With clubs already crunching numbers in the aftermath of last weekend's captivating series of Heineken Cup matches, qualification for the quarter-finals of the world's most competitive club rugby tournament will be on the line when the pool stages come to a dramatic conclusion in the new year. Full details here....
With coveted places in the last eight, as well as qualification for the knockout stages of the Amlin Challenge Cup and valuable ERC ranking points, up for grabs, the tension is set to rise and rise for the contenders following the announcement of the dates, venues and kick-off times for the Round 5 and 6 fixtures.
One of the highlights of Round 5 is undoubtedly the clash at the top of Pool 1 between Racing Metro 92 and Saracens at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes on Saturday, 12 January 2013. The 38,285-capacity stadium will become the 102nd venue to stage Heineken Cup action as Racing look to avenge their 30-13 defeat by the English club in Round 2.
The unbeaten trio of ASM Clermont Auvergne, Harlequins and Toulon will be attempting to continue their winning ways with home matches also on the Saturday against Exeter Chiefs, Connacht Rugby and Cardiff Blues and respectively.
Ospreys, who put themselves right back in the hunt for qualification from Pool 2 with a first-ever tournament victory over four-time champions, Toulouse, last weekend, renew acquaintances with Leicester Tigers at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday, 13 January 2013. Ospreys pushed Tigers hard at Welford Road in Round 2 before running out of steam in the final quarter and will be confident of reversing the result this time.
With each pool's matches kicking off at the same time, Round 6 will have coaches, supporters and media alike reaching for their calculators, and with mouthwatering confrontations between the likes of Biarritz Olympique and Harlequins, Castres Olympique and Ulster Rugby, and Montpellier and Toulon on offer, the pool stages will reach a crescendo on Sunday, 20 January 2013 with the hugely-anticipated return matches between Munster and Racing at Thomond Park in Pool 1, and Leicester and Toulouse at Welford Road in Pool 5.
The Round 5 matches will get underway on Friday, 11 January 2013 with the meetings of Pool 4 front-runners, Ulster Rugby, and Glasgow Warriors at Ravenhill, Northampton Saints and Castres Olympique at Franklin's Gardens, while Salford City Stadium will host the Pool 6 Sale Sharks-Montpellier tie.
Full TV details for Rounds 5 and 6 will be announced shortly.
FIXTURES
(All kick-offs local time with live TV coverage where relevant)
ROUND 5
Friday, 11 January 2013
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors, Ravenhill 20.00 - Sky Sports
Pool 4 Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique, Franklin's Gardens 20.00 - Sky Sports / Sky Italia
Pool 6 Sale Sharks v Montpellier, Salford City Stadium 20.00
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Pool 3 Harlequins v Connacht Rugby, The Twickenham Stoop 13.35 - Sky Sports
Pool 3 Zebre v Biarritz Olympique, Stadio XXV Aprile 14.35 - Sky Italia / Sky Sports
Pool 6 Toulon v Cardiff Blues, Stade Félix Mayol 14.35 - Canal+ / Sky Sports
Pool 1 Racing Metro 92 v Saracens, Stade de la Beaujoire (Nantes) 16.40 - FR2 / Sky Sports / Sky Italia
Pool 5 Leinster Rugby v Scarlets, RDS 18.00 - Sky Sports
Pool 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Exeter Chiefs, Stade Marcel Michelin 19.00 - Canal+ / Sky Sports
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Pool 1 Edinburgh Rugby v Munster Rugby, Murrayfield,12.45 - Sky Sports
Pool 2 Ospreys v Leicester Tigers, Liberty Stadium 15.00 - Sky Sports
Pool 2 Toulouse v Benetton Treviso, Stade Ernest Wallon 16.00 - FR2 / Sky Sports / Sky Italia
ROUND 6
Friday, 18 January 2013
Pool 3 Connacht Rugby v Zebre, The Sportsground 20.00
Pool 3 Biarritz Olympique v Harlequins, Parc des Sports Aguiléra 21.00
Saturday, 19 January 2013
Pool 4 Glasgow Warriors v Northampton Saints, Scotstoun Stadium 13.35
Pool 4 Castres Olympique v Ulster Rugby, Stade Pierre Antoine 14.35
Pool 5 Scarlets v ASM Clermont Auvergne, Parc y Scarlets 18.00
Pool 5 Exeter Chiefs v Leinster Rugby, Sandy Park 18.00
Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Sale Sharks, Cardiff Arms Park 15.40
Pool 6 Montpellier v Toulon, Stade Yves du Manoir 16.40
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Pool 1 Munster Rugby v Racing Metro 92, Thomond Park 12.45
Pool 1 Saracens v Edinburgh Rugby, Vicarage Road 12.45
Pool 2 Leicester Tigers v Toulouse, Welford Road 15.00
Pool 2 Benetton Treviso v Ospreys, Stadio Comunale di Monigo 16.00
QUARTER-FINALS: 5/6/7 April 2013
SEMI-FINALS: 26/27/28 April 2013
DUBLIN 2013 EUROPEAN CLUB RUGBY FINALS
Amlin Challenge Cup final - RDS, Friday, 17 May 2013 (20.00)
Heineken Cup final - Aviva Stadium, Saturday, 18 May 2013 (17.00)
