News | ERC | Official Website : Four through and four to go

Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon) has been named ERC European Player of the Year 2013. The prestigious award crowns an outstanding season for the out-half who led the French club to a dramatic Heineken Cup final victory over ASM Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

It's down to the wire now for the five contenders who have been shortlisted for the ultimate individual accolade in northern hemisphere rugby, ERC European Player of the Year 2013.

With the build-up to the Dublin 2013 European club rugby finals intensifying by the day, the four elite clubs of ASM Clermont Auvergne, Toulon, Leinster Rugby and Stade Francais Paris, who are focused on their quest for Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup silverware respectively, won't be the only clubs with Europe on their mind over the weekend of 17 and 18 May.

With those four safely through to the knock-out stages there are still four places to be won along with qualification for three clubs for the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

With plenty to play for in Round 6 here is the state of the Pools going into the final weekend of group games.

Pool 1
A victory for Saracens over Edinburgh Rugby would see them confirmed as pool winners. Munster Rugby have to defeat Racing Metro 92 at Thomond Park and hope that Saracens lose to Edinburgh in order to top the pool. If both Munster and Saracens win, then Munster need results elsewhere to go in their favour if they're to emerge as one of the two best runners-up. Racing Metro are still mathematically in the equation, but they would need a bonus-point win in Limerick as well a particular set of results elsewhere to secure a best runners-up spot.

Pool 2
It is all about the mouth-watering Leicester Tigers v Toulouse showdown at Welford Road on Sunday. A win for either of the former Heineken Cup champions would settle the pool. Defeat for Toulouse could still see them in contention for a best runners-up place; defeat for Leicester could leave them in contention for Amlin Challenge Cup qualification at best.

Pool 3
Win, lose or draw at Biarritz on Friday, Harlequins are already guaranteed a home quarter-final and vying with Clermont and Toulon for the top ranking of the eight qualifiers. A bonus-point win would see them confirmed as number one seeds. A win for Biarritz could put them in contention both for a best runner-up place and for Amlin Challenge Cup qualification.

Pool 4
Already sure of a spot in the last eight, Ulster Rugby go to Castres Olympique in search of a first Heineken Cup win on French soil. Victory could ensure a home quarter-final depending on results elsewhere while defeat would see them on the road in the knockout stage. Northampton Saints travel to Glasgow Warriors in contention for a best runners-up place and for qualification for the Amlin Challenge Cup. Meanwhile, Castres would need a lot of favourable results to book a best runners-up spot, but if they defeat Ulster, the Amlin Challenge Cup is on the radar.

Pool 5
Even a losing bonus point at Scarlets would almost certainly guarantee ASM Clermont Auvergne a home quarter-final at fortress Stade Marcel Michelin. Leinster Rugby go to Exeter Chiefs chasing a best runners-up place. A win is the minimum requirement for the reigning champions, while five points will probably be needed along with favourable results elsewhere.

Pool 6
A losing bonus point at Montpellier will be enough to secure Toulon a home quarter-final, but a home win for Montpellier in Saturday's all-French clash will vastly change the landscape for the best runners-up places - maybe the key game of the round.

Agen	Bath Rugby	Bayonne	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Bizkaia Gernika RT	Bordeaux-Begles
Bucharest Wolves	Cammi Rugby Calvisano	Femi-CZ VEA Rovigo	Gloucester Rugby	Grenoble	I Cavalieri Prato
Leinster Rugby	London Irish	London Wasps	London Welsh	Mont de Marsan	Newport Gwent Dragons
Perpignan	Rugby Mogliano	Stade Francais Paris	Toulouse	Worcester Warriors

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Four through and four to go

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