The Heineken and Amlin Cups kick off over the weekend of 10th to 13th October. The Amlin starting first on Thursday night and the Heineken following on Friday. The Amlin games complete on Saturday whilst the Heineken on Sunday.
We will start with our preview of the Heineken with twelve games over the weekend. Things kick-off at Connacht’s ground the Sportsground on Friday night where we expect the visitors Saracens to have an easy victory. next to Ulster and Ravenhill, we would usually tip them to win, but with the form of Leicester Tigers at the moment will will go with an away win. The last Friday game is at Toulouse in the Stade Ernest Wallon and this will be comfortable for Toulouse as the visitors are Zebre.
Saturday and six games on show. First up Edinburgh Munster and we think Edinburgh will bring the Cup game and just hold out against Munster. So to Benetton Treviso with Montpellier visiting. Montpellier are another outfit who are on form so we will go with the away victory. Harlequins Scarlets should be interesting as Quins are out of form at the moment. We will tip them to get their season on track with a win. Castres Olympique host Northampton Saints and given Castres are not doing so well this season whilst Saints have been on fire we will go with a Saints win. Ospreys Leinster will be a tight affair but we think the Leinster European Cup history will bring them the victory. Last for Saturday and another team struggling to find their form is Gloucester hosting Perpignan could this be the chance for Gloucester to show what they have in the cupboard? It will be tight but we will go with Gloucester.
Three games on Sunday, starting with Exeter Chiefs versus Cardiff Blues. We go with the Chiefs to take their good form into Europe and take the win. Toulon at home to Glasgow Warriors will be a home win. Last but by no means least a massive clash ends the weekend as Racing Métro 92 host ASM Clermont Auvergne. This is a tough call but given Clermont’s away form we are going with Racing to win.
Here are all the Heineken Games and our picks in BOLD.
Heineken Fixtures
All Times Local
Fri 11 Oct 20:00 P3 Connacht Rugby v Saracens The Sportsground Sky Sports
Fri 11 Oct 20:00 P5 Ulster Rugby v Leicester Tigers Ravenhill Sky Sports
Fri 11 Oct 21:00 P3 Toulouse v Zebre Stade Ernest Wallon Canal+
Sat 12 Oct 13:35 P6 Edinburgh Rugby v Munster Rugby Murrayfield Sky Sports
Sat 12 Oct 14:35 P5 Benetton Treviso v Montpellier Stadio Comunale di Monigo Sky Italia
Sat 12 Oct 15:40 P4 Harlequins v Scarlets The Twickenham Stoop Sky Sports
Sat 12 Oct 16:40 P1 Castres Olympique v Northampton Saints Stade Pierre Antoine France 2
Sat 12 Oct 18:00 P1 Ospreys v Leinster Rugby Liberty Stadium Sky Sports
Sat 12 Oct 18:00 P6 Gloucester Rugby v Perpignan Kingsholm Sky Sports
Sun 13 Oct 12:45 P2 Exeter Chiefs v Cardiff Blues Sandy Park Stadium Sky Sports
Sun 13 Oct 16:00 P2 Toulon v Glasgow Warriors Stade Félix Mayol France 2
Sun 13 Oct 21:00 P4 Racing Métro 92 v ASM Clermont Auvergne Stade Yves-du-Manoir (Colombes) Canal +
Amlin Cup as mentioned kicks-off on Thursday night with three games. These start with Sale Sharks hosting the out of form Biarritz Olympique. This has got to be a home win. next and an all French affair as Bayonne take on Grenoble who we are tipping to take the spoils. Last up on Thursday night and Stade welcome Lusitanos a Portuguese team we know little about but we expect Stade will be to strong and win this one.
Friday night and two games, first up Newport Gwent Dragons to win easily against the Italians Mogliano. Whilst London Irish will put paid to I Cavalieri Prato.
The last five games are all on Saturday, starting with Bucharest Wolves who will go down to Newcastle Falcons. Then Viadana will be turned over by London Wasps. So to France and new boys Oyonnax who have been going well in the Top 14 and we feel will have to much for out of sorts Worcester Warriors. Cammi Rugby Calvisano will fall at home to Brive and last but by no means least Bordeaux Begles will be unable to contain Bath.
So follows the Amlin fixtures and our picks, again in BOLD:
Fixtures Amlin
All Times Local
Thu 10 Oct 19:45 P1 Sale Sharks v Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque AJ Bell Stadium Sky Sports
Thu 10 Oct 20:45 P4 Bayonne v Grenoble Stade Jean-Dauger Eurosport
Thu 10 Oct 20:45 P5 Stade Francais Paris v Lusitanos XV Stade Jean Bouin
Fri 11 Oct 19:15 P2 Newport Gwent Dragons v Rugby Mogliano Rodney Parade
Fri 11 Oct 20:00 P5 London Irish v I Cavalieri Prato Madejski Stadium
Sat 12 Oct 15:00 P3 Bucharest Wolves v Newcastle Falcons Stadium Arcul de Triumf
Sat 12 Oct 15:00 P4 Viadana v London Wasps Stadio Comuncale Pierluigi Zaffanella
Sat 12 Oct 18:30 P1 Oyonnax v Worcester Warriors Stade Charles Mathon
Sat 12 Oct 19:30 P3 Cammi Rugby Calvisano v Brive Peroni Stadium
Sat 12 Oct 21:00 P2 Bordeaux-Begles v Bath Rugby Stade Chaban-Delmas France 4