The Blues have never met the Tigers in Europe and last met Munster in the Heineken Cup back in the 1997-1998 season, when they were the first team to beat the Irish side in Ireland – 37-32 at Cork’s Musgrave Park. In fact, that is the only reverse Munster have suffered in 34 Heineken Cup home games in Cork and Limerick.
Blues coaches Dai Young and Rob Howley both played in that game and their side can claim a 100% record of three wins out of three outings against Munster in Europe. Young and Howley also teamed up in the Blues side that beat Bourgoin when they last met in the Heineken Cup. That was a 26-6 triumph at the Arms Park in the same 1997-1998 campaign in which they met Munster.
“When we lost at Thomond Park in the last game of the Celtic League season the week after they had won the Heineken Cup I said the one team I feared getting in Europe next season was Munster,” admitted Howley. “They have got that physical edge that makes them so hard to play against and so tough to beat. They really are a hell of a side.
“Having them and Leicester Tigers in our Pool next season is a huge opportunity for the Blues players to find out how good they are. Tigers and Munster are two of the giants of Heineken Cup and getting the chance to play them is fantastic.
“With the new signings we’ve made, and the improvement we showed last season, these are the kind of matches I know the players, as well as the coaches, will relish. We have to be optimistic and we mustn’t fear any of the teams in our Pool.
“The Ospreys showed how to play against Leicester last season when they posed them all sorts of problems at Welford Road and then came within a few seconds of winning at the Liberty Stadium.”
The Scarlets will face three times winners Toulouse for the third season in a row having been drawn in Pool 5 with Celtic League Champions Ulster and London Irish. The recent history between the Scarlets and Toulouse suggests a further avalanche of tries when the two teams meet. In their four Pool matches over the past two seasons the two sides have conjured up 34 tries – and the first match was a 9-6 victory to the French club without any touchdowns at Stradey Park.
“In the past we may have been guilty of going in under-confident against Toulouse, but Leinster showed they are beatable if you take the challenge to them when they beat them in France in the quarter-finals last season,” said Scarlets team manager Anthony Buchanan. “To be honest, we were hoping to avoid Toulouse this year, but we’re fine with the draw. We know all about Ulster, although London Irish will be a new challenge for us.”
The Ospreys will meet Stade Francais Paris for the second successive season and also find the English Champions, Sale Sharks alongside them in Pool 3. Italian Championship runners-up Ghial Rugby Calvisano are the fourth team in the Pool.
“We beat Stade Francais at home last year and then lost poorly to them in Paris,” said Ospreys Head Coach Lyn Jones. “They are a big, tough unit but, if you want to do well in this tournament, you have to go to France and win.
“Sale will also be a major challenge. They have one of the best back threes in British rugby, an outstanding outside half in Charlie Hodgson and big, bruising No.8 in Sebastian Chabal.
“If we want to get through to the knock-out stages then I think we will have to win our Pool. Last year we went into the Heineken Cup at the bottom of our game and with a lot of injuries. Hopefully, we will be in a better state this time round and we will relish the test.”
Heineken Cup Pools 2006-2007
Pool 1: Benetton Treviso, Perpignan, London Wasps, Castres Olympique
Pool 2: Edinburgh Gunners, Agen, Gloucester Rugby, Leinster
Pool 3: Sale Sharks, Stade Francais Paris, Rugby Calvisano, Ospreys
Pool 4: Cardiff Blues, Bourgoin, Leicester Tigers, Munster
Pool 5: Ulster Rugby, Toulouse, London Irish, Llanelli Scarlets
Pool 6: Biarritz Olympique, Northampton Saints, Overmach Rugby Parma, Border Reivers
ROUND 1: 20/21/22 October 2006
ROUND 2: 27/28/29 October 2006
ROUND 3: 8/9/10 December 2006
ROUND 4: 15/16/17 December 2006
ROUND 5: 12/13/14 January 2007
ROUND 6: 19/20/21 January 2007
Q/F: 30/31 March/1 April 2007
S/F: 20/21/22 April 2007
FINAL: 19/20 May 2007, Twickenham
