By Tournament / Heineken Cup

It was more like Glastonbury than European trench warfare but both Bath and Toulouse splashed into the quarter-finals in conditions more suited to mud-wrestling than a winner-takes-all European classic. London Wasps’ capitulation in Castres meant they could’ve shaken hands and kept warm rather than soak out a 3-3 draw.

The West Countrymen head to Leicester while the French giants will hope for dryer conditions when they travel to Cardiff in the quarter-finals.

The Tigers, doing what they have done best for the past century, suffocating ball and slowing it down to an M25 standstill, scrambled for their dears lives. The Ospreys, who rely on a contrasting maverick-esque approach, again fell foul to converting possession and territory into points.

Having said that, a trip to Munster is a plum quarter-final tie and their Welsh neightbours, Cardiff Blues will be hell bent on a better showing against last year’s finalists, Toulouse after the Top 14 champions brushed off the Blues in the last-eight with minimum fuss last year.

You could've been mistaken for thinking Castres and not London Wasps were the team gunning for top spot. It would've been interesting to hear Harry Redknapp's view on Rob Webber's one-yard fumble. Needless to say his wife probably would've scored that one.

And if the ELVs are to be justified in 2009 then Harlequins will be carrying the trophy back to London in May. Continuously off-loading and using their forwards as a platform, the immense Will Skinner epitomises exactly what the patchwork kids are about. Not full of a-list names or future IRB Hall of Famers, Harlequins play like a shaken-up bottle of fizzy pop, bursting with endeavor, energy and enthusiasm.

Their Irish opponents in the quarter-finals, Leinster, might've creaped into the last eight but will need to dip into Pete Preston's make-up draw to disguise their own flawed appearance in the knockout stage.

Three teams have already booked their spots in the quarter-finals but picking the four home sides and the two best losers, you've got more chance of guessing Manchester City's next signing.

Cardiff Blues and Munster are rightly amongst the favourites. The Blues aim to match the Scarlets as the only Welsh side to end the pool stages with a P6 W6 record. The Scarlets stand between Harlequins and a home quarter-final but the Londoners need maximum points.

Munster are 2/1 on to reclaim glory and when they're flowing they are the complete package. But they need a bonus point in Montauban to guarantee a tie at Thomond Park.

Leicester are in pole position but their love affair with the Ospreys will come down to the Anglo-Welsh battle between Toby Flood and James Hook. Packed with bags of skill, the pair too often suffer from big match stage fright. The Tigers need just a bonus it would make one hell of a statement heading into the quarter-finals if they could triumph in Swansea.

Leinster have the easier task in pool 2 although Edinburgh will be desperate to show Glasgow aren't the only Scottish side capable of upsetting the apple cart. up. Wasps have the mentality to win in Castres with Phil Vickery leading from the fore but bolstered by a boisterous pack, the French won't be easy pickings.

French hopes rest with Toulouse and their proudest of European Cup records, having provided finalists in the competitions first six season but come April they might not have a side in the last eight. The Top 14 champions know all they need is a win in Bath - easier said than done - and Sunday's winner-takes-all tussle is a titanic tie to bring down the curtain on the pool stage.

And the winner is...

Wales and Cardiff Blues beast Jamie Roberts for a bulldozing display and an eloquent interview...

Choking in Gloucester has become a bit of a habit. When the big boys come to town, usually fans would flock to the turnstiles. Not at Kingsholm for yet another sickening defeat, this time against the resilient Cardiff Blues, left Dean Ryan and his perennial underachievers calling for the bucket.

There were no shocks on Friday night as Munster sailed into the last-eight after easily dismissing a poor Sale Sharks. Stade Francais' surprising capitulation in mid-Wales gifted Harlequins the Pool honours despite going down at a rain-soaked Ulster.

Toulouse remain the only French side with a shot of nicking a quarter-final spot but it a win in Bath is paramount after Dan Parks booted over 18 points in Glasgow's greatest ever outing in the Heineken Cup.

Leicester's mouthwatering trip to Swansea will be the plum tie of the final round. The Tigers are in poll position after trouncing Treviso, running in eight tries, with the mercurial Toby Flood also helping himself to 18 points.

The star-studded Ospreys, despite a gutsy losing bonus-point in Perpignan now need to beat the Tigers by more than seven points to avoid an all-Welsh clash against the Blues at the Millennium Stadium.

The Battle of the Capitals went London's way but Wasps' decision to play safe and take the win instead of going for the corner in the final exchanges could bite them in the rear unless they secure maximum pickings in Castres. Even then, they must hope Edinburgh do them a favour in Dublin.