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Defending champions Toulouse have to either retain the Heineken Cup when they meet London Wasps on Sunday, 23 May, or reach the French Championship semi-finals to maintain their ever-present status in European club rugby's elite competition.
Toulouse have qualified for the French Championship play-offs and will clash home and away with Biarritz Olympique, Brive and Stade Franà§ais Paris in Pool B. They travel to Brive this weekend and then meet Stade Franà§ais Paris in Toulouse eight days before the Heineken Cup final.
They will then clash home and away with Biarritz Olympique in just six hectic days after the Twickenham showpiece match in a punishing schedule that could run until the last weekend in June.
Castres Olympique - so far the sole French qualifiers for next season's Heineken Cup as Challenge Sud Radio winners - Bourgoin, Perpignan and Beziers will contest Pool A in search of places in the semi-finals in Lyon (19 June) and Montpellier (20 June) en route to the Stade de France final on 26 June.
In Italy the Championship is at the 13-match mark of the 18-match campaign with Benetton Treviso unbeaten on 59 points leading Calvisano (53), Viadana (36), Rugby Parma (33), Padova (28) and Rovigo (27) in the chase for semi-final places in early June. The two clubs who meet in the final on 19 June will be the Heineken Cup qualifiers, the champions taking the No 1 Heineken Cup seeding.
Elsewhere Munster, Leinster Lions and Ulster will represent Ireland; Bath Rugby, London Wasps and Powergen Cup winners Newcastle Falcons are the English clubs home and dry; Llanelli Scarlets and The Dragons have qualified as two of the four Welsh teams and Edinburgh Rugby are secure as Scotland's No 1 seeds.
