues, Edinburgh, Harlequins, Connacht, Glasgow Warriors, Scarlets, Gloucester, Exeter Chiefs and Castres.
They are in the running to join Bath and London Wasps who have already booked their spots in the Amlin Challenge Cup’s last-eight.
With the top four-ranked pool winners in the Heineken Cup securing prized home quarter-finals, and with 7 million euro to be shared in meritocracy payments among the countries of the sides who qualify for the knockout stages of ERC’s tournaments, the stakes are as high as ever as the tension and drama of round 6 approaches.
CURRENT HEINEKEN CUP QUALIFICATION STANDINGS:
1. ULSTER (q) – Pool Position: 1 (Pool 5); Points: 22; Tries For: 16; Points Difference: +114
2. Toulon (Q) – Pool Position: 1 (Pool 2); Points: 20; Tries For: 15; Points Difference: +59
3. Toulouse (q) – Pool Position: 1 (Pool 3); Points: 19; Tries For: 15; Points Difference: +70
4. Clermont Auvergne (Q) – Pool Position: 1 (Pool 4); Points: 19; Tries For: 13; Points Difference: +45
5. MUNSTER (Q) – Pool Position: 1 (Pool 6); Points: 18; Tries For: 13; Points Difference: +52
6. LEINSTER – Pool Position: 1 (Pool 1); Points: 17; Tries For: 11; Points Difference: +53
7. Leicester Tigers (q) – Pool Position: 2 (Pool 5); Points: 20; Tries For: 15; Points Difference: +50
8. Saracens – Pool Position: 2 (Pool 3); Points: 15; Tries For: 18; Points Difference: +85
9. Northampton Saints – Pool Position: 2 (Pool 1); Points: 13; Tries For: 10; Points Difference: -7
10. Cardiff Blues – Pool Position: 2 (Pool 2); Points: 13; Tries For: 9; Points Difference: -23
11. Edinburgh – Pool Position: 2 (Pool 6); Points: 12; Tries: 10; Points Difference: -5
12. Harlequins – Pool Position: 2 (Pool 4); Points: 12; Tries: 9; Points Difference: +21
13. CONNACHT – Pool Position: 3 (Pool 3); Points: 13; Tries: 7; Points Difference: +12
14. Glasgow Warriors – Pool Position: 3 (Pool 2); Points: 10; Tries: 11; Points Difference: -25
15. Scarlets – Pool Position: 3 (Pool 4); Points: 10; Tries: 8; Points Difference: -26
16. Gloucester – Pool Position: 3 (Pool 6); Points: 9; Tries: 8; Points Difference: – 18
17. Castres Olympique – Pool Position: 3 (Pool 1); Points: 9; Tries: 5; Points Difference: – 16
18. Montpellier – Pool Position: 3 (Pool 5); Points: 6; Tries: 10; Points Difference: -21
19. Exeter Chiefs – Pool Position: 4 (Pool 2); Points: 8; Tries: 10; Points Difference: -11
20. Perpignan – Pool Position: 4 (Pool 6); Points: 7; Tries: 8; Points Difference: – 28
21. Racing Metro 92 – Pool Position: 4 (Pool 4); Points: 7; Tries: 5; Points Difference: – 40
22. Ospreys – Pool Position: 4 (Pool 1); Points: 5; Tries: 3; Points Difference: – 30
23. Benetton Treviso – Pool Position: 4 (Pool 5); Points: 0; Tries: 2; Points Difference: -143
24. Zebre – Pool Position: 4 (Pool 3); Points: 0; Tries: 2; Points Difference: -167
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Q = qualified for Heineken Cup quarter-finals as pool winners
q = qualified for Heineken Cup quarter-finals as best runners-up at least
Underlined teams = currently in eight Heineken Cup qualifying positions
Bold italics teams = currently in three Amlin Challenge Cup qualifying positions
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How They Qualify –
Pool Winners
(i) The pool winners will be the team with the highest number of match points earned in each pool. The best-placed runners-up will be the two teams with the highest number of match points out of the six sides that finish second in their respective pools.
For the quarter-finals, the pool winners will be ranked 1 to 6 in terms of the number of points earned. The runners-up will be ranked 7 and 8. Note: Runners-up ranked 9, 10 and 11 will qualify for the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals.
Teams in Same Pool
(ii) If two or more teams are equal on points and the teams are in the same pool, then qualification/ranking will be determined by the matches played between the sides concerned as follows: (a) the team which has earned the most number of match points from the matches; (b) the team which has scored the most tries in the matches; (c) the team with the best aggregate points difference from the matches.
Teams in Different Pools
(iii) If still unresolved, or if the teams have not played each other previously in the pool stages, qualification/ranking will be determined as follows: (a) the number of tries scored in all pool matches; (b) aggregate points difference from all pool matches; (c) the team with the fewest number of players sent off and/or suspended in all pool matches; (d) drawing lots.
Teams ranked 1 to 4 will have home advantage.
The quarter-finals will be: Team 1 v Team 8; Team 2 v Team 7; Team 3 v Team 6; Team 4 v Team 5.