Bath landed with Leinster

Defending champions Leinster have been drawn against Bath, Glasgow and Montpellier in Pool Three of next season's Heineken Cup.

English side to meet defending champions in Heineken Cup

Defending champions Leinster have been drawn against Bath, Glasgow and Montpellier in Pool Three of next season's Heineken Cup. The Irish outfit have avoided an overly tough draw, with Top 14 runners-up Montpellier arguably the stiffest opposition they will face in the pool stages. But Bath, winners of the competition in 1998, will be keen to test themselves against the European elite after failing to qualify for the knockout stages last year. Beaten finalists Northampton have been given a challenging start as they will meet former champions Munster, as well as the Scarlets and Castres in Pool One. Aviva Premiership winners Saracens have been drawn in what is another strong pool alongside Biarritz, Ospreys and Benetton Treviso. Leicester have been matched against Clermont Auvergne and Ulster in Pool Four, with Italian minnows Aironi completing the group.

English clash

English sides Harlequins and Gloucester will face-off in a tough pool that also contains French champions Toulouse and Magners League side Connacht. London Irish have arguably been given easier opposition in the form of Cardiff Blues, Edinburgh and Racing Metro. "We're in the group of entertainment because there's a lot of positivity there in the way the game is played," Exiles director of rugby Toby Booth said. "Edinburgh play expansively, Racing Metro have a Harlem Globetrotters all-star line-up and Cardiff Blues only know one way to play as well. "From that point of view it should bode for some entertaining rugby if nothing else." Pool 1: Munster, Northampton, Scarlets, Castres
Pool 2: Cardiff Blues, London Irish, Edinburgh, Racing-Metro
Pool 3: Leinster, Bath, Glasgow, Montpellier
Pool 4: Leicester, Clermont, Ulster, Aironi
Pool 5: Biarritz, Ospreys, Saracens, Treviso
Pool 6: Toulouse, Harlequins, Gloucester, Connacht