With uncertainty over the future of the Heineken Cup, we are looking forward to this season’s competition more than ever with contrasting ambitions for the Irish teams involved. First up we look at Pools 1 and 2.
Pool One
Leinster will face French champions Castres, their 2011 final victims Northampton and the unpredictable Ospreys in Pool 1.
Top Dogs – Leinster
Tentatively we’re going with Leinster, but not with too much conviction it has to be said because of the strength of the other teams in the pool. While there has been a huge amount of change at Leinster this season, they still have a great deal of pedigree within their ranks. Matt O’Connor has had a solid if not spectacular start to the campaign with last weekend’s defeat at Thomond Park fresh in the mind. Still, they have been welcoming their internationals back and mounting injuries and a changing line-up have not helped O’Connor find his strongest XV.
Mike McCarthy has been a welcome addition, Brian O’Driscoll looked very impressive in his first outing before his injury and they will welcome Zane Kirchner after his Rugby Championship campaign.
Castres will probably offer the sternest test, especially away and while the reigning Top 14 champions may not have as many household names as other French sides, they have a powerful pack and a highly effective goal kicker in Rory Kockott. Northampton will look to avenge their Heineken Cup final collapse at Leinster’s hands and while the Ospreys have quite a good record in the Rabo against the boys in blue, their Heineken Cup form has been indifferent at best.
Whipping Boys – Ospreys
The term whipping boys may be a little harsh here, but the Ospreys are the most likely team to finish bottom of the group. Going well in the Rabo so far, they have won just two games in each of the past couple of seasons in the Heineken Cup, though last year they faced an equally tough group with Toulouse and Leicester for company. Hard to see this campaign being any better.
Schmidt hot
When it was announced that Jonny Sexton was leaving Leinster there were genuine fears for this outstanding squad without their general, but Ian Madigan proved last year he has the skill and temperament to fill his boots. Jimmy Gopperth will keep him on his toes and has got more game time at 10 than most expected, but that should bring out the best in the out-half.
He didn’t have his greatest outing in Thomond Park against Munster and spent 10 minutes in the bin, but he will play a huge role for Leinster this season. Schmidt knows all about his talents and could well accommodate him in the Irish midfield as he did for Leinster at times during the last campaign.
Most likely headline
O’Connor feeling the heat after poor Castres-rating
Possible rugby autobiography
In the Zane of the Father (Zane Kirchner)
Pool Two
The mega-rich Toulon will face the Exeter Chiefs, Cardiff Blues and the early PRO12 pace setters Glasgow Warriors.
Top Dogs – Toulon
There will be no prizes for bravery here, Toulon could coast to a home quarter-final in this company. The reigning champions are competing in just their third season in the competition and their record reads P16, W14, with their two losses coming away at the hands of Top 14 rivals Perpignan and Montpellier. And they are top of the Top 14 for good measure.
Their squad reads like a rugby version of Championship Manager with a cheat code to snap up the biggest names and Bernard Laporte has only two challenges, firstly, finding the best team from a big squad and whether or not to prioritise Europe along with the Top 14 like last season.
Whipping Boys – Cardiff Blues
Most likely a battle between Exeter and Cardiff, the English side are likely to put up a stronger test at home than the Blues. Cardiff also had Toulon in their group last year and while the performances were decent, they managed just one victory and are unlikely to get any better this time around.
After major upheaval in the squad last summer, they managed to hold onto Sam Warburton, Alex Cuthbert and Leigh Halfpenny, but it looks likely to be a season of toil for the Welsh side.
Schmidt hot
Not too many choices from Pool 2. Wexford flanker Robin Copeland will hope to get some game time for Cardiff over the course of the season, while 33 year-old Tom Hayes at Exeter may have seen his international chances pass by but will be a key figure at Sandy Park, home also to Gareth Steenson and Ian Whitten.
Most likely headline
Blues fall by Wilkinson’s sword
Possible rugby autobiography
The First Cuth is The Deepest (Alex Cuthbert)