BATH V LLANELLI –
Saturday, 26 January (kick-off 3.00 pm local time – Live on BBC Grandstand)
STADE FRANCAIS CASG V MUNSTER – Saturday, 26 January (kick-off 4.15 pm local time – Live on FR2/RTE)
CASTRES OLYMPIQUE V MONTFERRAND – Saturday, 26 January (kick-off 2.45 pm local time – Live on FR2(
LEICESTER TIGERS V LEINSTER –
Sunday, 27 January (kick-off 3.00 pm local time – Live on BBC Sunday Grandstand/RTE)
Bath emerged as the only unbeaten team at the end of the Pool stages following a Mike Tindall inspired 31-13 home win over Biarritz.
The England centre’s two tries ensured there were no last minute slip-ups against the Frenchmen and Bath qualified in even better style than they did when they won the trophy four years ago.
The only teams challenging them for the top spot were Leicester Tigers, Leinster and Munster, but all three lost on a dramatic last weekend of qualifying.
Reigning Heineken Cup champions Leicester were downed 24-12 by Llanelli at a passion-packed Stradey Park in a game of 12 penalties – eight to home hero Stephen Jones and four to Andy Goode.
It meant that Llanelli crept into the eighth place on try count as the second best runner-up. That means a trip to Bath for a first meeting between the two clubs in Europe.
Leicester, meanwhile, had cause to be thankful to Toulouse for ending Leinster’s 14 game unbeaten run this season at Stade des Sept Deniers. After a close first half, the French champions ran in six tries to condemn Leinster to an away day in their first forray into the last eight of the Heineken Cup.
Cedric Heymans grabbed a hat-trick of tries as Toulouse rounded off their campaign with three two resounding home victories over Newport and Leinster to take second place in Pool 6.
That first defeat for the Celtic League champions means they will now have to travel to Leicester, who pipped them for the fourth and final home slot by virtue of two more tries.
The two sides have met five times before in the Heineken Cup and Leinster were the last team to win at Welford Road when they triumphed 32-10 at the end of the 1999/2000 Pool campaign.
Munster travelled to Castres looking to make it another double over them and maintain their 100 per cent record. But a try by replacement full back Olivier Sarramea right at the death earned the home side a home draw againast Montferrand in the quarter-finals.
When David Wallace crossed for a second half try to cut the Irish side’s deficit to 16-13 it looked as though they would hold on and win the Pool with a better points aggregate over the two matches between the teams. Then came Sarramea’s try which earned his side a priceless hoem draw and condemned Mick Galwey’s men to an away day in Paris against Stade Francais in a repeat of last season’s semi final.
Montferrand had to draw or win their final game against Glasgow to make it through to the quarter-finals for the second time in three years. The Scots hung on until half-time, when they trailed 17-10, but four second half tries killed them off as they Frenchmen ran out 44-13 winners.
