MUNSTER WILL reacquaint themselves with Clermont Auvergne while Leinster again meet Edinburgh at the pool stages in next season's Heineken Cup. It was the first year for a number of changes to the draw, but yesterday as the pools and teams were pulled out of the drum in Dublin for the 2008-2009 competition, there was a certain familiarity to the pools involving the Irish teams.
The reigning champions and top-ranked club, Munster, again managed to avoid the two sides perceived as weakest - Calvisano and Treviso of Italy - and were instead presented with two French teams in Pool One, Clermont Auvergne and Montauban - the latter newcomers to the competition - as well as Sale Sharks.
Leinster again face what in light of recent seasons may be considered their bogey side, Edinburgh, in Pool Two along with London Wasps and Castres Olympique, coached by Jeremy Davidson and Mark McCall.
Leinster played the Scots four times last season in Magners League and Heineken Cup, winning two at home and losing two away.
The 1999 champions, Ulster, are drawn in Pool Four and face Llanelli Scarlets, Harlequins and the Parisian blue-bloods Stade Français. So no easy touches for head coach Matt Williams either.
He may justifiably feel Ulster have drawn a group of death, making it a matter of urgency they improve their ranking so that such tough Heineken Cup draws are not a perennial occurrence.
It is the first year teams were tiered according to their European rankings, arrived at on the strength of results over the last four years. The draw was also cast to ensure none of the tier-one sides - Munster, Toulouse, Biarritz, Leicester Tigers, Stade Français and London Wasps - would meet before the knockout stages. Munster and Wasps met in their pool last season as did Toulouse and Leicester.
Leinster are ranked in the second tier and Ulster in the third.
The hoary old saying that there is not an easy pool in the Heineken Cup was illustrated in the make-up of yesterday's six pools of four. That there are seven French teams ensures all pools contain a French side; and one pool, Munster's, will have two French teams.
As there are six English teams, each pool is also guaranteed an English Premiership side to contend with. After that it is Welsh (four), Irish (three), Scottish (two) and Italian (two) teams spread through the pools.
The Leinster chief executive, Mick Dawson, said yesterday Leinster would finalise their squad for the season by next Wednesday, when they should be able to announce their 34 names.
All of the players, except those who have been on overseas tours, are expected back training on Monday. Dawson declined to comment on the recent speculation that the Australian flanker Rocky Elsom had already signed for the province.
Garret Fitzgerald, the Munster chief executive, said the European champions were still looking for a flanker but would not be rushed into a decision.
The New Zealander Jerry Collins can, however, be taken out of the equation. Collins's name had been linked with a job in Munster but yesterday it was announced the dynamic All Black had signed for the French Club Toulon on a three-year contract.
Next week Munster will announce the name of the new coach to take over from Declan Kidney. Again Fitzgerald declined to be drawn into whether the current backs and defensive coach, Tony McGahan of Australian, or the stand-in Ireland coach, Michael Bradley, might be the man for the job.
HEINEKEN EUROPEAN CUP DRAW 2008-2009
POOL 1
Munster
Sale Sharks
Clermont Auvergne
Montauban
POOL 2
London Wasps
Leinster
Castres Olympique
Edinburgh
POOL 3
Leicester Tigers
Perpignan
Ospreys
Benetton Treviso
POOL 4
Stade Français
Llanelli Scarlets
Ulster
Harlequins
POOL 5
Toulouse
Bath
Dragons
Glasgow
POOL 6
Biarritz Olympique
Gloucester
Cardiff Blues
Calvisano
FIXTURES -Round 1: October 10th-12th. Round 2: October 17th-19th. Round 3: December 3rd-5th. Round 4: December 12th-14th. Round 5: January 16th-18th. Round 6: January 23rd-25th. Quarter-finals: April 10th-12th. Semi-finals: May 1st-3rd. Final: May 22nd-24th.
