We have a glut of top-level rugby being played in Europe’s flagship competition, the pinnacle of which is the Heineken Cup - effectively the European Rugby Cup.

The tournament features teams from the Six-Nations countries and is matched domestically in world rugby only by the Super 14 in the Southern Hemisphere.

The 24 sides involved this year - seven from France, six from England, four Welsh, three Irish, two from Scotland and two Italian - are split into six pools, who combat home and away over six rounds, spread between October and January. 

The quarter-finals are in April, semis in May, and this season’s final will be decided on May 23 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh. 

We are about to enter the fifth round, so let’s look at each pool and their games commencing on January 16:

Each team has its current Heineken Cup win/loss in brackets. (GP = Guinness Premiership, T14 = French Top 14, ML = Magners League, ST = Italian Super 10)

POOL 1 – (in order of pool position) Munster (3/1), Sale Sharks (2/2), Clermont Auvergne (2/2), Montauban (1/3)

16/1/09 – Munster v Sale (Thomond Park)

16/1/09 – Clermont Auverne v Montauban (Stade Marcel Michelin)

Munster showed vulnerability recently, losing to Ulster - the first time in over 13 years they had lost at Thomond – and the reigning champions have looked far from unbeatable but are still second in the ML.  Sale, and especially Clermont, are both in good form in the GP and T14 being in the top four of their respective leagues – with the latter already beating the Stags 25-19 this season. 

POOL 2 – Leinster (3/1), London Wasps (3/1), Castres Olympique (1/3), Edinburgh (1/3)

16/1/09 – Edinburgh v Castres (Murrayfield)

17/1/09 – London Wasps v Leinster (Twickenham)

Current GP champions Wasps and ML champions Leinster have struggled in their respective championships – but both have only lost once so far in the Heineken Cup. The upcoming game at Twickenham will decide the automatic qualifier. Wasps, with half the English national team and Danny Cipriani in the side, are favourites for the pool. But Leinster, loaded with Irish internationals and former Wallabies Rocky Elsom and Chris Whittaker, are challenging.

POOL 3 – Ospreys (3/1), Leicester Tigers (3/1), Perpignan (2/2), Benetton Treviso (0/4)

17/1/09 – Leicester Tigers v Benetton Treviso (Welford Road)

17/1/09 – Perpignan v Ospreys (Stade Aimé Giral)

Current ML leaders Ospreys – stacked with Welsh internationals along with former All Blacks Filo Tiatia and Marty Holah – are looking strong this year. Tigers coach Heyneke Meyer and his team are showing typical character; they have looked wobbly of late but are still in the top four of the GP. However, we cannot discount Perpignan, third in the T14 and looking portentous with star signing Dan Carter fitting in well.

POOL 4 – Harlequins (4/0), Stade Francais (2/2), Ulster (1/1/2), Scarlets (1/3)

17/1/09 – Ulster v Harlequins (Ravenhill)

18/1/09 – Scarlets v Stade Francais (Parc y Scarlets)

Quins, currently mid-table in the GP – are one of only three unbeaten teams in the Heineken Cup and are being led superbly by former All Black Nick Evans. Ewen McKenzie’s Stade are second in the T14 with a brilliant for and against record and are almost unbeatable in France, but in the HC have gone down twice to the mighty Quins. Ulster and Scarlets are bringing up the rear of the ML, and will not challenge for the pool or the championship.

POOL 5 – Toulouse (4/0), Bath Rugby (3/1), Newport Dragons (1/3), Glasgow Warriors (0/4)

17/1/09 – Toulouse v Glasgow (Stade Ernest Wallon)

18/1/09 – Newport v Bath (Rodney Parade)

French champions Toulouse are currently the best team in Europe; topping the T14, unbeaten in the Heineken Cup, and on the verge of setting a French record of most consecutive games won. They wield 10 frontline Les Bleus players and former All Black Byron Kelleher, who is in the form of his life. Bath are looking strong, third in the GP and with a brilliant attack marshalled by Springbok Butch James. Their hosting of Toulouse in the final round will decide the pool.

POOL 6 – Cardiff Blues (4/0), Gloucester Rugby (3/1), Biarritz (1/3), Calvisano (0/4)

17/1/09 – Calvisano v Biarritz (Centro Sportivo)

18/1/09 – Gloucester v Cardiff Blues (Kingsholm)

Cardiff are the enigma, unbeaten in the Heineken Cup yet second last in the ML – despite numerous Welsh internationals and Kiwi stalwarts Ben Blair and Paul Tito, who captains the side. They are the dark horses of the competition. Gloucester have scored more tries in the Heineken Cup than any other team, and being second in the GP will fancy their chances of a title shot. The Cherry and Whites have been table toppers in both the GP and Heineken Cup for years now, but consistently fall at the final hurdle.