Gloucester a tough opener for Munster

MUNSTER will face two crucial Heineken Cup games within a week in the opening phase of the competition when they play Gloucester home and away next January. They open their campaign on the weekend of December 5/7 with an away tie to Bourgoin and they follow with a home game to Treviso the following weekend, January 12/14.

However, it is on the weekends of January 9/11 and 16/18 that they face their biggest challenge, playing Gloucester away and then, on the following weekend at Thomond Park. They then travel to Treviso on the weekend of January 23/25 and close out their Pool 5 campaign with a home game against Bourgoin on the weekend of January 30/February 1.

Cup holders Toulouse, who beat Munster at the semi-final stage last season, will open their defence with an away trip to Scottish No 1 seeds Edinburgh Rugby on the first weekend of December.

The fixtures also see the Leicester Tigers and reigning French champions Stade Francais who fought an epic Heineken Cup final at Parc des Princes in 2001 clashing again in Paris in a group that includes 1999 champions Ulster and Gwent Dragons and has all the hallmarks of developing into 'The Pool of Death'.

Dean Richards, the Tigers' Director of Rugby, said: "They don't get much harder than taking on Stade Francais on their own patch. There is a bit of déjà vu because of the 2001 final in Paris. We know Stade have so much to offer and just how difficult they are to beat. We will have to be at our very best to get the right result."

Leinster Lions and Biarritz Olympique, who met in last season's quarter-finals, have a quick-fire Dublin return; last season's beaten finalists Perpignan travel to meet London Wasps the 2003 Parker Pen Challenge Cup winners and Zurich Champions and Welsh top seeds Llanelli Scarlets take on Heineken Cup 2000 winners Northampton Saints at Stradey Park.

The demands of Rugby World Cup could affect some teams more than others Toulouse head coach Guy Noves is concerned his Heineken Cup champions may have a huge hurdle to clear in that regard.

"Going to Edinburgh in Round 1 will be difficult so much will depend on the physical and mental state of our World Cup players. As champions everyone will want to beat us."

Northampton Saints travel to Stradey Park in Round 1 with Gareth Jenkins, the Llanelli Scarlets' Director of Rugby, declaring: "Northampton are a huge threat in our group and we are going to have to make home advantage count. They are a quality side but an Anglo-Welsh game for our starter will spice things up nicely."

Leinster Lions Team Manager Ken Ging said: "We are delighted to kick-off the tournament at home, to start in front of our supporters. We have the utmost respect for Biarritz we only just squeezed past them in the quarter-finals last season and we appreciate they are one of they very best sides in Europe."

SU Agen and The Borders are the only teams new to the tournament and they go head-to-head at Stade Armandie in Round 1 while Italian champions Benetton Treviso have the tough home opener of entertaining Gloucester.

Jean-Pierre Lux, ERC Chairman, said: "The Heineken Cup is now gathering fascinating 'history' with each season this is evident in so many absorbing matches that promise to give us a flying start to the 2003/ 2004 competition. The early release of these group fixtures almost five months before the kick-off to the tournament will give the teams and their supporters ample time to make arrangements for what has all the makings of a classic competition."

The re-structuring of the professional club game in Wales means the five new regional teams will take part in the Heineken Cup 2003/2004 tournament. Llanelli and Cardiff now Llanelli Scarlets and Cardiff Blues were not involved in any mergers. The other three new regions involved amalgamations of clubs, with the Neath and Swansea region to be named on 24 July. The new names for the remaining mergers (with the former clubs in brackets) are Celtic Warriors (Bridgend and Pontypridd) and Gwent Dragons (Newport and Ebbw Vale).