Ospreys learn Heineken Cup fate

Heineken Cup draw sees Ospreys pooled with PRO12 and T14 champs.

The 2013/14 Heineken Cup draw took place in Dublin on Wednesday afternoon.

 

The Ospreys, third seeds for the draw, were picked out in Pool 1 along with old rivals Leinster – RaboDirect PRO12 and Amlin Challenge Cup winners in 2012/13 - Aviva Premiership runners-up Northampton Saints and newly crowned French champions Castres, who defeated big spending European champions Toulon in last weekend’s T14 final.

 

The Ospreys have played all three teams previously, although it will be the first time they’ve faced Leinster and the Saints in European competition.

 

Castre and the Ospreys went head-to-head in the 2004/05 season with honours even, both teams winning their home games.

 

The record against Leinster is pretty even, with the Ospreys winning 10 out of 23 games in Celtic competition, including memorable wins in the 2010 and 2012 play-off finals at the RDS. Leinster have 12 wins, with one match drawn.

 

Meanwhile the Ospreys and Northampton have only ever crossed paths in the LV= Cup, the English team winning on both occasions.

 

Supporters are reminded that all three home Heineken Cup pool fixtures are covered by a 2013/14 season membership, with prices starting at just £82.50 when you bring a friend – that’s an incredible £4.85 a game for 17 home matches throughout the season – when you sign up before the Earlybird deadline at 6pm next Monday.