Leicester's quest has an Achilles Healey

Heineken Cup: Television demands and staggered kick-offs make for flawed system in Europe's premier competition

The Heineken Cup is taken at a pace more suited to a vintner than a beer drinker. Europe is an acquired taste, to be sipped at irregular intervals in between domestic engagements. Strictly no quaffing.

The first draught came on line in October and reappeared over two weekends in December. The pool stages will be decided over the next two weekends, followed by another hiatus. The quarter- and semi-finals are in April, with the final at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, on 24 May.

The Heineken Cup, launched in 1995 on the initiative of the then Five Nations Committee to provide a new level of cross-border competition, has generally been regarded as one of the game's success stories. However, it is not without its hiccups.

Aside from the fragmented structure, there are anomalies, the biggest of which are the staggered kick-offs. Some clubs play on Friday evening, some on Saturday, some on Sunday, most dancing to the tune of television companies. The irregularity scarcely seems to matter in the initial stages of the pool matches ,but becomes relevant when the Pythagoras factor kicks in to decide the quarter-finalists.

Take Pool Six, which features Northampton, Biarritz, Ulster and Cardiff. It looks like a two-horse race between Northampton and Biarritz, who meet next Saturday at Franklin's Gardens. The week after, Ulster play the Saints at Ravenhill, Belfast, on the Friday evening. The following afternoon Biarritz play Cardiff, by which time the French should be in a position to know what is required to stay afloat in the pool.

It is a serious flaw, but with television income superseding almost everything, European Rugby Cup Limited seem powerless to produce a level playing field. With the possibility of up to three teams in the same pool finishing with the same number of match points, qualification and ranking is determined by the results between the tied clubs.

The tie-breakers are: a) the club with the greater number of match points from the relevant fixtures; b) most tries scored; c) the biggest aggregate points difference. If that fails to separate the teams the criteria will be a) number of tries scored in the pool stage; b) aggregate points difference; c) the fewest number of players sent off or suspended; and d) the toss of a coin.

In addition to Pool Six, Pools Two and Three could also go down to the wire. While Perpignan, two points adrift of Munster and Gloucester in Pool Two, have a potentially momentous match against the Irish province in the South of France next Saturday, Gloucester should fill their boots against Viadana. The pool climax is on 18 January when the West Country club, who outplayed Munster at Kingsholm in October, meet last season's beaten finalists. Thomond Park, Limerick, is a far cry from Kingsholm.

Ranking in the tournament is almost as important as qualifying. The six pool winners are joined by the two best runners-up, and home advantage for the quarter-finals is earned by the four most successful qualifiers. Historically, clubs drawn away in the knockout stages have kissed the cup goodbye. Conversely, those with an Italian side in their midst lick their lips at the prospect of amassing points and tries to enhance their vital statistics. Thus Leicester, clear leaders in Pool One, will be looking to add to their 21 tries, 10 of which were scored in the 63-0 home victory over Calvisano, when they travel to Italy on Saturday.

The Tigers, the only team to mount a successful defence of the cup, beating Munster in Cardiff after taking possession of the trophy with victory over Stade Français in Paris, will almost certainly play their quarter-final at Welford Road.

The line-up in 12 weeks' time is Team 1 v Team 8, Team 2 v Team 7, Team 3 v Team 6, Team 4 v Team 5. The semi-finals will be at neutral venues.

Leicester are probably reconciled to relinquishing the Zurich Premiership, so Europe has taken on even more significance. Their chances of a hat-trick are good, although they would be better if Austin Healey could make the contri-bution that was so valuable in the final against Munster.

It was on the back of that triumph that Leicester uncharacteristically got carried away, acceding to Healey's wishes for a pay rise and, more importantly, to be considered not as a scrum-half or a wing but stand-off.

At times it has paid off, but it has also been Leicester's Achilles' heel. Healey, whose appearances have been limited by injuries, has not been as influential at No 10 as the club's front bench expected. Rookie Sam Vesty is being groomed for the role.

The imbalance created by the Italian equation is also illustrated in Pool Two, where Munster have 22 tries – nine of them scored at Viadana – and Gloucester 21. Gloucester helped themselves to 12 touchdowns when they travelled to Italy, James Simpson-Daniel getting a hat-trick. The England wing has resumed training following a bout of glandular fever.

Gloucester should move to the top of their pool after playing Viadana at Kingsholm and Munster, who do not go quietly in France, will need all their experience to survive in Perpignan. Only a series of yellow cards for the French and the goal-kicking of Ronan O'Gara, who scored 15 points, separated the sides in southern Ireland. Munster got home 30-21, although it was three tries apiece.

O'Gara has contributed 60 points to the cause this season but until Munster get their hands on the cup the memory of tormenting performances by the stand-off in the losing finals against Northampton at Twickenham (9-8) in 2000 and to Leicester last year (15-9) will never be obliterated.

The case for provinces in Wales has been strengthened by the near-obliteration of its clubs in the Heineken. Only Llanelli, so unfortunate to lose to Leicester in the semi-finals last season, are making a decent fist of it, and they can overtake Bourgoin at the top of Pool Three when they play the French club at Stradey Park on Saturday evening.

Only Leinster and Toulouse have 100 per cent records and both are at home in the next round, to Swansea and Newport, who have found life in Europe too rich to stomach.

The last eight look like Leicester, Gloucester, Llanelli, Leinster, Toulouse, North-ampton, Munster and either Bourgoin or Biarritz.

Again the Scottish districts have failed to make an impression, but Glasgow, away to Sale on Friday and home to Llanelli the following week, are not yet dead in the water of Pool Three.