Heineken Cup & Amlin Challenge referees announced

Following a meeting of the ERC Match Officials Committee, the referees for Rounds 5 and 6 of the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup have been unveiled:

From the ERC:

The major Anglo-French confrontations in Round 5 will see Nigel Owens of Wales take charge of unbeaten ASM Clermont Auvergne v Exeter Chiefs, with Ireland’s George Clancy in the middle for Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique in Pool 4. Alain Rolland, meanwhile, will referee the Pool 1 clash of Racing Metro 92 and Saracens at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes.

The [appointments] meeting reviewed match official performances in Rounds 3 and 4 of both tournaments and also took into account feedback from club coaching staff when considering the appointments for the vital concluding pool stage matches.

The major Anglo-French confrontations in Round 5 will see Nigel Owens of Wales take charge of unbeaten ASM Clermont Auvergne v Exeter Chiefs, with Ireland’s George Clancy in the middle for Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique in Pool 4. Alain Rolland, meanwhile, will referee the Pool 1 clash of Racing Metro 92 and Saracens at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes.

In Round 6, Rolland will be in charge again for the all-French Pool 6 game between Montpellier and Toulon while England’s Wayne Barnes will referee what could be a Pool 1 showdown between Munster Rugby and Racing at Thomond Park. A further crunch tie on Sunday, 20 January 2013 will see Clancy in the middle for another mouthwatering Anglo-French match-up between Leicester Tigers and Toulouse at Welford Road.

REFEREE APPOINTMENTS – Heineken Cup Rounds 5 and 6

ROUND 5
FRIDAY, 11 JANUARY 2013
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Glasgow Warriors – Pascal Gauzère (Fra)
Pool 4 Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique – George Clancy (Ire)
Pool 6 Sale Sharks v Montpellier – Leighton Hodges (Wal)

SATURDAY, 12 JANUARY
Pool 3 Harlequins v Connacht Rugby – Mathieu Raynal (Fra)
Pool 3 Zebre v Biarritz Olympique – Peter Fitzgibbon (Ire)
Pool 6 Toulon v Cardiff Blues – JP Doyle (Eng)
Pool 1 Racing Metro 92 v Saracens – Alain Rolland (Ire)
Pool 5 Leinster Rugby v Scarlets – Jerome Garces (Fra)
Pool 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Exeter Chiefs – Nigel Owens (Wal)

SUNDAY, 13 JANUARY
Pool 1 Edinburgh Rugby v Munster Rugby – Romain Poite (Fra)
Pool 2 Ospreys v Leicester Tigers – John Lacey (Ire)
Pool 2 Toulouse v Benetton Treviso – Wayne Barnes (Eng)

ROUND 6
FRIDAY, 18 JANUARY
Pool 3 Connacht Rugby v Zebre – Pascal Gauzère (Fra)
Pool 3 Biarritz Olympique v Harlequins – John Lacey (Ire)

SATURDAY, 19 JANUARY
Pool 4 Glasgow Warriors v Northampton Saints – Leighton Hodges (Wal)
Pool 4 Castres Olympique v Ulster Rugby – Nigel Owens (Wal)
Pool 6 Cardiff Blues v Sale Sharks – Peter Fitzgibbon (Ire)
Pool 6 Montpellier v Toulon – Alain Rolland (Ire)
Pool 5 Scarlets v ASM Clermont Auvergne – Neil Paterson (Sco)
Pool 5 Exeter Chiefs v Leinster Rugby – Romain Poite (Fra)

SUNDAY, 20 JANUARY
Pool 1 Munster Rugby v Racing Metro 92 – Wayne Barnes (Eng)
Pool 1 Saracens v Edinburgh Rugby – Jerome Garces (Fra)
Pool 2 Leicester Tigers v Toulouse – George Clancy (Ire)
Pool 2 Benetton Treviso v Ospreys – Greg Garner (Eng)