Heineken Cup preview: Pool Four

Ulster: Last year's losing finalists

With the Heineken Cup looming large on the horizon, we take a closer look at each group. Next up, Pool Four.

NORTHAMPTON
Director of rugby: Jim Mallinder
Captain: Dylan Hartley
Best finish: Winners in 2000
Key signing: Dominic Waldouck
Player to watch: George Pisi
Pool odds: 5/4

ULSTER
Coach: Mark Anscombe
Captain: Johann Muller
Best finish: Winners in 1999
Key signing: Tommy Bowe
Player to watch: Ruan Pienaar
Pool odds: 6/4

CASTRES
Coaches: Laurent Labit/Laurent Travers
Captain: Matthias Rolland
Best finish: Semi-finalists in 2002
Key signing: Pedrie Wanneburg
Player to watch: Max Evans
Pool odds: 4/1

GLASGOW
Coach: Gregor Townsend
Captain: Alastair Kellock
Best finish: Quarter-final play-off in 1998
Key signing: Josh Strauss
Player to watch: Stuart Hogg
Pool odds: 12/1

How we see it: This pool features two teams (Ulster and Northampton) currently top of their respective leagues (Pro12 and the Premiership) and both are Heineken finalists in the last two seasons. In all, this intriguing pool - comprising English, Irish, Scottish and French clubs - is one of the toughest to call as the four sides are capable of producing big performances on their day. Ulster, unbeaten in the Pro12, are favoured to top the group but it remains to be seen how the Irish province cope with the favourite's tag as they look to go one better this time out after their impressive run to the Twickenham final last season. Northampton on the other hand, are hard to predict. The Saints marched to the 2010/11 final, but failed to make it past the pool stages the following season. The loss of England full-back Ben Foden will also be a massive blow. Castres, currently sixth in the Top 14, are always a formidable force on home soil whilst Glasgow have made a promising start to the domestic campaign and will deem their home form as integral to their hopes of reaching the last eight.

Key fixture(s) in Pool: Former Ulster flanker Pedrie Wanneburg returns to his old hunting ground with Castres in the opening hit-out of the pool, and will no doubt have passed some inside knowledge to his new French team. They'll definatelly need it as Castres have one of the worst away records in the tournament having won just won of their last 17 games on the road. The Ulstermen have won their last 11 games at home in the Heineken Cup, and will be determined to extend that impressive run to 12. The Saints won't want a repeat start to last season's opener (when they lost to a last-gasp Ronan O'Gara drop-goal), and will be banking on maximum points against Glasgow to kick-start their campaign. Diarise December 15 - the battle between Ulster and Northampton could prove decisive in who tops this group....

Prediction: 1 Ulster 2 Northampton 3 Castres 4 Glasgow

Fixtures:
12 Oct: Ulster v Castres
14 Oct: Saints v Warriors
19 Oct: Warriors v Ulster
19 Oct: Castres v Saints
7 Dec: Warriors v Castres
7 Dec: Saints v Ulster
15 Dec: Ulster v Saints
16 Dec: Castres v Warriors
11/12/13 Jan: Saints v Castres
11/12/13 Jan: Ulster v Warriors
18/19/20 Jan: Castres v Ulster
18/19/20 Jan: Warriors v Saints