The Whistle Blowers

Rolland was in the middle at Stade de France when South Africa beat England 15-6 and, three weeks later, will again be on duty in the French capital.

The leading Irish referee will be controlling his 36th tournament match while fellow Irish official Alan Lewis will referee his 46th Heineken Cup contest when Perpignan host Newport Gwent Dragons on the opening night.

Lewis has been in charge of more tournament matches than any other official, Chris White (England) and Joel Jutge (France) moving on to the 43-match mark at ASM Clermont Auvergne and London Wasps respectively.

And, for the first time, a 19-man panel has been selected ahead of the tournament from which the referees for Heineken Cup matches will be appointed.

Half of the 12-man RWC panel - Rolland, Lewis, Jutge, White, Wayne Barnes and Nigel Owens - will be on Heineken Cup duty along with David Pearson, Christophe Berdos, Malcolm Changleng and Carlo Damasco, who were on the RWC touch judge panel.

The Heineken Cup 2007 / 2008 panel is:

ALAN LEWIS (Ireland) - 45 Heineken Cup matches

CHRIS WHITE (England) - 42 Heineken Cup matches

JOEL JUTGE (France) - 42 Heineken Cup matches

ALAIN ROLLAND (Ireland) - 35 Heineken Cup matches

DAVE PEARSON (England) - 24 Heineken Cup matches

NIGEL OWENS (Wales) - 23 Heineken Cup matches

CHRISTOPHE BERDOS (France) - 16 Heineken Cup matches

MALCOLM CHANGLENG (Scotland) - 9 Heineken Cup matches

GEORGE CLANCY (Ireland) - 7 Heineken Cup matches

WAYNE BARNES (England) - 6 Heineken Cup matches

ROMAIN POITE (France) - 6 Heineken Cup matches

TIM HAYES (Wales) - 4 Heineken Cup matches

CARLO DAMASCO (Italy) - 2 Heineken Cup matches

PETER ALLAN (Scotland) - No Heineken Cup matches

ROB DEBNEY (England) - No Heineken Cup matches

PETER FITZGIBBON (Ireland) - No Heineken Cup matches

PASCAL GAUZERE (France) - No Heineken Cup matches

JAMES JONES (Wales) - No Heineken Cup matches

ANDREW SMALL (England) - No Heineken Cup matches