Henieken Champions Cup Pool Draw Preview

• 18 Jun 2019

The pool draw for the Heineken Champions Cup will be made in Switzerland tomorrow and there are 100 different potential permutations for Glasgow Warriors.

Glasgow, having finished runners-up in the Guinness PRO14 last season, need to wait to find out if they are a Tier 1 on Tier 2 team in this year’s draw.

The Warriors will be joined by Exeter Chiefs and Clermont, who also lost their respective Finals, in a draw to see which two will join Saracens, Leinster and Toulouse in Tier 1. This draw will take place prior to the main draw.

There must be a team from all three divisions represented in each pool, meaning that no teams from the same league in the top three tiers can be drawn against one another.

Tier 4 teams can then be drawn into any pool.

Fun fact: It is impossible for Glasgow to be drawn against any of the Irish provinces; Connacht, Leinster, Munster or Ulster in the pool stages of the 2019/20 Heineken Champions Cup.

Here are all of the potential outcomes for the Warriors:

If Glasgow and Exeter are drawn as Tier 1 sides:

Clermont join the third ranked sides in Tier 2 meaning the 4^thranked Top14 side, La Rochelle, also join Tier 2.

The 4^thranked sides from the PRO14 and Premiership, Ulster and Northampton, go into Tier 3.

Glasgow, Gloucester, Racing 92, Bath

Glasgow, Gloucester, Racing 92, Benetton

Glasgow, Gloucester, Racing 92, Montpellier

Glasgow, Gloucester, Racing 92, Sale

Glasgow, Gloucester, Racing 92, Ospreys

Glasgow, Lyon, Harlequins, Bath

Glasgow, Lyon, Harlequins, Benetton

Glasgow, Lyon, Harlequins, Montpellier

Glasgow, Lyon, Harlequins, Sale

Glasgow, Lyon, Harlequins, Ospreys

Glasgow, Clermont, Harlequins, Bath

Glasgow, Clermont, Harlequins, Benetton

Glasgow, Clermont, Harlequins, Montpellier

Glasgow, Clermont, Harlequins, Sale

Glasgow, Clermont, Harlequins, Ospreys

Glasgow, La Rochelle, Harlequins, Bath

Glasgow, La Rochelle, Harlequins, Benetton

Glasgow, La Rochelle, Harlequins, Montpellier

Glasgow, La Rochelle, Harlequins, Sale

Glasgow, La Rochelle, Harlequins, Ospreys

Glasgow, Lyon, Northampton, Bath

Glasgow, Lyon, Northampton, Benetton

Glasgow, Lyon, Northampton, Montpellier

Glasgow, Lyon, Northampton, Sale

Glasgow, Lyon, Northampton, Ospreys

Glasgow, Clermont, Northampton, Bath

Glasgow, Clermont, Northampton, Benetton

Glasgow, Clermont, Northampton, Montpellier

Glasgow, Clermont, Northampton, Sale

Glasgow, Clermont, Northampton, Ospreys

Glasgow, La Rochelle, Northampton, Bath

Glasgow, La Rochelle, Northampton, Benetton

Glasgow, La Rochelle Northampton, Montpellier

Glasgow, La Rochelle Northampton, Sale

Glasgow, La Rochelle Northampton, Ospreys

Fun fact: Glasgow are guaranteed a unique pool this season. It is impossible that Wednesday’s draw replicate any of the club’s previous 22 Heineken Cup Pools. 

If Glasgow and Clermont are drawn as Tier 1 sides:

Exeter join the third ranked sides in Tier 2 meaning the 4^thranked Premiership side, Northampton, also join Tier 2.

The 4^thranked sides from the PRO14 and Top14, Ulster and La Rochelle, go into Tier 3.

Glasgow, Exeter, Racing 92, Bath

Glasgow, Exeter, Racing 92, Benetton

Glasgow, Exeter, Racing 92, Montpellier

Glasgow, Exeter, Racing 92, Sale

Glasgow, Exeter, Racing 92, Ospreys

Glasgow, Northampton, Racing 92, Bath

Glasgow, Northampton, Racing 92, Benetton

Glasgow, Northampton, Racing 92, Montpellier

Glasgow, Northampton, Racing 92, Sale

Glasgow, Northampton, Racing 92, Ospreys

Glasgow, Gloucester, La Rochelle, Bath

Glasgow, Gloucester, La Rochelle, Benetton

Glasgow, Gloucester, La Rochelle, Montpellier

Glasgow, Gloucester, La Rochelle, Sale

Glasgow, Gloucester, La Rochelle, Ospreys

Glasgow, Exeter, La Rochelle, Bath

Glasgow, Exeter, La Rochelle, Benetton

Glasgow, Exeter, La Rochelle, Montpellier

Glasgow, Exeter, La Rochelle, Sale

Glasgow, Exeter, La Rochelle, Ospreys

Glasgow, Northampton, La Rochelle, Bath

Glasgow, Northampton, La Rochelle, Benetton

Glasgow, Northampton, La Rochelle, Montpellier

Glasgow, Northampton, La Rochelle, Sale

Glasgow, Northampton, La Rochelle, Ospreys

Familiar Faces: Glasgow could draw Exeter Chiefs, Racing 92 and Sale Sharks in their Pool which would see Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell and Josh Strauss all returning to Scotsotun. 

If Exeter and Clermont are drawn as Tier 1 sides:

Glasgow join the third ranked sides in Tier 2 meaning the 4^th ranked Pro14 side, Ulster, also join Tier 2.

The 4^thranked sides from the Premiership and Top14, Northampton and La Rochelle, go into Tier 3.

Saracens, Glasgow, Racing 92, Bath

Saracens, Glasgow, Racing 92, Benetton

Saracens, Glasgow, Racing 92, Montpellier

Saracens, Glasgow, Racing 92, Sale

Saracens, Glasgow, Racing 92, Ospreys

Saracens, Glasgow, La Rochelle, Bath

Saracens, Glasgow, La Rochelle, Benetton

Saracens, Glasgow, La Rochelle, Montpellier

Saracens, Glasgow, La Rochelle, Sale

Saracens, Glasgow, La Rochelle, Ospreys

Exeter, Glasgow, Racing 92, Bath

Exeter, Glasgow, Racing 92, Benetton

Exeter, Glasgow, Racing 92, Montpellier

Exeter, Glasgow, Racing 92, Sale

Exeter, Glasgow, Racing 92, Ospreys

Exeter, Glasgow, La Rochelle, Bath

Exeter, Glasgow, La Rochelle, Benetton

Exeter, Glasgow, La Rochelle, Montpellier

Exeter, Glasgow, La Rochelle, Sale

Exeter, Glasgow, La Rochelle, Ospreys

Toulouse, Glasgow, Harlequins, Bath

Toulouse, Glasgow, Harlequins, Benetton

Toulouse, Glasgow, Harlequins, Montpellier

Toulouse, Glasgow, Harlequins, Sale

Toulouse, Glasgow, Harlequins, Ospreys

Toulouse, Glasgow, Northampton, Bath

Toulouse, Glasgow, Northampton, Bentton

Toulouse, Glasgow, Northampton, Montpellier

Toulouse, Glasgow, Northampton, Sale

Toulouse, Glasgow, Northampton, Ospreys

Clermont, Glasgow, Harlequins, Bath

Clermont, Glasgow, Harlequins, Bentton

Clermont, Glasgow, Harlequins, Montpellier

Clermont, Glasgow, Harlequins, Sale

Clermont, Glasgow, Harlequins, Ospreys

Clermont, Glasgow, Northampton, Bath

Clermont, Glasgow, Northampton, Bentton

Clermont, Glasgow, Northampton, Montpellier

Clermont, Glasgow, Northampton, Sale

Clermont, Glasgow, Northampton, Ospreys

Fun fact: Glasgow have never played La Rochelle in the Heineken Champions Cup but the French side are the Warriors’ joint most likely opponents this coming season.

Most likely opponents?

Which teams appear most frequently in Glasgow’s 100 potential 2019/20 Champions Cup Pools?

La Rochelle – 35/100

Northampton – 35/100

Harlequins – 25/100

Racing 92 – 25/100

Bath – 20/100

Benetton – 20/100

Clermont – 20/100

Exeter – 20/100

Montpellier – 20/100

Ospreys – 20/100

Sale – 20/100

Gloucester – 10/100

Lyon – 10/100

Saracens – 10/100

Toulouse – 10/100

Fun fact: In the history of the tournament, Glasgow’s most frequent pool opponents have been Cardiff, Northampton, Bath and Toulouse (4 times). Although Cardiff haven’t qualified this season, the Warriors could be drawn in a pool with all three of the others this time round.

Glasgow’s previous pools in Europe’s elite rugby competition:

18/19 Saracens, Glasgow, Lyon, Cardiff

17/18 Exeter, Leinster, Montpellier, Glasgow

16/17 Racing 92, Glasgow, Leicester, Munster

15/16 Racing 92, Northampton, Glasgow, Scarlets

14/15 Bath, Toulouse, Glasgow, Montpellier

13/14 Toulon, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow

12/13 Ulster, Northampton, Castres, Glasgow

11/12 Leinster, Glasgow, Bath, Montpellier

10/11 Toulouse, Wasps, Glasgow, Newport Gwent Dragons

09/10 Biarritz, Gloucester, Glasgow Newport Gwent Dragons

08/09 Bath, Toulouse, Glasgow, Newport Gwent Dragons

07/08 Saracens, Biarritz, Glasgow, Viadana

06/07 –

05/06 Bath, Leinster, Bourgoin, Glasgow

04/05 Toulouse, Northampton, Scarlets, Glasgow

03/04 –

02/03 Scarlets, Bourgoin, Glasgow, Sale

01/02 Monterrand, Cardiff, Glasgow, Northampton

00/01 Leicester, Pau, Pontypridd, Glasgow

99/00 Stade Francais, Leinster, Glasgow, Leicester

98/99 Colomiers, Pontypridd, Benetton, Glasgow

97/98 Wasps, Glasgow, Swansea, Ulster

96/97 Glasgow, Ulster, Neath, Harlequins, Brive

95/96 –