Saints top seeded for Heineken Cup quarter-finals

Published on Sunday 23 January 2011 19:25

Northampton will play Ulster in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup after qualifying for the knockout stages as the tournament's top seeds.

Jim Mallinder's Saints were the only team to progress from the group stages with a 100 percent record and they have been rewarded with a home route to the final. If Northampton, champions in 2000, can overcome Ulster - in a game set to be played in either Coventry or Milton Keynes - they will host either Perpignan or Jonny Wilkinson's Toulon in a home semi-final.

The Aviva Premiership provided only two Heineken Cup quarter-final qualifiers, with Northampton joined in the last eight by midlands rivals Leicester. The Tigers, who progressed as one of the leading group runners-up, face new tournament favourites Leinster in a repeat of the 2009 final, set to be staged at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.

The winners of that heavyweight showdown will host a semi-final against either Biarritz or defending champions Toulouse, who meet in the other all-French quarter-final. Toulouse had the chance to oust Northampton as top seeds and secure a home quarter-final, but Wasps' 21-16 victory yesterday, sealed with a last-gasp try from David Lemi, condemned them to a trip to Biarritz in a repeat of last year's final.

The Scarlets crashed out of Europe with a heavy defeat to Perpignan in the south of France, meaning Wales has no representation in the knock-out stages and also no teams remaining in the Amlin Challenge Cup. Jerome Porical, Henry Tuilagi, Farid Sid, Florian Cazenave and Gerrie Britz all touched down in the 37-5 victory.

QUARTER-FINALS (8-10 April)

Northampton v Ulster

Leinster v Leicester

Perpignan v Toulon

Biarritz v Toulouse

SEMI-FINALS (30 April and 1 May)

Leinster or Leicester v Biarritz or Toulouse

Northampton or Ulster v Perpignan or Toulon

FINAL (21 May)

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff