Referees for Europe, Rounds 5 & 6
European Professional Club Rugby has announced the referees for Rounds 5 and 6 of the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup.
Round 5 starts on the third week of January, Round 6 the week after that.
These are two crucial rounds as they will determine the eight quarterfinalists - the five pool winners and the best three runners-up. Friday, 23 January, with Matthew Carley of England in the middle for the meeting of the Newport Gwent Dragons and Stade Français Paris a day later.
There are some great match-ups - Bath vs Toulouse, Harlequins vs Wasps, Saints vs Racing-Métro, Clermont vs Saracens and others.
The referees appointed are:
England: Wayne Barnes, JP Doyle, Greg Garner, Luke Pearce, Ian Tempest
France: Pascal Gauzère, Romain Poite. Jérôme Graces, Mathieu Raynal, Alexandre Ruiz
Ireland: Gary Conway, John Lacey. George Clancy, David Wilkinson, Dudley Phillips
Italy: Marius Mitrea, Giuseppe Vivarini
Romania: Vlad Iordachescu
Scotland: Lloyd Lynton, Neil Paterson, Andrew McMenemy
Wales: Leighton Hodges, Ian Davies, Nigel Owens, Neil Hennessy
Round 5
Championship Cup
Leicester Tigers vs Scarlets
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
Saracens vs Munster
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Toulon vs Ulster
Referee: Leighton Hodges (Wales)
Sale Sharks vs Clermont Auvergne
Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Leinster vs Castres
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Harlequins vs London Wasps
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Glasgow Warriors vs Montpellier
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Toulouse vs Bath
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Ospreys vs Northampton Saints
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Racing-Métro vs Benetton Treviso
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Challenge Cup
Cardiff Blues vs Femi-CZ Rovigo
Referee: Ian Tempest (England)
Bordeaux-Bègles vs London Welsh
Referee: Gary Conway (Ireland)
London Irish vs Grenoble
Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Stade Français vs Bucharest Wolves
Referee: Lloyd Lynton (Scotland)
Gloucester vs Oyonnax
Referee: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
Newcastle Falcons vs Newport Gwent Dragons
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Zebre vs Brive
Referee: David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Bayonne vs La Rochelle
Referee: Giuseppe Vivarini (Italy)
Lyon vs Edinburgh
Referee: Neil Hennessy (Wales)
Connacht vs Exeter Chiefs
Referee: Alexandre Ruiz (France)
Round 6
Championship Cup
London Wasps vs Leinster
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Castres vs Harlequins
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Northampton Saints vs Racing-Métro
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Benetton Treviso vs Ospreys
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Scarlets vs Toulon
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Ulster vs Leicester Tigers
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Bath vs Glasgow Warriors
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Montpellier vs Toulouse
Referee: Greg Garner (England)
Munster vs Sale Sharks
Referee: Pascal Gauzère (France)
Clermont Auvergne vs Saracens
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Challenge Cup
Brive vs Gloucester
Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Oyonnax vs Zebre
Referee: Lloyd Lynton (Scotland)
Edinburgh vs Bordeaux-Bègles
Referee: Ian Davies (Wales)
Femi-CZ Rovigo vs London Irish
Referee: Gary Conway (Ireland)
Grenoble vs Cardiff Blues
Referee: David Wilkinson (Ireland)
Newport Gwent Dragons vs Stade Français
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Bucharest Wolves vs Newcastle Falcons
Referee: Neil Hennessy (Wales)
Exeter Chiefs vs Bayonne
Referee: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)
La Rochelle vs Connacht
Referee: Neil Paterson (Scotland)
London Welsh vs Lyon
Referee: Vlad Iordachescu (Romania)