No let-up for Munster

Munster, last year's beaten semi-finalists, will host Castres Olympique on the opening weekend of this season's Heineken European Cup. The match takes place on Saturday, September 29th (3.0) and will be shown live on RTE Television.

Leinster enjoy a difficult if mouth watering beginning to this season's European campaign with a trip to Stade Les Septs Deniers where they will take on Toulouse. Coach Matt Williams will be hoping that he can emulate or surpass Ulster's feat last season when they managed a superb draw with the top French side.

Ulster must travel to Italy on the opening Saturday, where they face Benetton Treviso. On the following Friday night, Leinster hosts Newcastle Falcons at Donnybrook - the Irish province will play their other two home matches at Lansdowne Road - before the RTE cameras while on the same night Ulster host London Wasps and that game will be shown live by BBC Northern Ireland. Munster's journey to the Stoop 24 hours later to face NEC Harlequins will be shown live on BBC 1.

FIXTURES (All kick-offs LOCAL time)

ROUND 1

Friday, September 28th. Pool 5: Cardiff v Northampton (6.45) J Jutge (F) BBC Wales; Glasgow v Montferrand (7.30) A Lewis (I).

Saturday, September 29th. Pool 1: Leicester Tigers v Llanelli (5.15) D McHugh (I) BBC 1; Perpignan v Amatori & Calvisano (7.30) A Ireland (S). Pool 2: Benetton Treviso v Ulster (3.30) P Adams (W). Pool 3: Biarritz v Bath (6.30) N Williams (W); Swansea v Edinburgh (2.30) G Morandin (It). Pool 4: Munster v Castres (3.00) C White (E) RTE; Bridgend v Harlequins (7.10) J Dume (F) S4C. Pool 6: Newcastle v Newport (6.15) A Lombardi (It) TBC; Toulouse v Leinster (2.50) S Lander (E) FR2.

Sunday, September 30th. Pool 2: London Wasps v Stade Francais (3.45) I Ramage (S) TBC.

ROUND 2

Friday, October 5th.Pool 1: Llanelli v Perpignan (6.45) S Lander (E) BBC Wales. Pool 2: Ulster v Wasps (7.00) G de Santis (It)BBC NI. Pool 3: Edinburgh v Biarritz (7.00) T Spreadbury (E). Pool 6: Leinster v Newcastle Falcons (7.00) D Gillet (F) RTE.

Saturday, October 6th. Pool 2: Stade Francais v Benetton Treviso (6.00) D Tyndall (I). Pool 3: Bath v Swansea (2.15) D Mene (F). Pool 4: Harlequins v Munster (3.00) N Whitehouse (W) BBC 1. Pool 5: Montferrand v Cardiff RFC (4.00) R Dickson (S) FR2; Northampton v Glasgow (6.15) M Salera (It) TBC.

Sunday October 7th. Pool 1: Amatori & Calvisano v Leicester (2.30) G Simmonds (W). To be confirmed. Pool 4: Castres v Bridgend J Steele (S). Pool 6: Newport v Toulouse A Rolland (I).

ROUND 3

Friday, October 26th. Pool 4: Bridgend v Munster (7.05) A Lombardi (It) BBC Wales. Pool 6: Leinster v Newport (7.00) R Dickson (S) RTE.

Saturday, October 27th. Pool 1: Perpignan v Leicester (7.30) G de Santis (It). Pool 2: Stade Francais v Ulster (3.00) S Lander (E) FR2. Pool 3: Swansea v Biarritz (5.30) A Ireland (S) S4C; Edinburgh v Bath (6.15) A Lewis (I) TBC. Pool 5: Cardiff v Glasgow (3.00) C White (E) BBC S; Northampton v Montferrand (3.00) N Williams (W) BBC 1.

Sunday, October 28th. Pool 1: Amatori & Calvisano v Llanelli (2.30) D Gillet (F). Pool 2: Wasps v Benetton Treviso (3.00) G Borreani (F). Pool 4: Harlequins v Castres (3.45) D McHugh (I) TBC. Pool 6: Toulouse v Newcastle (2.50) P Adams (W) FR2.

ROUND 4

Friday, November 2nd. Pool 2: Ulster v Stade Francais (7.00) N Whitehouse (W) BBC NI. Pool 6: Newport v Leinster (7.05) C White (E) BBC Wales.

Saturday, November 3rd. Pool 1: Leicester v Perpignan (6.15) A Rolland (I) TBC; Llanelli v Amatori & Calvisano (2.30) T Spreadbury (E). Pool 2: Benetton Treviso v London Wasps (2.30) I Ramage (S). Pool 3: Biarritz v Swansea (6.30) D Tyndall (I); Bath v Edinburgh (3.00) J Dume (F) BBC S. Pool 4: Munster v Bridgend (3.00) J Jutge (F) RTE; Castres v Harlequins (7.30) RG Davies (W). Pool 6: Newcastle v Toulouse (3.00) R Dickson (S) BBC 1.

Sunday, November 4th. Pool 5: Glasgow v Cardiff (3.45) G de Santis (It) TBC; Montferrand v Northampton (3.00) A Lombardi (It).

The dates for the final two rounds of fixtures of the tournament's pool stage have yet to be confirmed.

ROUND 5

January 5th/6th/7th.

Pool 1: Leicester v Amatori & Calvisano; Perpignan v Llanelli. Pool 2: Benetton Treviso v Stade Francais; London Wasps v Ulster. Pool 3: Biarritz v Edinburgh; Swansea v Bath. Pool 4: Munster v Harlequins; Bridgend v Castres. Pool 5: Glasgow v Northampton; Cardiff v Montferrand. Pool 6: Newcastle v Leinster; Toulouse v Newport.

ROUND 6

January 11th/12th/13th

Pool l: Amatori & Calvisano v Perpignan; Llanelli v Leicester. Pool 2: Stade Francais v Wasps; Ulster v Benetton Treviso. Pool 3: Edinburgh v Swansea; Bath v Biarritz. Pool 4: Harlequins v Bridgend; Castres v Munster. Pool 5: Northampton v Cardiff; Montferrand v Glasgow. Pool 6: Leinster v Toulouse; Newport v Newcastle.

Quarter-finals: January 25th/26th/27th.

Semi-finals: April 27th/28th.

Final: May 25th.