Heineken Cup rugby union

Some terrible weather conditions saw Bath and Toulouse stutter to a dire 3-3 draw that saw both safely through to the final eight. Our bet on the Ospreys to beat Leicester Tigers came through though and now we have the quarter-finals to look forward to in April

After this weekend we will know the quarter-finalists of the Heineken Cup and there may be a surprise or two.

If Bath defeat Toulouse at the Recreation Ground in Bath then there will be no French side in the quarter-finals. Can Wasps score enough at Castres to qualify with other results allowing them to sneak in?

Plenty to ponder so let’s examine a few games where we can trade or bet.

Ospreys vs Leicester Tigers, Saturday 5.30pm

The Ospreys need a bonus point win or a win and to deny Tigers a bonus point for losing. Easy eh? Well, no but I do expect them to defeat Leicester at home and so I am intending to place a sum on them at 8/11 or as the game gets closer and the weight of money for the English team starts we might get a little bigger.

So much depends on Tigers away form and to be honest I have found them disappointing recently whereas Ospreys with Gavin Henson, Hook and plenty of grunt up front should ride the passion of the manic crowd.

Leinster vs Edinburgh, Sunday 12.30pm

This could be a beauty. Edinburgh have a couple of injuries but they could still really pose a serious threat to Leinster. At 2/13 I am still keen to lay the Irish side but only after seeing the full Edinburgh side. This is a risky ploy but Edinburgh like buggering up other’s plans and this is a perfect opportunity. Careful though – check the teams and if the weather is bad that narrows the gap some more and at such a short price it is worth a punt.

Bath vs Toulouse, Sunday 3pm

The news is no David Skrela for Toulouse and of course Bath are reeling from a shocking week where Matt Stevens was suspended for admitting a drug problem. This is a superb opportunity for Bath to secure Heineken Cup prestige and return to big time rugby. The ground will be heaving – Bath is a rugby town and the Stevens fiasco could bring the team together for a massive effort.

Toulouse are notoriously bad travellers and were awful in defeat last week. So I am half-trading this match as so much is at stake but also have a half-stake straight up on Bath at 5/6.