Heineken Cup starts next weekend. Six groups of four teams each with the teams playing each other home and away. Top teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals where they're joined by the two best runners-up from the six groups.

It'll be interesting to see what effect the World Cup will have on the teams. With France, England and Argentina all involved until the final weekend of the competition some players will have had minimum game time back with their clubs before the HEC starts. On top of that the French teams weren't playing during the World Cup so are bound to be a little underdone at the start.

The first two rounds of the groups are played in November with two more in December and January. The knock-out stages are played in April and May.

The seeding of the draw, whereby each of the 6N has a top seed has led to a lop-sided draw with some very tough groups and some easy groups, so it's no surprise to see that ERC are going to propose a new seeding system for next year's competition.

This season England has seven representatives, France six, Wales four, Ireland three and Italy and Scotland two apiece.

Group 1

Treviso, Dragons, London Irish, Perpignan

Looks like a piss poor group. No Italian side has ever reached the knock-out stages, the Dragons are the worst Welsh side, while London Irish and Perpignan are hardly the strongest English or French sides. Perpignan to win the group, Irish have a chance of a best runners-up team.

Group 2

Bourgoin, Gloucester, Ospreys, Ulster.

A fairly even group here. Ospreys have a good squad on paper but need to show that on the field, something they've often failed to do in the HEC. Ulster are really struggling, bottom of the Magners League. Gloucester are flying in England but they were helped by losing relatively few players during the WC. Bourgoin qualify for this comp regularly but are guaranteed to be atrocious away from home. Gloucester or Ospreys to progress here.

Group 3

Bristol, Cardiff, Harlequins, Stade Francais

This should be a cake walk for Stade Francais, they'll be looking to win the comp outright. Cardiff wil flatter to deceive, while Bristol and Harlequins have not featured very much in this comp in recent years.

Group 4

Biarritz, Glasgow, Saracens, Viadana

People used to say that Leinster always got easy draws but they've got nothing on Biarritz. Viadana are no threat, and while Glasgow and Saracens are both reasonable teams, they're not in the same class as Biarritz. The best they can hope for is a best runners-up.

Group 5

Clermont Auvergne, Llanelli, Munster, Wasps

Each comp always has a group of death and this year's HEC has trumped them all by having two. Clermont were runners-up in France last season and won the European Challenge Cup. Llanelli were semi-finalists in the HEC last season while Munster and Wasps are the last two HEC champions. All four would have reasonable aspirations of winning the tournament but only one is likely to make the quarter-finals. Could be any one of the four.

Group 6

Edinburgh, Leicester, Leinster, Toulouse

Another three teams with title aspirations in the one group. A summer exodus has left Edinburgh under strength and the other three will all fancy their chances of two wins agains them. If Leinster can match Leicester and Toulouse up front they have the class to win the group, but that's a big if. Toulouse have been on a downturn in the last couple of seasons but will still be dangerous while Leicester have a very strong squad. Leinster will be hoping to take advantage of Leicester and Toulouse's big involvement in the World Cup early on.