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Heineken Cup contenders

Sky Sports rugby union writer Tony Curtis look at the eight contenders left in the hunt for HEC glory

Following the completion of the Heineken Cup pool stages, Sky Sports looks at the eight contenders chasing glory in May.

Ulster

Last season's finalists enjoyed a sensational start to the season before Northampton threatened to derail their challenge. However, even though a bonus-point win over Glasgow guaranteed their place in the quarter-finals going into the final pool fixture, Mark Anscombe's men underlined their potential with an historic win in Castres. Injuries have not been kind to the Ulstermen - Stephen Ferris and Johann Muller are among those missing - but they have tremendous depth to their squad now and they will have learned from the heavy loss to Leinster at Twickenham in 2012. Their failure to pick up enough bonus points in the pool means they will have to travel to Saracens in the last-eight - the good news is that if they win then they could have home advantage in the semi-final, the bad news is that it will be against either Toulon or Leicester

Leicester

A dogged victory over Toulouse at a snow-covered Welford Road saw the Tigers claim their place in the last eight at the expense of their French rivals. Although on paper it might look like Leicester have stumbled through the pool stages, to top a pool including Europe's top side - Toulouse have won four titles and 92 of their 131 Heineken Cup games - the RaboDirect PRO12 champions in the Ospreys and Treviso, a side that is improving year-on-year, is no mean feat. They only lost to Toulouse in France, while they were held to a draw in Swansea by the Ospreys. Their forwards - particularly the lineout general of Geoff Parling - remain key to the hopes, while they will need Toby Flood to keep chipping away at the scoreboard. If they are to reach the final they will have to do it the hard way, with trips Toulon and then Saracens or Ulster now on the cards.

Montpellier

The Top 14 side clinched their place in the quarter-finals courtesy of one of the two best runners-up spots - and, in truth, they weren't that far from claiming top spot in Pool Six. A rousing victory in the final match over pool winners Toulon will have thrown down a marker to their challengers. With Mamuka Gorgodze leading from the front and Francois Trinh-Duc pulling the strings, Montpellier could well be the dark horses. They will fancy their chances in the all-Top 14 quarter-final at Clermont, with home advantage against Munster or Harlequins should they advance.

Munster

The former champions gatecrashed the quarter-finals courtesy of a dramatic final-day of action. Their bonus-point win over Racing Metro meant they claimed the final 'best runners-up spot' at the expense of their old foes Leinster. Defeats to Racing and Saracens showed they are vulnerable away from fortress Thomond Park, but write them off at your peril. In the likes of Ronan O'Gara, Simon Zebo, Doug Howlett and Donnacha Ryan they have some class performers. They will need all their star names to be on form if they are to now beat Quins at the Stoop, while either Clermont or Montpellier in the semis would pose a number of problems.

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