Ulster & Tigers to kick-off Round Five
The battle for qualification for the knock-out stages of the 2011/12 Heineken Cup will resume at full tilt on Friday, January 13 (2012) when Round Five gets underway with the clash between former winners Ulster (Ireland) and Leicester Tigers (England).
This Pool Four meeting will guarantee a sell-out at Ravenhill, while on the same night the qualification picture in Pools Two and Five is also likely to become clearer when Racing Metro 92 take on log leaders, Edinburgh Rugby, at Stade Yves du Manoir in Paris, and when the Ospreys go up against Benetton Treviso at the Liberty Stadium.
Munster Rugby - the only club with four wins in the pool stage to date - will continue their push for a coveted place in the last eight when they host Castres Olympique at Thomond Park on Saturday, January 14 before rounding off their Pool One campaign a week later against Northampton Saints in Milton Keynes.
All these fixture dates - and kick-off times - were announced on Wednesday, December 21, as the 2011/12 tournament starts to near its business-end and knock-out qualification begins to loom after four exciting rounds thus far.
Meanwhile, reigning champions Leinster - who are unbeaten in Pool Three - will travel to Firhill on Sunday, January 15 where they meet a resurgent Glasgow Warriors, while in Round Six they will look to reach the knockout stages once again when they host Montpellier at the RDS on Saturday, January 21.
Following Harlequins' outstanding Round Four victory at Toulouse, the outcome of Pool Six remains on a knife-edge and the one definite place in the Last Eight will be determined on January 20 next when Quins take on Connacht in Galway and when four-time champions, Toulouse, travel to Kingsholm for a meeting with the Cherry & Whites of Gloucester.
FIXTURES:
(All kick-offs are local time)
ROUND FIVE:
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13:
Pool Two: Racing Metro 92 v Edinburgh Rugby - 21.00
Pool Four: Ulster Rugby v Leicester Tigers - 20.00
Pool Five: Ospreys v Benetton Treviso - 20.00
SATURDAY, JANUARY 14:
Pool One: Scarlets v Northampton Saints - 13.30
Pool Three:Montpellier v Bath Rugby - 14.00
Pool Four: Aironi Rugby v ASM Clermont Auvergne (Stadio Brianteo, Monza) - 14.30
Pool One: Munster Rugby v Castres Olympique - 15.40
Pool Two: London Irish v Cardiff Blues - 15.40
Pool Six: Toulouse v Connacht Rugby - 16.40
Pool Six: Harlequins v Gloucester Rugby - 18.00
SUNDAY, JANUARY 15:
Pool Three: Glasgow Warriors v Leinster Rugby - 12.45
Pool Five: Saracens v Biarritz Olympique - 15.00
ROUND SIX:
(Matches in the same pool will kick-off at the same time)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20:
Pool Six: Connacht Rugby v Harlequins - 20.00
Pool Six: Gloucester Rugby v Toulouse - 20.00
SATURDAY, JANUARY 21:
Pool Three: Bath Rugby v Glasgow Warriors - 13.30
Pool Three: Leinster Rugby v Montpellier - 13.30
Pool Four: Leicester Tigers v Aironi Rugby - 15.40
Pool Four: ASM Clermont Auvergne v Ulster Rugby - 16.40
Pool One: Northampton Saints v Munster Rugby (stadium:mk) - 18.00
Pool One: Castres Olympique v Scarlets - 19.00
SUNDAY, JANUARY 22:
Pool Five: Benetton Treviso v Saracens - 14.00
Pool Five: Biarritz Olympique v Ospreys - 14.00
Pool Two: Cardiff Blues v Racing Metro 92 - 15.15
Pool Two: Edinburgh Rugby v London Irish - 15.15