LEINSTER, MUNSTER AND ULSTER will not face any of France’s “big three” teams in the pool stages of the Heineken Cup next season.

The three Irish provinces have been seeded in Tier 1 alongside defending champions Toulon, beaten finalists Clermont Auvergne and Toulouse, dodging the possibility of the teams meeting each other in a “Pool of Death”.

Ahead of Pat Lam’s first campaign as head coach, Connacht have been placed in the third tier of teams alongside Montpellier, the Scottish pair of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and Welsh duo Ospreys and Scarlets. Under tournament regulations, Connacht cannot be drawn against another Irish team in the pool stages.

Seedings are based on the ERC European rankings system over the past four seasons in the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup. Leinster, who followed up their back-to-back Heineken Cups with a win in the Amlin Challenge Cup this season, remain the top-ranked team with Munster in sixth, Ulster in seventh and Connacht in 21st.

The draw for both 2013/14 European tournaments takes place next Wednesday, 5 June, in the Aviva Stadium at 2.30pm. Both draws will be streamed live on www.ercrugby.com.

2013/14 Heineken Cup clubs and tiers

• Tier 1 – Leinster Rugby, Toulon, Toulouse, ASM Clermont Auvergne, Ulster Rugby, Munster Rugby
• Tier 2 – Northampton Saints, Harlequins, Cardiff Blues, Saracens, Leicester Tigers, Perpignan
• Tier 3 – Edinburgh Rugby, Ospreys, Scarlets, Glasgow Warriors, Montpellier, Connacht Rugby
• Tier 4 – Gloucester Rugby, Castres Olympique, Racing Metro 92, Exeter Chiefs, Benetton Treviso, Zebre

2013/14 Amlin Challenge Cup clubs and tiers

• Tier 1 – Biarritz Olympique PB, Stade Francais Paris, London Wasps, Bath Rugby, Brive
• Tier 2 – London Irish, Sale Sharks, Newport Gwent Dragons, England (TBC), Rugby Viadana
• Tier 3 – Bayonne, I Cavalieri Prato, Worcester Warriors, Bordeaux-Bègles, Cammi Rugby Calvisano
• Tier 4 – Grenoble, Mogliano Rugby, Oyonnax, Bucharest Wolves, Spanish representative

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