Idiot's Heineken Cup Form Guide.

This is a guide written by an idiot not for idiots, so if you’re an idiot, probably not for the first time in your life you’re in the wrong place.


There is a mass of analysis of past performance, current form, player stats – none of which you’re going to encounter in this post. No, these are my off the cuff selections, based on whimsy and a vastly self inflated view of my rugby knowledge.

So in brief 6 pools, all winners qualify plus two best runners up.

Pool 1 Cardiff Blues, Northampton Saints, Edinburgh, Castres. Has to be the Saints from an easy pool. I was just joking Blues fans about the easy pool but the Saints it’s going to be.

Pool 2 Leinster, Clermont, Saracens, Racing Metro. Clermont for me out of the pool for the biggest, baddest, meanest teams in the tournament. And Saracens. A bit traitorous from a Leinster supporter but this is no place for sentiment.

Pool 3 Munster Ospreys London Irish Toulon. Munster in a crimescene CSI will be called in to investigate – don’t know how they’ll do it but they will. Ospreys to get last spot.

Pool 4 Biarritz Bath Ulster Aironi. Ulster – Controversial! but the Irish/South African mix is going to be a winner.

Pool 5 Leicester Tigers, Scarlets, Perpignan, Treviso. Tigers to stroll this one. Perpignan as the second qualifier

Pool 6 Toulouse Wasps Glasgow Dragons This one’s easy peasy Toulouse by a country mile.

So there you have it, rush down to the bookies and get ready to rake it in.

More info for info junkies is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%9311_Heineken_Cup and here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heineken_Cup
Irish games on the telly.

SAT OCT 9

LEINSTER v RACING MÉTRO, HC, SS1, 13:30

London Irish v Munster, HC, SS1, 17:45

Ulster get things going for the Irish provinces on Friday night and need to extract 5 points out of Aironi, anything less is a unacceptable especially if they are going to top their group as I’ve somewhat optimistically predicted.

Connacht are away to I Cavalieri – they look like they could get out of their group, and this could be the ideal start.

Leinster fans will be crossing their fingers and anything else they can think of that last weeks improvement in form continues as they take on Racing Metro at the RDS Saturday. It’s a typical French T14 side stuffed with stars but I still fancy Leinster as these French teams are notoriously bad tourists. Leinster by 5.

Saturday evening should be the match of the weekend as Munster come up against London Irish at the Madjeski Stadium. Last season the Exiles started the season by pooping Leinster’s party, and they going to do the same for Munster? I reckon! Exiles by 7 but I still think Munster are going to qualify.

Toulouse and Wasps on Sunday looks pretty tasty too, but could be painful for Wasps.

Shark Bite

Sharks and Western Province in Cape Town in the Currie Cup – bring it on! Sharks could struggle away from home – Province by 3.