Heineken Cup / Cormac O'Keefe / 04 December 2008 / Leave a comment

After a break, the Heineken Cup returns to our screens this weekend and all three Irish provinces will be hoping for record wins. Cormac O'Keeffe shares his thoughts...

Clermont Auvergne v Munster

Munster put their 100 per cent record on the line with a tough trip to face Clermont Auvergne. The French side were the last team to beat Munster in the Heineken Cup. In that match last season, a spirited second-half comeback by Munster to earn a bonus point was one of the crucial moments in their march to glory in this competition last year and they will need all their famous spirit and resolve to come away with a positive result on Sunday. Clermont have struggled somewhat this year having only marginally beaten Montauban and suffered a heavy home defeat to Sale. Munster's battling win at Sale showed why they are one of the favourites for this competition again and I think they will edge this game. It won't be easy but Munster are the best equipped team in Europe to win a tight game.

Leinster v Castres

Leinster should continue their dominance of Pool Two with an easy win over Castres who have really struggled this year. They should have enough firepower to record their third bonus point victory in a row and almost insure qualification, even at this early stage. If Leinster hit the form that saw them annihilate Wasps then they should win this game by at least 20 points. The backline has really clicked into top gear in this competition and as well as great performances from the rising stars Fitzgerald and Kearney, stalwarts like O'Driscoll and Horgan have also rediscovered top form. The Leinster pack is one of the strongest in the competition and should ensure enough ball for the backline to score at least four tries.

Ulster v Llanelli Scarlets

Ulster have shown some good form in recent weeks with three consecutive wins in the Magner's League. This included joining New Zealand as the only team to beat Munster this season as well as an impressive thrashing of a spirited Connacht team last week. On Friday night they host fellow Pool Four strugglers Llanelli Scarlets. Their chances of qualifying are all but gone but they should record a confidence boosting win here to lift them off the foot of the table.

Other Matches
Elsewhere there should be comfortable wins for Leicester, Ospreys, Sale, Cardiff, Stade Francais, Toulouse, Gloucester and Bath, while Wasps should win in Edinburgh. I would suggest doing a multiple and sevenfolds on the first eight of these selections as well as a single on Wasps.

Wasps have had a poor start to the season and were thrashed by Leinster 41-11 in their first match. However, they competed with the Irish province for the first 40 minutes and a couple of late tries meant that the result slightly flattered Leinster. In their other pool match they beat Castres 25-11 and they are showing signs of improvement in the Premiership in recent weeks. They also have Danny Cipriani back from injury and he will make a huge difference.

Suggested Bets:

Ulster @ [1.45]
Leinster -15 points
Munster @ [1.86]
Treble: Ulster, Leinster, Munster
Multiple: Leicester, Ospreys, Sale, Cardiff, Stade Francais , Toulouse, Gloucester, Bath,
Wasps @ 1.8