In a weekend of high tension in the Heineken Cup, the line ups for the quarter-finals have been decided after some stunning performances same some intruiging matches being drawn.
Edinburgh become the first Scottish side ever to make the quarter-finals, and did so in style, topping their pool after securing a four try bonus point victory against London Irish. That result, coupled with the Cardiff Blues beating Racing Metro by only six points, put the Scottish side through as the 3rd seeds for a tie at home against Toulouse, while Cardiff were rewarded with an away tie at defending champions Leinster. Leinster go through top of their group after securing top spot last week, and will be glad to have secured a home tie which keeps them as favourites to retain their title. It has been a good year so far for the Irish sides, with three of their four regions qualfiying for the quarter finals. After a barnstorming performance against Northampton on Saturday, Munster topped their group, and are the top seeds. They have been drawn against Ulster, who after a brave performance away at Clermont Auvergne finish second in their group. That game guarantees an Irish side will be in the semi-finals. It should also not be forgotten that the fourth Irish side, Connaught, in their first Heineken Cup campaign, secured their first ever win in the competition on Friday night against Harlequins. That defeat for Harlequins meant that Sarencens become the only Aviva Premiership side to qualify for the quarter finals as they are drawn against Clermont Auvergne. In a disappointing campaign for the English sides, Sarecens will have a lot of pressure on them to win in a tough fixture to preserve a bit of pride for one of the traditionally dominant nations in the Cup. It has been a weekend of twists and turns in every game, with the final line ups only being known at the final minutes of the final game, as each group was so tightly contested. The undoubted winners at this stage though are Edinburgh, for their history making qualification, and the Irish regions for their domination of the quarter final draws. It seems hard to pick a winner from outside of either the Irish provinces or traditional European powerhouses Toulouse, though the Cardiff Blues will feel confident of being able to put themselves into the mix should they manage to topple Leinster. Confirmed Quarter Final line-ups: Munster v Ulster Leinster v Cardiff Blues Edinburgh v Toulouse Saracens v Clermont Auvergne
