RUGBY HEINEKEN CUP:The province will finish their pool games on a Friday, then watch the weekend action unfold, writes Gerry Thornley
NEITHER MUNSTER nor Leinster will feel the scheduling for the final two rounds of Heineken Cup pool games has done them any favours. Both have been given six-day turnarounds, while in Leinster’s case their last-day opponents, Racing Metro, will have had an extra day’s rest. Furthermore, they will be among the first results in on the final weekend, which is never particularly helpful.
By contrast, Brian McLaughlin and Ulster will at least be grateful that they have a seven-day turnaround between their games against Biarritz at Ravenhill on Saturday, January 15th, and their trek to Aironi a week later.
Ideally, though, they might have liked one of their traditional Friday night cauldrons in Belfast for the visit of Biarritz, instead of a Saturday afternoon.
At least though, all three provinces have their destiny in their hands.
The Leinster Branch have confirmed that their game against Saracens, at 1.30 on Saturday, January 15th, will be staged at the RDS, before they conclude their programme against Racing Metro at Stade Yves du Manoir in Paris at 9pm local time to coincide with the other Pool Two game between Saracens and Clermont.
Munster’s penultimate, must-win game to Toulon will take place in the Stade Felix Mayol on Sunday, January 16th, before they host London Irish the following Saturday afternoon, January 22nd, at 3.30.
They will hope Paul O’Connell may yet be available for one or both of their Magners League games scheduled (weather permitting) over the festive period, against Connacht in Galway on St Stephen’s Day and against Ulster on New Year’s Day at Thomond Park, following the anticipated appeal of his four-week ban.
O’Connell has already served one week of his ban following the red card against the Ospreys in the first of the sides’ back-to-back games last Saturday week, and will perhaps have been encouraged by the one-week ban Cardiff’s Xavier Rush received yesterday for his red card against Northampton last Sunday.
In contrast to O’Connell’s original hearing, held on the ensuing Thursday, Munster will also note how Rush’s hearing could be heard so swiftly.
At least O’Connell’s appeal, lodged yesterday, will be held by conference call today in the offices of his solicitor, Donal Spring.
Whether O’Connell and the Munster management will attend by person is not clear, but, significantly, he is appealing both the red card itself and the four-week suspension.
The independent appeal committee will be chaired by Prof Lorne Crerar (Scotland), joined by Rod McKenzie (Scotland) and Simon Thomas (Wales).
Munster could seriously do with the fillip of his return to the starting line-up for that crunch game to Toulon, and that would be facilitated by some game time before that.
Just to recap, the four pool winners with the best rankings will earn home quarter-finals, while the fifth- and sixth-ranked pool winners will be joined by the best two runners-up (ranked seventh and eighth) in the knock-out stages, which are determined thus: 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5. The other four pool runners-up will again be rerouted to the Amlin Challenge Cup, where they will face away quarter-finals.
Should clubs finish level in the same pool, their final ranking will be determined by the head-to-heads, first on the basis of match points (including bonus points), then, if still level, on tries in the two games and, if still unresolved, finally the aggregate points difference from the two matches.
If clubs from different pools finish on the same number of points, their final ranking will be determined by the number of tries scored in all pool matches and then their aggregate points difference from all pool matches.
Thus, entering the final weekend, there will be plenty of jostling for a top-four ranking and with it a lucrative and advantageous home quarter-final, as well as among those vying for the two best runners-up slots.
It is therefore often a distinct help to have a Sunday slot, thereby knowing the other standings beforehand and thus what is required both in terms of match points and tries scored to maximize one’s ranking.
To this end, Pools Five and Six, which already appear more likely to provide the two best runners-up, will be further assisted by rounding off the final weekend on Sunday, January 23rd.
By contrast, Leinster’s Pool Two finale away to Racing Metro in Paris will take place on the preceding Friday, and thus could leave them as a potential target for other probable group winners for the rest of the weekend.
