Referees named for back to back fixtures

The meeting reviewed match official performances in Rounds 1 and 2 of the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup as well the performances of European match officials in IRB international matches and domestic leagues.

ERC Match Official Performance Manager, Donal Courtney, said the importance of the refereeing of key areas such as sealing off at the tackle, offsides at rucks and kicks, and obstruction at lineout mauls, had been reiterated to the participating clubs and to the referees.

Courtney also emphasised that ERC continues to provide an opportunity for club coaching staff to share their feedback on the performances of match officials and that this feedback was an important part of the review process.

Nigel Owens of Wales will be in charge when reigning champions, Leinster Rugby, travel to ASM Clermont Auvergne at Stade Marcel Michelin on Sunday, 9 December for the first of two intriguing back-to-back games. With Leinster unbeaten and with Clermont having secured a maximum 10 points, the fixtures between two of European club rugby's heavyweights will go a long way to deciding the outcome of Pool 5.

The much-anticipated Round 3 clash of Pool 1 leaders, Saracens, and Munster Rugby at Thomond Park on Saturday, 8 December will be refereed by France's Romain Poite while Alain Rolland of Ireland takes charge of Pool 2 front-runners, Toulouse, who host the Ospreys at Stade Ernest Wallon on the same day.

Jerome Garces of France will referee the meeting of Pool 4 leaders, Ulster Rugby, and Northampton Saints in front of an expected full house at Franklin's Gardens on Friday, 7 December with Wales' Leighton Hodges in charge at Salford City Stadium for the Sale Sharks-Toulon game in Pool 6.

Neil Hennessy of Wales will get Round 3 of the European club rugby season underway when he referees the vital Amlin Challenge Cup Pool 2 clash between Worcester Warriors and Perpignan, who both have maximum points to date, at Sixways on Thursday, 6 December.

Referees - Heineken Cup Rounds 3 and 4 (All kick-offs local time)

ROUND 3
FRIDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 4 Glasgow Warriors v Castres Olympique 19.35 Wayne Barnes (Eng)
Pool 3 Connacht Rugby v Biarritz Olympique 20.00 Greg Garner (Eng)
Pool 4 Northampton Saints v Ulster Rugby 20.00 Jérome Garces (Fra)

SATURDAY, 8 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 5 Scarlets v Exeter Chiefs 13.35 Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
Pool 2 Toulouse v Ospreys 14.35 Alain Rolland (Ire)
Pool 3 Zebre v Harlequins 14.35 Neil Paterson(Sco)
Pool 6 Sale Sharks v Toulon 15.40 Leighton Hodges (Wal)
Pool 1 Munster Rugby v Saracens 18.00 Romain Poite (Fra)
Pool 1 Racing Metro 92 v Edinburgh Rugby 19.00 Peter Fitzgibbon (Ire)

SUNDAY, 9 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Montpellier 12.45 John Lacey (Ire)
Pool 2 Leicester Tigers v Benetton Treviso 15.00 Pascal Gauzere (Fra)
Pool 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leinster Rugby 16.00 Nigel Owens (Wal)

ROUND 4
FRIDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 1 Edinburgh Rugby v Racing Metro 92 20.00 Dudley Phillips (Ire)
Pool 3 Biarritz Olympique v Connacht Rugby 21.00 Leighton Hodges (Wal)
SATURDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 2 Ospreys v Toulouse 13.35 George Clancy (Ire)
Pool 2 Benetton Treviso v Leicester Tigers 14.35 Alain Rolland (Ire)
Pool 3 Harlequins v Zebre 15.00 Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
Pool 5 Leinster Rugby v ASM Clermont Auvergne 15.40 Wayne Barnes (Eng)
Pool 5 Exeter Chiefs v Scarlets 15.40 Romain Poite (Fra)
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Northampton Saints 18.00 Nigel Owens (Wal)
Pool 6 Montpellier v Cardiff Blues 19.00 Greg Garner (Eng)
SUNDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 4 Castres Olympique v Glasgow Warriors 13.45 Andrew Small (Eng)
Pool 1 Saracens v Munster Rugby 15.00 Pascal Gauzere (Fra)
Pool 6 Toulon v Sale Sharks 16.00 John Lacey (Ire)

Amlin Challenge Cup referees - Rounds 3 and 4

ROUND 3
THURSDAY, 6 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 2 Worcester Warriors v Perpignan 19.45 Neil Hennessy (Wal)
Pool 1 Bordeaux-Begles v Mont-de-Marsan 20.30 JP Doyle (Eng)

FRIDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 5 Grenoble v London Welsh 19.30 Andrew McMenemy (Sco)

SATURDAY, 8 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 3 Rugby Mogliano v NG Dragons 14.00 Ian Tempest (Eng)
Pool 5 I Cavalieri Prato v Stade Francais Paris 14.00 Ian Davies (Wal)
Pool 4 Bath Rugby v Cammi Rugby Calvisano 14.15 Cedric Marchat (Fra)
Pool 1 London Irish v Gloucester Rugby 15.00 Dudley Phillips (Ire)
Pool 4 Bucharest Wolves v Agen 15.00 Giuseppe Vivarini (Ita)
Pool 2 Bizkaia Gernika RT v VEA Femi-CZ Rovigo 16.00 David Wilkinson (Ire)
Pool 3 Bayonne v London Wasps 21.00 Manius Mitrea (Ita)

ROUND 4
THURSDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 3 London Wasps v Bayonne 19.45 Andrew McMenemy (Sco)
Pool 5 Stade Francais Paris v I Cavalieri Prato 20.45 Neil Hennessy (Wal)

FRIDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 1 Mont-de-Marsan v Bordeaux-Begles 19.00 Luke Pearce (Eng)
Pool 4 Agen v Bucharest Wolves 19.00 Ian Tempest (Eng)

SATURDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 5 London Welsh v Grenoble 14.00 Marius Mitrea (Ita)
Pool 4 Cammi Rugby Calvisano v Bath Rugby 14.30 Laurent Cardona (Fra)
Pool 1 Gloucester Rugby v London Irish 15.00 Neil Paterson (Sco)
Pool 2 VEA Femi-CZ Rovigo v Bizkaia Gernika RT 15.00 Leo Colgan (Ire)
Pool 2 Perpignan v Worcester Warriors 21.00 Ian Davies (Wal)

SUNDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2012
Pool 3 Newport Gwent Dragons v Rugby Mogliano 17.35 David Wilkinson (Ire)