Heineken Cup final pool round

Heineken Cup fixtures

Please note: All times GMT, deduct 6 hrs for Houston CST

Friday, 18 January 2013
Biarritz v Harlequins, Pl3, 20:00
Connacht v Zebre, Pl3, 20:00

Saturday, 19 January 2013
Cardiff Blues v Sale, Pl6, 15:40
Castres v Ulster, Pl4, 13:35
Exeter v Leinster, Pl5, 18:00
Glasgow v Northampton, Pl4, 13:35
Montpellier v Toulon, Pl6, 15:40
Scarlets v Clermont Auvergne, Pl5, 18:00

Sunday, 20 January 2013
Leicester v Toulouse, Pl2, 15:00
Munster v Racing Metro 92, Pl1, 12:45
Saracens v Edinburgh, Pl1, 12:45
Treviso v Ospreys, Pl2, 15:00

Pool 2
Toulouse 18pts
Leicester 16 pts and
Ospreys 11 points

Toulouse play Leicester away. Anyones game. Toulouse have not shown they are a great team despite the quality of their stars. Heck Treviso stuck 2 tries on them last weeek and led for much of the game. Crap coach at Toulouse.
A win for either of the former champions would settle the pool. Defeat for Toulouse could still see them in contention for a best runners-up place; defeat for Leicester could leave them in contention for Challenge Cup qualification at best.
Leicester at home is my choice by 5 and take pool and lose alot of blood.

Pool 3
Quinns have already qualified on 24 points and will at least need a losing bonus to guarantee a home QF They play second place Biarritz away. BO will be motivated because they could get into Amlin Cup as one of the wild cards on points.

Pool 4
Ulster have won pool on 19pts. But they really need to beat Castres away in order to guarantee home QF. Not an easy task.
Saints are in second and play lowly Glasgow who have been shocking. Saints may get a 5 pointer and if Ulster lose without a bonus pt then some complicated math will decide the actual winner of this pool.

Pool 5
Clermont on 23pts have already qualified and play Scarlets away. They should win but even if they get a losing bonus point they are guaranteed a home QF.
2nd place Leinster need to beat Exeter away to even have a chance of making wild card for last 2 places in Heineken. Plus they could make Amlin Cup and clear up there. Exeter at home are hard, but will they risk their best players?

Pool 6
Toulon have qualified and play second place Montpellier away.
Toulon really need a losing bonus point to have an outside chance of home advantage.
Montpellier at home won't be easy. Montpellier need to win to get a losing bonus point to ensure they make one of the wild cards.

Many games to watch if they are being shown.
Friday
Biarritz vs Quinns
Sat
Blues vs Sale is only game that doesn't matter.
If I had to pick a game I'd like to watch above all it would be Montpellier vs Toulon. A home win for Montpellier in Saturday's all-French clash will vastly change the landscape for the best runners-up places - maybe the key game of the round.
Castres vs Ulster should be interesting with 2 different styles of play. Ulster have been playing some great rugby and I'd tip them to beat Castres away.
Sun
Leic vs Toulouse is the game.
It will be interesting to see if Munster can really knock up the points on Racing who will be very weak.