Leinster first up in Cup

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs will kick-off their inaugural season in the Heineken Cup with an away tie against current champions Leinster.

Rob Baxter´s side, who last term finished a best-ever fifth in the Aviva Premiership, will travel to Dublin on Saturday, October 13 (3.40pm).

It´s a daunting opening for the Chiefs against a Leinster outfit, who will be bidding to claim a historic hat-trick of Heineken Cup titles.

A week later the Chiefs then entertain French giants Clermont Auvergne at Sandy Park on Saturday, October 20 (6pm), before then tackling the Scarlets on back to back weekends.

The first meeting between the two sides takes place at Parc Y Scarlets on Saturday, December 8 (1.35pm) with the return leg a week later in Devon on saturday, December 15 (3.40pm).

Exeter´s final two games of the group stages will see them travel to Clermont over the weekend of January 11/12/13 before facing Leinster in their last game on the weekend of January 18/19/20.

FIXTURES
(All kick-offs local time with live TV coverage where relevant)

ROUND 1

FRIDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2012

Pool 2 Ospreys v Benetton Treviso, Liberty Stadium 20.00 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Castres Olympique, Ravenhill 20.00 Sky Sports/Sport+

SATURDAY, 13 OCTOBER 2012

Pool 1 Edinburgh Rugby v Saracens, Murrayfield 13.35 Sky Sports
Pool 1 Racing Metro 92 v Munster Rugby, Stade de France 14.35 Canal+/Sky Sports
Pool 3 Zebre v Connacht Rugby, Stadio XXV Aprile (Parma) 14.35 Sky Italia
Pool 5 Leinster Rugby v Exeter Chiefs , RDS 15.40 Sky Sports/Canal+Sport
Pool 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Scarlets, Stade Marcel Michelin 16.40 FR2/Sky Sports
Pool 3 Harlequins v Biarritz Olympique, Twickenham Stoop 18.00 Sky Sports/Sport+

SUNDAY, 14 OCTOBER 2012

Pool 4 Northampton Saints v Glasgow Warriors, Franklin's Gardens 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Sale Sharks v Cardiff Blues, Salford City Stadium 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 2 Toulouse v Leicester Tigers, Le Stadium 16.00 FR2/Sky Sports
Pool 6 Toulon v Montpellier, Stade Felix Mayol 21.00 Canal+/Sky Sports

ROUND 2

FRIDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2012

Pool 4 Glasgow Warriors v Ulster Rugby, Scotstoun Stadium 20.00 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Castres Olympique v Northampton Saints, Stade Pierre Antoine 21.00 Canal+/Sky Sports

SATURDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2012

Pool 5 Scarlets v Leinster Rugby, Parc y Scarlets 13.35 Sky Sports
Pool 2 Benetton Treviso v Toulouse, Stadio Comunale di Monigo 14.35 Sky Italia/Canal+/Sky Sports
Pool 1 Saracens v Racing Metro 92, King Baudouin Stadium (Brussels) 16.40 FR2/Sky Sports
Pool 3 Connacht Rugby v Harlequins, The Sportsground 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 5 Exeter Chiefs v ASM Clermont Auvergne, Sandy Park 18.00 Sky Sports/Sport+
Pool 3 Biarritz Olympique v Zebre, Parc des Sports Aguilera 19.00 Canal+

SUNDAY, 21 OCTOBER 2012

Pool 1 Munster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby, Thomond Park 12.45 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Toulon, Cardiff Arms Park 12.45 Sky Sports/Sport+
Pool 2 Leicester Tigers v Ospreys, Welford Road 15.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Montpellier v Sale Sharks, Stade Yves du Manoir 16.00 FR2/Sky Sports

ROUND 3

FRIDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2012

Pool 4 Glasgow Warriors v Castres Olympique, Scotstoun Stadium 19.35
Pool 3 Connacht Rugby v Biarritz Olympique, The Sportsground 20.00 Sky Sports/Canal+Sport
Pool 4 Northampton Saints v Ulster Rugby, Franklin's Gardens 20.00 Sky Sports

SATURDAY, 8 DECEMBER 2012

Pool 5 Scarlets v Exeter Chiefs, Parc y Scarlets 13.35 Sky Sports
Pool 2 Toulouse v Ospreys, Stade Ernest Wallon 14.35 Canal+/Sky Sports
Pool 3 Zebre v Harlequins, Stadio XXV Aprile 14.35 Sky Italia
Pool 2 Leicester Tigers v Benetton Treviso, Welford Road 15.40 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Sale Sharks v Toulon, Salford City Stadium 15.40 Sky Sports/FR2
Pool 1 Munster Rugby v Saracens, Thomond Park 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 1 Racing Metro 92 v Edinburgh Rugby, Stade Yves du Manoir 19.00 Canal+/Sky Sports

SUNDAY, 9 DECEMBER 2012

Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Montpellier, Cardiff Arms Park 12.45 Sky Sports/Sport+
Pool 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leinster Rugby, St Marcel Michelin 16.00 FR2/Sky Sports

ROUND 4

FRIDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2012

Pool 1 Edinburgh Rugby v Racing Metro 92, Murrayfield 20.00 Sky Sports/Canal+Sport
Pool 3 Biarritz Olympique v Connacht Rugby, Parc des Sports Aguilera 21.00 Canal+/Sky Sports

SATURDAY, 15 DECEMBER 2012

Pool 2 Ospreys v Toulouse, Liberty Stadium 13.35 Sky Sports/Canal+
Pool 2 Benetton Treviso v Leicester Tigers, Stadio di Monigo 14.35 Sky Italia/Sky Sports
Pool 3 Harlequins v Zebre, Twickenham Stoop 15.00
Pool 5 Leinster Rugby v ASM Clermont Auvergne, Aviva Stadium 15.40 Sky Sports/FR2
Pool 5 Exeter Chiefs v Scarlets, Sandy Park 15.40 Sky Sports
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Northampton Saints, Ravenhill 18.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Montpellier v Cardiff Blues, Stade Yves du Manoir 19.00 Canal+/Sky Sports

SUNDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2012

Pool 4 Castres Olympique v Glasgow Warriors, Stade Pierre Antoine 13.45 Canal+/Sky Sports
Pool 1 Saracens v Munster Rugby, London venue (TBC) 15.00 Sky Sports
Pool 6 Toulon v Sale Sharks, Stade Felix Mayol 16.00 FR2/Sky Sports

ROUND 5

11/12/13 JANUARY 2013

Pool 1 Edinburgh Rugby v Munster Rugby
Pool 1 Racing Metro 92 v Saracens
Pool 2 Ospreys v Leicester Tigers
Pool 2 Toulouse v Benetton Treviso
Pool 3 Harlequins v Connacht Rugby
Pool 3 Zebre v Biarritz Olympique
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors
Pool 4 Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique
Pool 5 Leinster Rugby v Scarlets
Pool 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Exeter Chiefs
Pool 6 Toulon v Cardiff Blues
Pool 6 Sale Sharks v Montpellier

ROUND 6

18/19/20 JANUARY 2013

Pool 1 Munster Rugby v Racing Metro 92
Pool 1 Saracens v Edinburgh Rugby
Pool 2 Leicester Tigers v Toulouse
Pool 2 Benetton Treviso v Ospreys
Pool 3 Connacht Rugby v Zebre
Pool 3 Biarritz v Harlequins
Pool 4 Glasgow Warriors v Northampton Saints
Pool 4 Castres Olympique v Ulster Rugby
Pool 5 Scarlets v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 5 Exeter Chiefs v Leinster Rugby
Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Sale Sharks
Pool 6 Montpellier v Toulon

QUARTER-FINALS: 5/6/7 April 2013

SEMI-FINALS: 26/27/28 April 2013

DUBLIN 2013 EUROPEAN CLUB RUGBY FINALS

Amlin Challenge Cup final - RDS, Friday, 17 May 2013 (20.00)

Heineken Cup final - Aviva Stadium, 18 May 2013 (17.00)