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Page last updated at 16:53 GMT, Tuesday, 27 January 2009

Dates set for Heineken last eight

Heineken Cup

Cardiff Blues will host three-times champions Toulouse in the first of the Heineken Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, 11 April at 1530 GMT.

The victors will face the winners of Leicester against Bath, which kicks off at 1800 the same day, in a semi-final.

Defending champions Munster will host the Ospreys on Sunday, 12 April.

That clash, at 1300, will be followed by the final quarter-final between Harlequins and Leinster, at 1530, with the two winners meeting in the semis.

Either the Blues or Toulouse will have home-country advantage in the semi-finals, while either holders Munster or the Ospreys will also remain in their home country if they win their quarter-final.

Munster saw off Sale, Clermont Auvergne and Montauban to win Pool One and will be favourites against the star-studded Ospreys.

The Blues were the only side to remain undefeated in the pool stage, scoring 202 points in six matches and topping a group which also featured Biarritz, Gloucester and Calvisano.

However, their form in the Magners League has been poor and last year's runners-up Toulouse, currently riding high in the French Top 14, will be a different proposition.

Remarkably, Toulouse are the only French side in the last eight after Stade Francais' shock failure to advance from Pool Three.

The quarter-final in Cardiff, which could be switched from the Arms Park to the Millennium Stadium next door, is a repeat of the first ever Heineken Cup final in 1996, which Toulouse won 21-18 in extra-time.

Harlequins, who have reached the knock-out stages for the first time since 1998 after beating Stade Francais twice in the pool stage, will face Leinster, who topped Pool Two ahead of Wasps.

The other quarter-final will see English rivals Leicester and Bath, who both won their respective pools, clash in a repeat of their meeting in the last eight in 2006.

On that occasion Bath, despite being reduced to 13 men late on, held on to win 15-12 at the Walkers Stadium.


Heineken Cup quarter-final draw

Sat 11 April:
Cardiff Blues v Toulouse (1530 GMT)
Leicester v Bath (1800 GMT)

Sun 12 April:
Munster v Ospreys (1300 GMT)
Harlequins v Leinster (1530)

Heineken Cup semi-final draw
matches to be played 2-3 May

Cardiff Blues/Toulouse v Leicester/Bath
Munster/Ospreys v Harlequins/Leinster

European Challenge Cup quarter-final draw
matches to be played 10-12 April

London Irish v Bourgoin
Northampton v Connacht
Saracens v Newcastle
Worcester v Brive

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see also
Heineken Cup 2008/9
17 Jul 08 |  Rugby Union
Blues & Ospreys can win - Young
26 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
Bath 3-3 Toulouse
24 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
Castres 21-15 Wasps
25 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
Ospreys 15-9 Leicester
24 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
Leinster 12-3 Edinburgh
25 Jan 09 |  Leinster
Montauban 13-39 Munster
25 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
Glasgow Warriors 13-10 Dragons
25 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
Harlequins 29-24 Scarlets
24 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
Sale 26-17 Clermont Auvergne
24 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
Stade Francais 24-19 Ulster
24 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
Biarritz 24-10 Gloucester
22 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
European Challenge Cup R6 review
25 Jan 09 |  Rugby Union
Leicester 12-15 Bath
01 Apr 06 |  European Club
European rugby archive
16 Aug 06 |  Rugby Union


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