Leinster get a break

LEINSTER HAVE, insofar as one can tell this far in advance, been given every incentive to go where only Leicester have gone before in retaining the Heineken Cup after a relatively encouraging draw for next season’s competition in Paris yesterday. That said, Munster’s is arguably just as favourable, and the two-time champions have been installed as the early favourites.

The reigning champions have been pooled with London Irish, Scarlets and Brive, while Munster have drawn newly crowned French champions Perpignan, Northampton and Treviso, and in each tier the two Irish heavyweight contenders could undoubtedly have drawn opponents with more European pedigree.

Ulster, who were third seeds, draw a shorter straw again, however, having been pitted with Bath, Ulster and Edinburgh.

“As champions you are always more of a target, you are there to be shot at, and history has proven that defending the Heineken Cup is a massive task,” said Leinster coach Michael Cheika, in reference to the dozen times the feat has not been achieved.

“Leicester managed it once but history is certainly against you and so far it has proved too much for all the other Heineken Cup winners.

“London Irish did exceptionally well in the Premiership last season and we know the Scarlets well, that week in week out they are capable of getting the right results,” Cheika added.

So much, though, could change between now and next October’s opening rounds – this time last year Rocky Elsom’s arrival hadn’t been confirmed and, as Brian O’Driscoll freely admitted, they wouldn’t have reached their Holy Grail without him.

Stellar signings between now and October will go some way towards changing the landscape, and with Felipe Contepomi also gone, clearly the champions are in the marketplace for a significant acquisition or too as well as Eoin Reddan and Shaun Beirne.

Likewise Munster, who have been linked with South African centre Jean de Villiers, while Perpignan have been linked with Frederic Michalak in lining up a galactico to replace Dan Carter.

Although, on the face of it, coach-less Ulster look to have drawn the shortest straw from an Irish perspective, come next season it’s equally hard to gauge how healthy their Pool Four opponents will be.

The final will be returning to French soil for the first time since 2001 and Stade Francais Paris team manager Alain Elias is already thinking of a “home” final.

“Our pool is not an easy one – and we are certainly well used to going to Ulster – but, hopefully, with the final being in Paris it is nice to think we could be playing in our home city next May. Of course there is a very long way to go before the final but we have that objective to aim for.”

Indicative of the faltering standards of French club rugby, Stade Francais ultimately had a fairly dismal season, playing a stultifying brand of rugby with Juan Martin Hernandez kicking the leather off the ball right up until their French semi-final defeat to Perpignan.

There are also reports of disharmony between coach Ewen McKenzie and his assistant Christophe Dominici, while of course Edinburgh are also coach-less and Bath have simply imploded after a horror show of off-field shenanigans and publicity. This could be the group of utter uncertainty.