Munster and Ulster drew short straws, Leinster's marginally longer as the draw for next season's Heineken European Cup was announced yesterday.

Last season's beaten finalists Munster have been grouped alongside Bath, Newport and Castres and will face an extremely tough assignment in emulating or improving upon last season's magnificent achievement.

The 1998 European champions Ulster were equally blighted by fate, finding themselves opposing Cardiff, Saracens and France 3 (either Pau, Colomiers, Toulouse of Stade Francais) in their pool.

The draw proved less harsh for Leinster although there is the small matter of dealing with the reigning European champions Northampton. Edinburgh Reivers and French Cup holders Biarritz complete the pool.

Munster coach Declan Kidney was outwardly philosophical about the draw. Privately he might wonder how one of the six seeded teams could be handed such a difficult proposition. "There is no getting away from it, it's a very tough draw. You have four sides that are very similar in that they are passionate about their rugby.

"In fairness there is no such thing as an easy group but we certainly weren't favoured by the draw." Six teams were seeded, the champions in their respective domestic competitions of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy. Northampton as European Cup winners, rather than the Allied Dunbar Premiership winners Leicester, received the honour as English seeds.

Ulster find themselves in an equally tough grouping. Cardiff reached the quarter-finals of last season's competition before losing to Llanelli at Stradey Park while few will forget those epic encounters between Munster and Saracens which resulted in two one-point victories for the interprovincial champions.

Leinster's position is not quite as arduous. Despite drawing Northampton, they face Edinburgh Reivers, who disappointed last season, and Biarritz who were not in the competition 12 months ago. Leinster coach Mike Ruddock was cautiously optimistic: "I think the players will relish the fact that we have drawn the European champions in Northampton.

"It's always nice to have a crack at the best. We won't though be taking too much for granted elsewhere. If Biarritz are good enough to win the French Cup then they are obviously a strong team. People have a tendency to write off Scottish sides but last season we were beaten away by Glasgow Caledonians.

"I was a little surprised given our finishing position in the interprovincial championship that we didn't draw a Leicester or Stade Francais again but I am not complaining."

The first four rounds will take place in October with the final two in January.

Dates: Round One - October 6th/7th/8th; Round Two: October 13th/14th/15th; Round Three: October 20th/21st/22nd; Round Four: October 27th/28th/29th; Round Five: January (2001) 12th/13th/14th; Round Six: January 19th/20th/21st; Quarter-finals: January 26th/27th/28th; Semi-finals: April 20th/21st/22nd; Final: May 19th or 20th.

The European Shield rounds take place on the same weekends at the cup and that also applies to the knockout stages.