As the tension-packed climax of the Heineken Cup pool stage comes into full view with prized quarter-final places on the line, 11 of the 24 clubs in this season’s tournament will still be in elite European club rugby action next April.
While the six pool winners and the two best pool runners-up will book their spots in the Heineken Cup knockout stage, the three next best pool runners-up will extend their European season by qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup along with that tournament’s five pool winners.
In 2010, the record-breaking Amlin Challenge Cup final in Marseille was won by a Heineken Cup qualifier, Cardiff Blues, while last season another Heineken Cup qualifier, Biarritz Olympique, triumphed in the Amlin Challenge Cup decider.
With the incentive of a prolonged run in European competition, and the possibility of winning a coveted title, there is certain to be the traditional drama surrounding the Heineken Cup Round 5 and 6 fixtures.
Of the three unbeaten Heineken Cup clubs to date – Harlequins, ASM Clermont Auvergne and Toulon – Harlequins will be looking to maintain their impressive run in Pool 3 when they host Connacht Rugby at the Twickenham Stoop in Round 5 while both Clermont and Toulon are also at home in the penultimate pool stage round against Exeter Chiefs and Cardiff Blues respectively.
With qualification numbers already being crunched across the six pools, Pool 1 in particular looks set for a fascinating conclusion as a mere three points separate leaders Saracens, Racing Metro 92 and Munster Rugby. The clash of Racing and Saracens at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes (the 102nd venue to stage a Heineken Cup game) could go a long way to deciding who eventually tops the pool.
Vital ERC European ranking points are also at stake throughout the pool and knockout stages of the Heineken Cup. A pool winner is guaranteed four ranking points, and a runner-up three points. Two points are awarded to a club which finishes third, and one point to a club finishing fourth.
The ERC European ranking points system rewards and incentivises clubs which consistently perform at the highest level in European competitions. Tier positions in the 2013/14 Heineken Cup Pool Draw for qualified clubs will be determined by the ranking points system.
Round 5 Notes
– David Skrela of ASM Clermont Auvergne needs just 13 points to become only the seventh player to earn an ERC Elite Award for scoring 500 Heineken Cup points. Skrela’s 487 points to date have been scored for Colomiers (63), Stade Francais Paris (219), Toulouse (192) and Clermont (13).
– Scrum half, Dwayne Peel (Sale Sharks), and back row, Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), could earn ERC Elite Awards for 50 Heineken Cup appearances by the end of the pool stage. Peel is currently on 49 appearances (40 for Scarlets and nine for Sale) while Nyanga is on 48 (46 for Toulouse and two for Beziers).
– The 38,285-capacity Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes will become the 102nd venue to stage a Heineken Cup match when Racing Metro 92 meet Saracens in Pool 1 on Saturday.
– Round 5 could see the 6,000th tournament try scored. To date, 5,971 tries have been scored in the Heineken Cup with Vincent Clerc leading the individual charts on 34. A total of 41 tries were scored in Round 4.