Pool 1

Munster

Head coach Tony McGahan

Captain Paul O'Connell

Last season beaten 25-6 by Leinster in semi-final; Magners League champions

ERC ranking 1

Track record winners 2006, 2008; losing finalists 2000, 2002; semi-finals 2001, 2003, 2004, 2009

Prospects Who would second-guess them even after last season's implosion against Leinster? If any team can pull something out of the fire in Perpignan, you'd put your money on Munster. Looking a good bet once again to reach the business end of the tournament

Northampton

Head coach Jim Mallinder

Captain Dylan Hartley

Last season Challenge Cup winners

ERC ranking 14

Track record winners 2000; semi-finals 2007

Prospects Not as much quality as Munster and Perpignan, but will still be formidable opponents. Unlikely to qualify for the knockout stages

Perpignan

Head coach Jacques Brunel

Captain Nicolas Mas

Last season failed to qualify for knockout stages; French champions

ERC ranking 11

Track record semi-finals 1999, 2003

Prospects Will probably give Europe a better shot than usual having at last won the Bouclier de Brennus last season after a 54-year wait, and will be a fearsome proposition at home

Treviso

Head coach Franco Smith

Captain Antonio Pavanello

Last season lost all six pool games

ERC ranking 28

Track record never qualified for knockout stages

Prospects Whipping ragazzi

Fixtures

Saturday Northampton v Munster (6.0), Treviso v Perpignan Fri 16 Oct Perpignan v Northampton Sat 17 Oct Munster v Treviso (1.35) Fri 11 Dec Munster v Perpignan (8.0) Sat 12 Dec Northampton v Treviso Sat 19 Dec Treviso v Northampton Sun 20 Dec Perpignan v Munster (3.0) 15-16-17 Jan Treviso v Munster, Northampton v Perpignan 22-23-24 Jan Munster v Northampton, Perpignan v Treviso

Pool 4

Ulster

Head coach Brian McLaughlin

Captain Paddy Wallace

Last season third in pool

ERC ranking 20

Track record winners 1999; failed to qualify for knockout stages since then

Prospects Not too hot. With Edinburgh on the up, Ulster will do well to avoid fourth spot

Stade Francais

Coaches Jacques Delmas, Didier Faugeron Captains Sylvain Marconnet, Rodrigo Roncero

Last season failed to qualify for knockout stages

ERC ranking 9

Track record losing finalists 2001, 2005; semi-finals 1999

Prospects Enviable strength in depth, and with the final scheduled for Paris will have extra motivation. Pool winners

Bath

Head coach Steve Meehan

Captain Michael Claassens

Last season beaten 20-15 by Leicester in semi-final

ERC ranking 5

Track record winners 1998; semi-finals 2006

Prospects Their noses were a bit out of joint last season, but could make the last eight again as one of the best runners-up

Edinburgh

Head coach Rob Moffat

Captain Mike Blair

Last season third in pool

ERC ranking 26

Track record only qualified once for knockout stages

Prospects Qualification for the Challenge Cup at best

Fixtures

Friday Ulster v Bath (7.30) Saturday Stade Francais v Edinburgh Sat 17 Oct Edinburgh v Ulster (3.45) Sun 18 Oct Bath v Stade Francais Sat 12 Dec Ulster v Stade Francais (1.35) Sun 13 Dec Bath v Edinburgh Sat 19 Dec Stade Francais v Ulster (3.45), Edinburgh v Bath 15-16-17 Jan Ulster v Edinburgh, Stade Francais v Bath 22-23-24 Jan Bath v Ulster, Edinburgh v Stade Francais

Pool 6

Leinster

Head coach Michael Cheika

Captain Leo Cullen

Last season Heineken Cup winners

ERC ranking 3

Track record winners 2009; semi-finals 1996, 2003, 2006

Prospects Savagely difficult pool, but buoyed by last season's triumph will surely be in the shake-up for a quarter-final place

London Irish

Head coach Toby Booth

Captain Bob Casey

Last season third place, English Premiership

ERC ranking 15

Track record semi-finals 2008

Prospects Will be the main challenge to Leinster, and no surprise if they make the knockout stages

Brive

Head coach Laurent Seigne

Captain Alix Popham

Last season qualified by finishing sixth in Top 14

ERC ranking 29

Track record winners 1997; losing finalists 1998

Prospects Won't do the business on the road

Llanelli Scarlets

Head coach Nigel Davies; Captain Mark Jones; Last season fourth in pool; ERC ranking 18

Track record semi-finals 2000, 2002, 2007

Prospects New ground, but same story as last season

Fixtures

Friday Leinster v London Irish (8.0) Saturday Scarlets v Brive Sat 17 Oct Brive v Leinster (3.45), London Irish v Scarlets Sat 12 Dec Scarlets v Leinster (6.0), Brive v London Irish Sat 19 Dec Leinster v Scarlets (3.45), London Irish v Brive 15-16-17 Jan Leinster v Brive, Scarlets v London Irish 22-23-24 Jan London Irish v Leinster, Brive v Scarlets

Rest of the Pools

Pool 2

Biarritz, Glasgow, Gloucester, Dragons

Verdict Rejuvenated Biarritz to qualify

Pool 3

Clermont Auvergne, Leicester, Ospreys, Viadana

Verdict Clermont want the French championship more, Leicester to go through

Pool 5

Cardiff, Harlequins, Sale, Toulouse

Verdict Should be a genuine blood bath. Toulouse know how to get the job done

Betting

7-2 Munster; 7-1 Toulouse; 8-1 Stade Francais, Leinster; 9-1 Leicester; 10-1 Clermont Auvergne; 16-1 London Irish; 20-1 Gloucester, Perpignan, Ospreys, Cardiff; 25-1 Biarritz, Bath; 33-1 Harlequins; 40-1 Northampton; 50-1 Brive, Edinburgh; 66-1 Sale; 80-1 Ulster, Glasgow, Scarlets; 100-1 Dragons; 1000-1 Treviso; 2000-1 Viadana

(odds courtesy of Paddy Power)

new regulations for '09/'10

» This season's Heineken Cup winners will automatically qualify for next season's tournament.

» The winners will also earn an additional place for their country in the tournament, in other words, should an Irish province win, Connacht will qualify for next season's tournament.

» The six pool winners plus the two highest ranked runners-up will qualify for the quarter-finals.

» The three next best ranked pool runners-up will qualify for the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup.

» Both the Heineken Cup and the Challenge Cup will operate with up to 23-player match-day squads, with each squad including a minimum of two props and one hooker among the eight replacements.

» In the event of a place kicking competition at the end of extra-time of a match in the knockout stages, each team will nominate three kickers who will each take three kicks along the 22 metre line.