Heineken Cup Quarters Finals - 24 into 8 won’t go – so they took it outside…

Brian O'Driscoll Picture from: http://bit.ly/hKMi8F

Heineken Cup Quarters - 24 into 8 won’t go – so they took it outside…and only the biggest, baddest meanest mutha’s made it big in for the quarters ( sporting the odd scrape /black eye). Fantastic weekend for Ireland as Leinster, Munster , Ulster and Connacht rode out like the four horsemen of the apocalypse


And this is how they finished :

Heineken Cup Quarter-Finals:

(Matches to be played over April 8/9/10)

Northampton v Ulster

Leinster v Leicester

Perpignan v Toulon

Biarritz v Toulouse

Heineken Cup Semi-Final Draw:

Leinster/Leicester v Biarritz/Toulouse

Northampton/Ulster v Perpignan/Toulon

So four from France and two each from Ireland and England, real pity for Wales. The draw mwans only two French teams can progress to the Semis.

Amlin Challenge Cup Quarter-Finals:

(Matches to be played over April 8/9/10)

Stade Francais v Montpellier

Brive v Munster

La Rochelle v Clermont Auvergne

Harlequins v London Wasps

Amlin Challenge Cup Semi-Final Draw:

Stade Francais/Montpellier v La Rochelle/Clermont Auvergne

Brive/Munster v Harlequins/London Wasps

That’s 5 French, 2 English and one Irish, again, incredibly no Welsh team, and at least one Scottish team should have made it. The French are in the ascendancy.

Racing Metro 92 11 - 36 Leinster

Leinster went to Paris and came back with more than an Eiffel Tower miniature replica and some perfume for their girlfriends. They only went and smashed one of the current top teams in France with another sublime performance. I really wish the quarters were being played straight away so they could take some of this momentum into the next round. After Leinster’s shaky start in the Magners League, you have to pinch yourself when you see how far they’ve come this season. I’ve said it before, but what has made the difference this season is the way the replacements have stood up, none more so than Sean O’Brien, Strauss and Ross. SOB was in full cry again and birthday boy Brian O’Driscoll celebrated with a typically well taken try. Racing were no pushover either, making Leinster defend for long, long periods.

Leinster are now going to take on Leicester at home which is going to be an ultra tough match, Tigers progressing after dispatching Treviso with ease. Jordan Crane scored three, and Leicester are going to be a tough nut to crack in Dublin. But Leinster can play the Nutcracker if they need to… Whoever wins here gets a home semi.

Aironi Rugby 6 - 43 Ulster

Pedrie Wannenburg was man of the match with his two tries as Ulster qualified for the quarters of the Heineken Cup for the first time since 1999. It was a fantastic result for Ulster, a big team effort, Ian Humphries was on song with the boot and they were full value for their 5 trys. Ulster investment in players has paid off handsomely, and it’s a brilliant boost for rugby in the province. Last time they got to a quarter final they won it…

They get to take on Northampton, who got six out of six in the pool stages. Saints increasingly look like they should be the backbone of the England team, and to me they are Leinster’s main threat. Winner here also get a home semi. Stand up Ulster, stand up!

Munster 28 - 14 London Irish

There was no score at half time here, although it was pretty miraculous that Munster hadn’t got at least one try as the TV ref had a busy afternoon. Munster got into the lead, then basically handed London Irish two tries on a plate. Their pack, the formerly fearsome engine room of the team, has lately resembled more of a day center for OAP’s. The second Exiles try stung them into action and once more the capacity crowd cheered on the marauding Munster forwards, sweeping forward in wave after irrisistable wave, scoring three tries, nabbing the bonus point and making clear who was boss. Munster now face Brive away, and if they win that (which they will if they play like they did in the last 10 minutes) then they get a home semi too.

Connacht rounded off a fantastic weekend for Irish rugby with a 12 try romp over hapless Cavalieri Prato, with Brian Touhy scoring a hat trick of trys.

The Ospreys at least finished with a flourish taking out one of the French guns Toulon at home, Perpignan made it look easy against the Scarlets, and Wasps pooped Toulouse’s party with a last minute try to snatch a win and take away Toulouse’s home draw.

This is Florian Fitz's red card and aftermath - I just got the one red card I think hes' trying to say!

Heineken Cup

Friday , January 21

Racing Metro 92 11 - 36 Leinster

Saracens 14 - 24 Clermont Auvergne

Saturday , January 22

Aironi Rugby 6 - 43 Ulster

Biarritz 26 - 19 Bath

Ospreys 29 - 17 Toulon

Castres 12 - 23 Northampton

Edinburgh 14 - 21 Cardiff Blues

Munster 28 - 14 London Irish

Sunday , January 23

Leicester 62 - 15 Benetton Treviso

Perpignan 37 - 5 Scarlets

Newport-Gwent D'gons 16 - 23 Glasgow

Wasps 21 - 16 Toulouse

Amlin Challenge Cup

Thursday , January 20

Gloucester 60 - 7 Agen

La Rochelle 71 - 17 Rovigo

Petrarca 20 - 24 Brive

Cetransa El Salvador 5 - 50 Sale

Montpellier 32 - 30 Exeter

Connacht 83 - 7 Cavalieri Prato

Harlequins 39 - 17 Bayonne

Rugby Parma 17 - 34 Stade Francais

Leeds Carnegie 26 - 6 Bucuresti