Heineken Cup Weekend

Pool One Amatori & Calvisano v Béziers

Kick-off 2.30pm today

Venue Centro Sportivo San Michele

The Italians have to make their mark this afternoon with a trip to Leicester next week already looking like a lost cause. They have plenty of international experience up front with the prop Giampiero De Carli a rugged customer and Paolo Vaccari a class act at centre. Béziers are not great shakes but they will win with something to spare and in the Argentinian goalkicker Gonzalo Quesada have a potentially match-winning resident at No10.

Pool Two Gloucester v Munster

Kick-off 3pm today

Venue Kingsholm

TV BBC1, 2.10pm

The most mouthwatering fixture of the weekend pitches the multi-national Zurich Premiership leaders with the mostly homespun Heineken Cup finalists of two of the past three seasons. Mick Galwey, totem of the second row, has somehow been preserved at 36 but Gloucester seem to have too much power and pace for the men in red and Munster, though capable of winning in hostile environments, are probably not the side they were two or three years ago. Gloucester have made one change from the side that thumped Saracens last week with a marvellous display of counter-attacking rugby. And it is a significant one with Phil Vickery recovering from injury to replace Andy Deacon in the front row. "There's no getting away from it: it will be bloody difficult," said Vickery of the group - and none more difficult than facing a Munster side still smarting from their cup final robbery in Cardiff last spring via Neil Back's backhander.

Perpignan v Viadana

Kick-off 7.30pm today

Venue Stade Aimé Giral

The Italian champions go to Basque country more in hope than expectation but in their Kiwi captain Matt Phillips and Aaron Persico they have two international back-rowers who can punch their weight at this level while the South African full-back Casper Steyn has Super-12 experience. But these are the rugby's badlands and, with Gloucester and Munster also waiting to ambush them, Viadana will not win a match.

Pool Three Llanelli v Glasgow

Kick-off 2.30pm today

Venue Stradey Park

Llanelli's record as the nearly men of the Heineken Cup and their current reasonable form suggests they can put one over on the Scottish side in this the most unpredictable of the six groups. Glasgow have been bolstered by the signing of the Lions lock Scott Murray but the Scottish districts have a dire record in Europe with none progressing to the quarter-finals. Jason White is back from injury to lead Glasgow and Scott Quinnell is fit after recovering from a nose operation. The Scarlets look to have the forward power, with Chris Wyatt and Paul Clapham a formidable second-row partnership, and the points-scoring potential of Stephen Jones to run out narrow winners.

Pool Four Montferrand v Swansea

Kick-off 7.30pm today

Venue Parc des Sports Marcel-Michelin

Montferrand from the Michelin tyre town of Clermont-Ferrand will certainly triumph against a team that is barely roadworthy. The French club have averaged nearly 50 points a match in European fixtures here and Swansea's pack will struggle against pedigree forwards like Olivier Magne and Olivier Brouzet and the former England hooker Richard Cockerill will also be around to irritate Scott Gibbs's team. Montferrand should run in plenty of tries though they sprang something of a surprise yesterday when they dropped the France fly-half Gérald Merceron and opted instead to play the centre Xavier Sadourny at No10.

Pool Five Toulouse v L Irish

Kick-off 3pm today

Venue Stade Ernest Wallon

Irish's domestic form does not suggest they can upset the bluebloods of Europe. But Brendan Venter, pictured below, is returning to add his inspiration and almost pathological desire to win. With the South African doctor in the centre the Exiles' ills can be cured but recovery may not be sufficient to overcome a side bristling with internationals. The Irish are taking some 500 fans to a stadium on the site of the Sept Deniers complex that has been renamed in honour of Toulouse's first president.

Pool Six Cardiff v Biarritz

Kick-off 5.30pm today

Venue Arms Park

Biarritz are the French champions and could be a good each-way bet to become the first club from France to win this title for six long seasons. They have a nucleus of international experience and in Philippe Bernat-Salles a real match-winner on the wing. Cardiff have not reached any great heights but look to their promising scrum-half Ryan Powell to make his mark.

Northampton v Ulster

Kick-off 4.30pm tomorrow

Venue Franklin's Gardens

TV Eurosport, 4pm

Ulster's European triumphs in 1999 seem a distant memory and they will surely struggle tomorrow. They are never as effective away from Ravenhill and they are up against a side difficult to beat in their revamped new home. Mark Tucker replaces the injured Peter Jorgensen in the centre for Saints. Ulster have the former Crusaders hooker Matt Sexton to bolster their pack.

(All kick-offs local times)