Cardiff clinch final Heineken place

The final two places in the Heineken Cup 2005-2006 tournament have been claimed by Clermont Auvergne and Cardiff Blues.

Clermont Auvergne clinched the seventh French place when they triumphed 31-8 with a try bonus in their head-to-head with Agen at Stade Marcel-Michelin in the Top 16 yesterday.

And the 24th and final place will be filled by Cardiff Blues after they won today’s play-off match in Brescia 38-9 between the highest finishing non-qualifying team from the Celtic League against the Italian No 3 club.

Rugby Calvisano will be the Italian No 1 seeds in European club rugby’s premier tournament next season after they beat Benetton Treviso 25-20 in yesterday’s Italian Championship final – winning the title for the first.

ENGLAND: 1 London Wasps, 2 Leicester Tigers, 3 Sale Sharks, 4 Bath Rugby, 5 Saracens, 6 Leeds Tykes.

FRANCE: (top 4 rankings to be decided following completion of French Championship semi-finals and final): Top 4 from: Biarritz Olympique, Bourgoin, Stade Francais Paris, Toulouse; 5 Perpignan, 6 Castres Olympique, 7 Clermont Auvergne.

IRELAND: 1 Munster, 2 Leinster, 3 Ulster.

ITALY: 1 Rugby Calvisano, 2 Benetton Treviso.

SCOTLAND: 1 Glasgow Rugby, 2 Edinburgh Rugby.

WALES: 1 Neath-Swansea Ospreys, 2 Newport Gwent Dragons, 3 Llanelli Scarlets, 4 Cardiff Blues.