A look at pool one
HEINEKEN CUP PEDIGREE: The stuff oozes from Munster's pores, as two-time winners, though a dozen successive knock-out appearances came to a shuddering halt last season. Northampton are a coming European force though, having traded home wins with Munster two seasons ago before a quarter-final defeat there and had their hands on the trophy at half-time in the final last May.
Time was when the Scarlets (two-time semi-finalists) were the Welsh standardbearers, but after four seasons of pool exits, their investment in a golden crop of young backs makes them a re-emerging force.
Castres have played Munster 10 times (winning three) but they’ve only qualified from the pool stages once in nine times.
FORMGUIDE: After four successive league wins, Munster have lost three of their last four to sit third in the Pro 12. Castres were atop the Top 14 after seven successive wins during the World Cup but have dropped to third after a late mugging at home to Racing and a loss in Bordeaux.
Northampton suffered during RWC but with Soane Tonga’uiha, Courtney Lawes, Chris Ashton and Ben Foden back, three handsome wins have propelled them to sixth. The Scarlets’ formline is almost identical, a run of two wins and a draw away to the Ospreys reversing four defeats on the spin.
FORECAST: Munster and Northamtpon have made Thomond Park and Franklin's Gardens fortresses, which make home wins likely and also imperative, beginning in Limerick on Saturday. The Scarlets will be loose, potent and dangerous, and are viable contenders too. Munster's much improved forward play under Anthony Foley, their BJ Botha-beefed up scrum and the continuing excellence of Ronan O'Gara (below) gives them a chance, but they'll need a vintage campaign from the maestro at 10. Northampton to qualify and perhaps, at a push, Munster too.
ODDS:Munster 5/4, Northampton 5/4, Castres 8/1, Scarlets 9/1.
FIXTURES: Saturday, Nov 12th: Scarlets v Castres, Munster v Northampton; Friday, Nov 18th: Northampton v Scarlets; Saturday, November 19th: Castres v Munster; Saturday Dec 10th: Scarlets v Munster, Castres v Northampton; Sunday, Dec 18th: Munster v Scarlets, Northampton v Castres; Jan 13th-15: Munster v Castres, Scarlets v Northampton; January 20th-22nd: Castres v Scarlets, Northampton v Munster.
