There are no easy draws in the Heineken Cup these days but everyone was hoping to be in the same pool (6) as Cardiff Blues, arguably the weakest of the Tier 1. Unfortunately neither of the Scottish teams got such an easy path.
Both teams are in challenging pools with Edinburgh pulling perennial Heineken Cup botherers Munster and 2010-11 Premiership Champions Saracens, and their opponents in two great (and high-scoring) games last season in Racing Metro 92.
Glasgow have a tough pool but they are teams that they can beat on their day in Saints, Ulster and Castres. Of the two pro-teams, they perhaps have a greater chance of escaping their pool, but it is (as always) a slim chance for both and will require maximum effort.
Michael Bradley is taking his club back to his home province of Munster, while new Glasgow coach Gregor Townsend will take his charges to two teams he previously played for – Northampton and Castres – in his first experience of Heineken Cup coaching.
Edinburgh will face Kelly Brown in Saracens colours, while Max Evans should line up for Castres against his old club Glasgow. Richie Gray and Richie Vernon’s Sale Sharks did find themselves in Pool 6, probably the most even pool with no real powerhouses lurking.
And new player/coach at Connacht Dan Parks may even get a chance for a win against new boys Zebre.
Pool 1
Munster
Edinburgh Rugby
Saracens
Racing Metro 92
Pool 2
Toulouse
Leicester
Ospreys
Bennetton Treviso
Pool 3
Biarritz OPB
Harlequins
Connacht
Zebre
Pool 4
Northampton Saints
Ulster
Glasgow Warriors
Castres
Pool 5
Leinster
Clermont ASM
Scarlets
Exeter Chiefs
Pool 6
Cardiff Blues
Toulon
Sale Sharks
Montpellier
1 response
Agree both teams have toughish draws but neither should be going in with any inferiority complex on the back of last season’s efforts. As long as they look after their home games (esp against the 2 Irish prvinces) and can nick a result away from home somewhere both sides should be in the quali mix come the latter group stages at least…..looking forward to some decent crowds at Murrayfield for HCup this year after last years efforts too