ULSTER will be among the third seeds for this afternoon’s pool stage draw for the 2017/18 European Champions Cup (1.20pm).
Beaten Guinness Pro12 finalists Munster and semi-finalists Leinster will both be included in a draw prior to the main pool draw to determine the remaining seedings.
Munster, Wasps and Toulon will be in a pot for the two remaining spots in tier one, with one of the three dropping into tier two.
Ordinarily that would mean a tougher draw but with tier one consisting of the Premiership, Top14 and Pro12 champions plus two others, it means holders Saracens – who were beaten in the Premiership semi-final – will be in tier two for this afternoon’s draw.
They will be alongside Leinster, La Rochelle and whichever of Munster, Wasps and Toulon is not drawn into tier one, as well as one fourth placed team from one of the domestic competitions.
In all, 20 clubs will be in the draw, though the fourth Irish province Connacht will be absent after they lost a qualification playoff to Northampton, who went on to beat Stade Francais and secure their place.
There will be seven representatives from the Pro12, with the three Irish provinces joined by champions Scarlets, Ospreys, Glasgow and Treviso, who qualify as the highest placed Italian team.
Each pool will have at least one club from each of the three leagues and one club from each of the four tiers. There can be no more than two clubs from the same league in a pool, and no pool will contain two PRO12 clubs from the same country.
Clubs from the same league will be kept apart until the allocation of the Tier 4 clubs.
TIER ONE: Exeter Chiefs, Scarlets, Clermont Auvergne plus two of Munster, Wasps or Toulon
TIER TWO: Saracens, Leinster, La Rochelle plus one of Munster, Wasps or Toulon plus one of Leicester, Racing 92 or Ospreys
TIER THREE: Bath, Montpellier, Ulster plus two of Leicester, Racing 92 or Ospreys
TIER FOUR: Harlequins, Northampton Saints, Castres, Glasgow Warriors, Treviso
Dates
Round one: October 12-15
Round two: October 19-22
Round three: December 7-10
Round four: December 14-17
Round five: January 11-14
Round six: January 18-21
Quarter-finals: March 29 – April 1
Semi-finals: April 20-22
Final: May 12, San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao
