THE EUROPEAN RUGBY CUP have confirmed the fixtures for the pool stages of next season’s Heineken Cup, and handed some tough assignments to the three Irish sides in the competition.

Leinster will meet the much-fancied French side Clermont Auvergne twice in a week in December, while Munster will start and finish their campaign against London Irish with fixtures against Toulon in the same weeks.

Ulster will face Bath twice in a week, though will consider themselves lucky to be given a home fixture against Magners League newcomers Aironi to kick off the campaign, and a visit to Italy on the final day.

The full set of fixtures involving Irish sides is as follows. All times are Irish:

Round 1
Friday 8 October, 2010
Ulster v Aironi, 19.30

Saturday 9 October, 2010
Leinster v Racing-Metro 92, 13.30
London Irish v Munster, 17.45

Round 2
Saturday 16 October, 2010
Munster v Toulon, 15.30
Saracens v Leinster, 17.45

Sunday 17 October, 2010
Biarritz Olympique v Ulster, 15.00

Round 3
Saturday 11 December 2010
Ulster v Bath, 13.30

Sunday 12 December, 2010
Munster v Ospreys, 13.00
Clermont Auvergne v Leinster, 15.00

Round 4
Saturday 18 December, 2010
Bath v Ulster, 13.30
Ospreys v Munster, 15.30
Leinster v Clermont Auvergne, 16:45

Round 5
Fri-Sun 14-16 January, 2011 [dates and times TBC]
Leinster v Saracens
Toulon v Munster
Ulster v Biarritz Olympique

Round 6
Fri-Sun 21-23 January, 2011 [dates and times TBC]
Racing-Metro v Leinster
Munster v London Irish
Aironi v Ulster