Heineken Cup home comforts just so vital
The inaugural season of the tournament went straight to the semi-finals stage but since then, the 64 Heineken Cup quarter-finals have ended with the home team winning 48 times and the away team going through to the semi-finals on 16 occasions. It means 75% of the quarter-finals have gone with home advantage with four-time champions Toulouse accounting for seven of those home wins, Munster six and Leicester Tigers five.
Munster are the only team to have won three away quarter-finals, at Stade Jean-Bouin against Stade Francais (2002), at Welford Road against Leicester (2003) and at Gloucester in 2008.
Toulouse have triumphed twice on the road, at Dax in 1997 and in Spain at Estadio Anoeta against Biarritz in 2011, and defending champions Leinster at Toulouse in 2006 and Harlequins in 2009.
Nine other clubs have managed it once each, with Ulster at Thomond Park against Munster and Clermont Auvergne at Vicarage Road against Saracens joining that list last year.
Meanwhile ERC chiefs admit there is a possibility that adverse weather may disrupt fixtures this weekend. Heavy snow in England and Wales has caused travel chaos and may impact on games.
Should matches be postponed, ERC say they will work with clubs and match officials to ensure fixtures are completed at the earliest possible time.
HEINEKEN CUP QUARTER-FINAL RECORDS: HOME WINS: 7: Toulouse; 6: Munster; 5: Leicester Tigers; 4: Leinster; 3: Stade Francais, Biarritz; 2: Scarlets, London Wasps, Cardiff Blues, Perpignan, Northampton Saints; 1: Brive, Bath, Pau, Ulster, Colomiers, Gloucester, Castres, London Irish, Saracens, Edinburgh .
AWAY WINS: 3: Munster; 2: Toulouse, Leinster; 1: Brive, Scarlets, Perpignan, Biarritz, Leicester Tigers, Bath, Northampton Saints, Ulster, ASM Clermont Auvergne.
