THE 2011 Heineken Cup final may be fresh in the memory, but the 2011/12 tournament pools were drawn out this week.Once more Munster were part of the elite section. The advantage of which has yet to be proven. The two-time winners have been paired against old foes Northampton and Castres while Magners League friends the Scarlets make up Pool one.
Giving his reaction to the draw, Munster’s new forward’s coach, Anthony Foley said: “We’re up against sides we know well. Northampton Saints were in our group last season, and then again in the quarter final, the final scoreline that day that didn’t reflect the closeness of the game. We play the Scarlets twice a season in the League, never an easy touch. They’ve a good European pedigree and of course Castres have been around a long time, there’s plenty of history there for us, and they are one of the French sides that you know will put it up to you.”
The fixture format will be announced over the summer months as the World Cup takes precedent this season.
Foley believes the mix could be crucial.
“It’ll be interesting to see how the fixtures fall. We normally get the English side first and last. The competition kicks off two weeks after the World Cup final, so there’s loads of factors to be considered, not least that we’ve landed ourselves in a very interesting group that will likely only provide one qualifier.”
Indeed the pools once read make for envious reading. Munster will once more be in a group hindered by not having an Italian team to secure bonus points against. With the World Cup in the mix, Northampton and Scarlets might just be struggling to field good side when Munster eventually face them.
2011/12 Heineken Cup Pool Draw:
Pool 1: Munster, Northampton Saints, Scarlets, Castres
Pool 2: Cardiff Blues, London Irish, Edinburgh, Racing Metro
Pool 3: Leinster, Bath Rugby, Glasgow Warriors, Montpellier
Pool 4: Leicester Tigers, Clermont Auvergne, Ulster, Aironi
Pool 5: Biarritz Olympic, Ospreys, Saracens, Benetton Treviso
Pool 6: Toulouse, Harlequins, Gloucester, Connacht
