By Andrew Collins
June 14 2005

The Heineken Cup draw has been announced in Cardiff's Millennium Centre. The 4 Welsh regions sat patiently to listen to who may look to stop them reaching a Heineken Cup final on Welsh soil.

Following a rough few years in the Heineken Cup, the Blues this season have had a lucky break with the draw, despite being the last seed after beating Italian side Viandana 3 weeks ago.

 

Cardiff have been put in debatably the easiest group, group 2, with Italian top seed Calvisano, French team Perpignan and Powergen champions Leeds Tykes. The Blues will want to win all 3 home matches, should beat Calvisano away, could beat Leeds away but the league may come down to Cardiff V Perpignan away.

 

This year’s group of death features Wasps, Toulouse, Scarlets and Edinbough.

 

Below are all the pools. 

Pool 1	Pool 2	Pool 3	Pool 4	Pool 5	Pool 6
Munster Castres Sale Sharks Dragons	Calvisano Perpignan Leeds Tykes Cardiff Blues	Ospreys Stade Francais Leicester Clermont Auvergne	Biarritz Olympique Saracens Ulster Treviso	Glasgow Bourgoin Bath Leinster	London Wasps Toulouse Scarlets Edinburgh

The rounds will be played on the following dates, though fixtured are yet to be confirmed.

 

Round One: 21-23 October

Round Two: 28-30 October

Round Three: 9-11 December

Round Four: 16-18 December

Round Five: 13-15 January

Round Six: 20-22 January

Quarter-Finals: 1-2 April

Semi-Finals: 22-23 April

Final: 20-21 May
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff