POOL 1
CARDIFF BLUES
Pedigree: Inaugural finalists and runners-up the following year and two years ago, as well as four-time quarter-finalists, Cardiff stormed Marseilles to beat Toulon in last May's Amlin final. Have won only 13 of 39 away matches in the Cup.
Form: Four wins from five leave them second top in the Magners League, their free-wheeling, all-singing, all-dancing brand of offloading rugby going strangely missing at the RDS.
Odds: 6/5 to win pool; 16/1 outright.
EDINBURGH
Pedigree: Little or none to speak of. One quarter-final (as a best runners-up) in 13 attempts.
Form: A run of seven straight league defeats, followed up their win over Leinster with win away to Aironi.
Odds: 25/1 to win pool; 175/1 outright.
CASTRES OLYMPIQUE
Pedigree: One semi-final and six pool exits.
Form: Punched a little above their weight under astute new coaches Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit last season. Tenth domestically after four home wins and five away defeats. Very French.
Odds: 9/1 to win pool; 66/1 outright.
NORTHAMPTON
Pedigree: Champions at the first attempt in 2000, and four-time pool qualifiers in last five attempts, they'll assuredly benefit from last season's experiences when twice losing at Thomond Park.
Form: Without scaling the heights of this time last year, are still second domestically, a point behind London Irish, after just one defeat away to Saracens.
Odds: 10/11 to win pool; 12/1 outright.
VERDICT
Looks like a two-way tussle between the potent Cardiff and Northampton, with the Saints retaining the vast bulk of the talented young squad – Messrs Hartley, Ashton, Lawes, Foden et al, which also makes Franklin’s Gardens a fortress. Northampton to progress, the Blues possibly as well.
POOL 2
LEINSTER
Pedigree: Ever-presents, eight-time pool qualifiers, five semis and champions two years ago.
Form: Affected by injuries, looked a little lightweight and lacking direction before suddenly springing into vibrant life against Munster.
Odds: 5/2 to win pool, 8/1 outright.
CLERMONT AUVERGNE
Pedigree: Three quarter-finals in seven attempts, but had misfortune to twice run into Munster before epic quarter-final defeat at RDS when Brock James' boot and nerve failed him.
Form: Four wins out of four at home, one out of five away, to leave them sixth domestically, with Vern Cotter rotating his resources after adding the dynamic ball-carrying of Sione Lauaki to their heady mix.
Odds: 6/4 to win pool, 8/1 outright.
SARACENS
Pedigree: Limited rations. Semi-finals at only fourth attempt two years ago.
Form: Glen Jackson has been a loss at outhalf, but they've rediscovered some of last season's obduracy and verve with four wins; the extraordinary footwork, speed and offloading of South African hooker Schalk Brits ever prominent.
Odds: 5/2 to win pool, 22/1 outright.
RACING METRO 92
Pedigree: Debutants.
Form: Despite being handed three away games to kick off as work continued on their own ground, wins in Brive and Toulon, coupled with four on the bounce at home, leaves them atop the Top 14. Potent scrum and maul, allied to boot of Jonathan Wiesnewski, hard carrying of centre Albert Vulivuli, Chabal and co, and aggressive defence has made Juan Martin Hernandez something of a luxury item.
Odds: 6/1 to win pool.
VERDICT
The Pool of Killer Whales. Clermont removed what Joe Schmidt admits was a gorilla from their backs in finally capturing a first Bouclier du Brennus at the 99th attempt and 10th final last May, so you’d imagine scratching that RDS sore from last year is a prime goal. Leinster need Cullen back soon, Sexton to stay fit and no more injuries. If so, they could survive. Just for light relief there’s the unquenchable spirit of Brendan Venter’s well-coached team and Racing, for all their stellar names that lack of pedigree may count. One to qualify, most likely as an away quarter-finalist, and Clermont are entitled to be favourites.
POOL 3
MUNSTER
Pedigree: Peerless. Twelve-time qualifiers in succession from an array of shark-infested pools and winners in '06 and '08.
Form: Solid, back to basics with Munsterisation of coaching ticket and have targeted set-pieces, but were again made to look a little toothless by Leinster's defence.
Odds: 6/4 to win pool, 9/1 outright.
OSPREYS
Pedigree: Three successive quarter-finals. Getting there.
Form: Fifth with three wins from five; appeared to be keeping their powder dry in Thomond prior to December's back-to-back meetings.
Odds: 9/5 to win pool, 14/1 outright.
LONDON IRISH
Pedigree: Limited. Semi-finalists two years ago from four attempts, when beaten by Munster, though took six points against Leinster last season only to flounder against the Scarlets amid hints of over-confidence.
Form: First in Premiership with four wins from five, the most notable of which was their comeback win over Saracens on the opening day at Twickenham, though in truth they've been workmanlike thus far.
Odds: 7/1 to win pool, 66/1 outright.
RC TOULON
Pedigree: Debutants.
Form: Having lost opening two home games, have won four on the spin to be among the pack within a point of Racing. For all their cosmopolitan resources, they remain heavily reliant on the boot of some bloke called Wilkinson.
Odds: 3/1 to win pool.
VERDICT
The pool of sharks. Munster have swam to the top of tougher pools than this, though not much. They need Keith Earls back soon to sharpen cutting edge, and Jerry Flannery in a fortnight, and if they were to stay in touch the possible return of O’Connell in January would be a huge boost. London Irish look a bigger threat than Toulon, whose run to the Amlin Challenge Cup final was testimony to their squad strength, but a similar approach won’t cut it in this company. In truth, the Ospreys’ Magners League success, squad depth and quality, naked ambition and familiarity with Munster may make them the biggest dangers. Munster to squeeze through.
POOL 4
BIARRITZ OLYMPIQUE
Pedigree: Have qualified seven times out of 10 (often from handy draws) and twice finalists.
Form: Despite four wins in their last five, BO are in the bottom half and look even more heavily reliant than ever on Imanol Harinordoquy and Dimitri Yachvili.
Odds: Evens to win pool, 12/1 outright.
BATH
Pedigree: Have progressed from group stages five times out of nine, winning outright in 1998, but only two wins and six defeats against Irish teams.
Form: Fourth domestically, though their venerable tight-five – Grewcock (37), Duncan Bell (36), David Barnes (34) et al – were badly exposed at home to Gloucester last Friday.
Odds: 11/10 to win pool, 14/1 outright.
ULSTER
Pedigree: Champions in 1999, though as the dogs outside Ravenhill know, have never advanced since.
Form: Unbeaten, and their crash ball approach and heavy-duty Springboks have certainly got them on the front foot and buoyed morale.
Odds: 7/1 to pool, 50/1 outright.
AIRONI
Pedigree: Debutants.
Form: Taking time to gel but defeats at home to Ulster and Edinburgh and three heavy defeats on the road have not been encouraging.
Odds: 300/1 to win pool, 1,000/1 outright.
VERDICT
Surely this season for Ulster? Aironi first up at home on Friday is the ideal start and three home wins, a double over Aironi and even losing bonus points away to Bath and Biarritz could be enough. The nagging suspicion remains that the curious case of Ian Humphreys (remember him?) limits their scope to pick up every available point. Brian McLaughlin says it’s “very close” between him and Niall O’Connor; so close he hasn’t played a minute competitively this season. Still, Ulster to progress, perhaps with Biarritz.
POOL 5
LEICESTER TIGERS
Pedigree: England's finest. Back to back champions in 2001 and '02, have progressed to last eight or better nine times out of 12.
Form: As was the case a year ago, hard hit by injuries, with Jeremy Staunton following Sam Vesty on to the treatment table. Two wins out of five, yet, gritty as ever, have accumulated five bonus points to stand sixth.
Odds: 4/9 to win pool, 15/2 second favourites outright.
SCARLETS
Pedigree: The Heineken Cup definitely reaches these parts of the valleys, witness last season's double over London Irish with a young team, and they've qualified eight times out of 14.
Form: Humdrum. Three successive wins against Connacht, Aironi and the Dragons in between defeats to Treviso and at home to the Ospreys.
Odds: 11/1 to win pool, 200/1 outright.
PERPIGNAN
Pedigree: Despite often favourable draws, they've progressed only four times out of ten. Away from Catalan heartland of Stade Aime Giral have just 11 of 30 away games – and nine of those have been in Italy! Beaten in Treviso last season.
Form: Unbeaten in their last six games, yet four of those were at home and their standing of fifth in the Top 14 perhaps flatters them, while the curse on their number tens has re-surfaced.
Odds: 2/1 to win group, 16/1 outright.
BENETTON TREVISO
Pedigree: Never qualified in 13 attempts, though good for a scalp or two, and have pulled off 16 wins – five of them away.
Form: Three wins out of four at home and a slightly flattering top half standing in the League, though Brendan Williams and Joe Maddock have augmented their beef up front with a cutting edge.
Odds: 275/1 to win group, 1,000/1 outright.
VERDICT
The pool should pivot on the Tigers’ back-to-back December meetings with Perpignan – the third time this has happened with Leicester 3-1 ahead in wins and better off both times. Scarlets and Treviso both have “previous” when it comes to taking scalps, and USAP have “previous” when it comes to having that chilly feeling up top.
POOL 6
TOULOUSE
Pedigree: They ooze the stuff and have won more Cups (four) than anyone else. Only thrice in 15 attempts have they failed to emerge from their pool.
Form: Second, but with five home wins and just a draw on the road. An old-ish squad haven't looked like their old selves at all, and the co-opting of Jean-Baptiste Elissalde onto the coaching ticket has yet to ignite their backs.
Odds: 1/6 to win pool, 7/2 favourites.
LONDON WASPS
Pedigree: Champions in '04 and '07, though those were stand-out triumphs when Lawrence Dallaglio was in his pomp, and have actually failed to progress seven times in 11 attempts. Form: Two wins, a draw and two defeats has given them a strictly mid-table look.
Odds: 7/2 to win pool, 33/1 outright.
GLASGOW WARRIORS
Pedigree: Ten group exits since quarter-final play-off in 1998, though memorably scalped Toulouse 33-26 in Stade Ernest-Wallon two seasons ago – bizarrely one of only three wins on the road in 33 attempts. Go figure.
Form: Denuded by departures and injuries, hence four defeats in succession since opening night win over Leinster.
Odds: 33/1 to win pool, 200/1 outright.
NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS
Pedigree: Six group exits in six attempts, though six attempts is no mean achievement given they are Wales' Cinderella region.
Form: Have struggled to take a few injury hits, and apart from home win over Glasgow four defeats in which they have conceded 130 points.
Odds: 60/1 to win pool, 300/1 outright.
VERDICT
Conceivably, this group contains four teams in decline. The odds on Toulouse reflect another favourable draw more than their form. In an improved English deck, Wasps are arguably their weakest hand. Thus, Toulouse should progress almost despite themselves and if they have qualified by the time of their round six trek to London, then possibly Wasps, despite themselves, could join them.
