Heineken Cup treble: Wins for Edinburgh, Leicester and Connacht
Published:The final round of Heineken Cup group fixtures is upon us and with plenty still to play for ahead of the quarter-final draw, we’ve brought you a tasty treble – that pays a shade under 15/2 – to aid your viewing pleasure.
Both of these European giants are already through to the last eight, but the winners at Welford Road would secure the luxury of a home tie next time out.
Ulster currently top Pool 5, having triumphed in all of their Heineken Cup games so far this season, but recent history states that home advantage is crucial when these two sides line up against each other.
The last five meetings in European competition between Leicester and Ulster have been won by whoever was hosting and as only six points separated the two at Ravenhill, the Tigers are taken to edge a thrilling encounter.
Alan Solomons men face the daunting task of having to win at Thomond Park to stay in the competition and are far from guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals if they manage an unlikely victory.
However, Munster are already through and only need a bare win to qualify as the top team from Pool 6, which would ensure a home draw in the next round.
Edinburgh edged past the two-time champions by six points at Murrayfield back in October and Munster’s 20-7 thumping of Gloucester at Kingsholm last time out must have taken its physical toll, so don’t expect them to have things all their own way here.
The Aviva Premiership leaders look far too short at 1/66 to beat the west of Ireland side, who only went down by six points at home to Saracens in gameweek one.
Considering Connacht edged past likely Pool 3 winners Toulouse in France, such confidence in Sarries – who lost by ten points last time out against Guy Noves’ men at the Stade Ernest-Wallon – seems misplaced.
Mark McCall’s Barnet-based boys ought to win and book their place in the quarters, but Connacht are still in this competition and are taken to give another good account of themselves at the Allianz Arena.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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