Pool draw throws Leinster into uncharted waters

LEINSTER will be treading unfamiliar paths in their attempt to reclaim the Heineken Cup title next season but Shane Horgan is looking forward to reacquainting himself with some familiar faces.

The champions will play in Pool Six alongside Premiership finalists London Irish and Top 14 outfit Brive – neither of whom they have met in Europe before – as well as the Scarlets who they last faced in this competition a decade ago.

Horgan has no doubts about the glamour clash. “There’s going to be a huge crowd for that – an Irish province against London Irish. There’s always something special there. We’re playing them in pre-season as well so we’ll get a bit familiar with them. We’ll be playing against Bob Casey also, a guy who played for Leinster and who is still loved back here. He’s still very highly regarded and would be a good friend to a lot of the guys. It’ll be great to play against Bob. Both games will be an occasion.”

Brive, who won the Heineken Cup back in 1997, secured a seventh-place finish in their domestic league and Munster hooker Frankie Sheahan may yet be joining the likes of Rikki Flutey and Andy Goode at the French club this summer.

“If nothing else we’ll have a good time down there with Frankie,” Horgan chuckled. “That will be great. He’ll show us around Brive but he’ll bring something down there. I can see Frankie working in Brive like Trevor (Brennan) worked in Toulouse.

“They’re huge personalities. Frankie is a great guy, a great sense of humour and really smart. I’m sure he’ll embrace the culture and the language in the same way as Trevor did but he’ll bring a physicality to them that they’ll certainly welcome.”

It could have been better for Leinster had an Italian side been pulled from the hat in the last round rather than Brive, but it could have been worse too and reaching the last eight is Horgan’s only target for now.

“It’s very difficult getting out of the group. We had a bit of trouble this year, getting out of it, but that’s the real key. You’ve got to roll with the punches and you try and get out and see where you are then. It’s certainly going to be difficult then. There’s a couple of very difficult away days there.”

The ultimate target is Paris in late May and retaining the trophy but Michael Cheika is aware that Leinster’s new status as champions will only make their task all the harder next season.

“As champions you are always more of a target. You are there to be shot at and history has proven that defending the Heineken Cup is a massive task. Leicester managed it once but history is certainly against you and so far it has proved too much for all the other Heineken Cup winners.

“Every pool in next season’s tournament is a tough one and we know that going to Brive will be extremely challenging. London Irish did exceptionally well in the Premiership last season and we know the Scarlets well, week in week out they are capable of getting the right results.”

In Pool One, Munster will face Perpignan (France), Northampton (England) and Treviso (Italy).

Munster met Northampton in the 1999/2000 season decider which the Irish side lost 9-8. They have played newly-crowned Top 14 champions Perpignan five times in tournament history, winning three. Their must recent clash was the 2005/2006 quarter-final meeting which resulted in a 19-10 win for the Irish province at Lansdowne Road.

Munster have yet to face Treviso in the competition.

“It’s a very exciting and challenging draw for us,” Northampton Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder said. “The Heineken Cup is the best club competition in the world and it has lived up to its billing with the draw we have received. We are an ambitious club and if we want to improve we have to test ourselves against the best sides in Europe. We will certainly have the opportunity to do that next season against Munster, Perpignan and Treviso. It is also a great draw for the fans. One of the highlights of the season just gone was seeing the number of supporters who made the trips to places like Montpellier and Toulon and next season they will have the opportunity to visit three countries and experience rugby culture in the heartlands of the game.”

Ulster have once again been drawn in a high-class pool for next season’s campaign. The Ravenhill team will meet French outfit Stade Francais for the second straight year; top English Premiership club Bath are also in Pool Four and Magners League side Edinburgh complete the quartet.