Heineken Cup: standings and permutations

Pool One REMAINING FIXTURES

Saturday: Scarlets v Northampton, 1.30pm; Munster v Castres, , 3.40pm.

Jan 21st:Northampton v Munster, 6.0pm; Castres v Scarlets, 6.0pm.

Munster go into Saturday’s final home game knowing that a bonus point win against Castres will make them the first team to secure qualification for the knock-out stages. As things stand, furthermore, a nine-point haul from their final two games would secure a home quarter-final. However that final pool game will be against a vengeful Northampton, who meet the Scarlets in what amounts to a do-or-die encounter, albeit with Challenge Cup qualification a more realistic target for the winners.

Pool Two

REMAINING FIXTURES

Friday: Racing Métro v Edinburgh, 8.0pm. Saturday: London Irish v Cardiff, 3.40pm.

Jan 22nd:Cardiff v Racing, 3.15pm; Edinburgh v London Irish, 3.15pm.

Cardiff hold the head-to-head advantage over Edinburgh following their bonus point defeat in Murrayfield. Thus, if the Blues match Edinburgh’s results over the last two games they will qualify. Indeed if both teams register ten point hauls over the last two rounds, both will go through, although this has been a frisky, unpredictable pool. With a home quarter-final and the best runners-up slots, the last eight contenders could also have the significant advantage of kicking off last on Sunday week.

Pool Three

REMAINING FIXTURES

Saturday: Montpellier v Bath, 1.0pm; Sunday: Glasgow v Leinster, Firhill, 12.45.

Jan 21st: Bath v Glasgow, 1.30pm; Leinster v Montpellier, 1.30pm.

A win in Firhill on Sunday would ensure Leinster qualification for the quarter-finals as pool winners. As things stand, nine points from the final two games would also guarantee the reigning champions a home quarter-final regardless of results elsewhere. Nonetheless, Glasgow know they have to win to stay alive, and maintain a realistic push for advancement in one of the competitions, and have won their last six at Firhill, including wins over Bath and Montpellier.

Pool Four

REMAINING FIXTURES

Friday: Ulster v Leicester, 8.0pm.

Saturday: Aironi v Clermont, 1.30pm

Jan 21st: Leicester v Aironi, 3.40pm; Clermont v Ulster, 3.40pm.

Ulster host Leicester at Ravenhill tomorrow night in what amounts to a mouth-watering Anglo-Irish knock-out tie, and were Ulster to win and deny the Tigers a bonus point it would actually put the two-time winners out. Leicester thus need a win, and will be mindful Clermont hold a head-to-head advantage over them, while Ulster may well need something, even a win, from Saturday week’s trek to the Auvergne, where Clermont are unbeaten in 36 games dating back to November 2009.

Pool Five

REMAINING FIXTURES

Friday: Ospreys v Benetton, 8.0pm. Sunday: Saracens v Biarritz, 3.0pm.

Jan22nd:Treviso v Saracens, 1.0pm; Biarritz v Ospreys, 1.0pm.

After their macho brace of wins over the Ospreys, Saracens can ensure qualification for the quarter-finals as pool winners at home on Sunday if they beat misfiring Biarritz, for whom this win-or-bust tie is their last shot at any kind of glory this season, although the fit-again Dimitri Yachvili kicked them out of the relegation zone in Agen last Friday.

Realistically, the best the Ospreys can hope to salvage from this Euro campaign is a Challenge Cup place by dint of two wins.

Pool Six

REMAINING FIXTURES

Saturday: Toulouse v Connacht, 3.40pm. Harlequins v Gloucester, 6.0pm.

Jan 20th: Connacht v Harlequins, 8.0pm. Gloucester v Toulouse, 8.0pm.

Ominously for Connacht, maximum ten-point hauls for their last two opponents, Toulouse and Harlequins, will ensure this duo of qualification. Mindful of their superior head-to-head record and securing a ninth home quarter-final, Toulouse will assuredly target a bonus point win at home to Connacht on Saturday, and have scored 126 points in three handsome wins since losing at home to ‘Quins, for whom two bonus point wins at home to Gloucester and in Galway would, at the least, earn one of the two best runners-up slots.