Heineken Cup

All three of the Irish provinces in action today have qualified for the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup, but there's still a lot to play for. Here’s how the experts think they’ll fare out.

A who’s who of Irish rugby gathered in Kilkenny for the Guinness Area 22 event on Thursday night and with three of the Irish provinces in rude health, the Left Bank was buzzing ahead of a huge Heineken Cup weekend.

Thanks to Connacht’s heroics last night, Ulster have joined Munster and Leinster in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals, but with that all-important home draw at stake for all three provinces, there’s still plenty to play for later this afternoon.

Munster go up against a Northampton side shorn of prima donna supreme Chris Ashton and even though the Saints have little to play for, Alan Quinlan knows them too well to predict an easy ride for his former side.

Neil Francis, meanwhile, thinks that they’re going to lose. Franno being negative, who’d have thunk it?

Ulster have an even more arduous task away to Clermont in the Massif Central, taking on a side that scored an unanswered 82 points away to Aironi last week. Yikes.

Former Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan has been very impressed with what Brian McLaughlin’s side have brought to the table and reckons they have it in them to come away with at least a losing bonus point, even without the injured Darren Cave.

Leinster, meanwhile have the easiest task of the three sides in action, if having to beat a French side can ever be described as easy, and former Leinster and Ireland hooker Shane Byrne believes that his old mates are playing the type of rugby that justifies their position as one of the favourites to retain their title.

Check out the video above to listen to what the lads had to say about this weekend and also the fairly placid reactions of all the experts to the Ireland Six Nations squad announced during the week.

Placid except for Neil Francis, of course.