Heineken Cup Pool Draw 2012/13
The Heineken Cup draw for the 2012/13 season:
Double defending champions Leinster will face Exeter, Llanelli Scarlets and a grudge fixture with Clermont Auvergne in an exceedingly tough draw, whilst Pool 2 and Pool 6 look pretty tough. I wouldn’t necessarily say there’s a ‘Group of Death’ this year, but Pool 1, is as close as you can get. With last year’s semi-finalist and quarter-finalist.
What are your thoughts? What are your predictions for who will win each pool?
Pool 1: Munster, Saracens, Edinburgh and Racing Metro.
Pool 2: Benetton Treviso, Leicester Tigers, Ospreys, Toulouse.
Pool 3: Biarritz Olympic, Connacht, Harlequins, Zebre
Pool 4: Castres Olympique, Glasgow Warriors, Northampton Saints, Ulster Rugby
Pool 5: Clermont Auvergne, Leinster, Exeter Chiefs, Llanelli Scarlets
Pool 6: Cardiff Blues, Montpellier, Sale Sharks, Toulon
Heineken Cup 2012/13 Dates
ROUND 1 12/12/14 October 2012
ROUND 2 19/20/21 November 2012
ROUND 3 7/8/9 December 2012
ROUND 4 14/15/16 December 2012
ROUND 5 11/12/13 January 2013
ROUND 6 18/19/20 January 2013
QUARTER-FINAL 5/6/7 April 2013
SEMI-FINALS 26/27/28 April 2013
The 18th Heineken Cup Final, Twickenham Stadium 18th May 2013
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Pool 3 is a no brainer. Biarritz. Think Pool 4 is the hardest group. Frankiln Gardens or Stadium MK will be hard away day, I am sure the Ravenhill faithful will welcome Pedie Wannenburg back when Castre visit.
Difficult to choose the group winners I think across the board.
How is Biarritz a no brainer?????
Biarritz may well win the group but it’s ridiculous to write off Quins!
1.Saracens
2.Leicester
3.Biarritz, Quins
4.Saints, Ulster
5.Clermont
6.Toulon
@ Mike
Could you possibly be English?
Welsh.
Maybe i’ll change Toulouse for Leicester but it’ll be close.
You just had to ruin my point…. The cheek of ye….
“Welsh.”
Same difference
I’m guessing you’re an Irishman with a chip on your shoulder?
Pretty much agree with Mike. Munster could be there in group 1. I’d go for Leicester in Group 2 as they are looking very powerful so far this season (and look at the players returning from injury!). I think Toulouse to go through in second rather than Ulster as Group 4 is too tight.
BTW I am Engish but don’t support any of the above!
Good point about Munster, i think it’s between them and Sarries. But the thing that sways it for me is that Munster are rebuilding their squad and they’ve got a new coach so i reckon the more settled Sarries will scrape through.
Good point about Toulouse, Ospreys look pretty crap this year and they should look to get the try bonus point, a win at minimum against Treviso at home.
I know what you mean about Munster, but it’s just that they always seem to perform well in the HC and very hard to beat at home.
It’s the Thomond Park factor, A.K.A blind reff
Biarritz are terrible. They will probably proce me wrong now but Quins should win that group comfortably. They will possbly both go through because they should beat the others home and away, if they beat each other at home they will be through. Other than that it’s very hard to pick. Anyone who loses at home is putting themselves under real pressure because most groups have at least 2 teams who could realistically win the group.
Every bonus point will be absolutely crucial – that’s one area where English teams have been poor in recent years and the Irish teams have been excellent. The number of late bonus points, even losing ones, which the Irish get has been a big feature of their success, often at the expense of English teams.
There is another team out there. they are called ULSTER..
The blog states that the final is at Twickenham! I hope not, ive already booked my hotel in Dublin to watch Toulon v Clermont in the final at the Aviva. its inevitable.