As the Heineken Cup quarter-finals move ever closer there were mixed fortunes on the domestic front for the last eight in the world's top club tournament.

With the tournament set to resume on Saturday, 5 April, only the Ospreys, Munster and Perpignan came up with victories in the first weekend of matches with all their international players available.

Gloucester didn't play, but there were away defeats for Toulouse, Cardiff Blues, Saracens and London Irish.

The results at the weekend were:

EDF Energy Cup Semi-Final (Millennium Stadium)
Ospreys 39, Saracens 3

Guinness Premiership
Bath 19, London Irish 16

Magners League
Llanelli Scarlets 35, Cardiff Blues 17
Munster 42, Ulster 6

Top 14
Perpignan 45, Albi 7
Stade Francais Paris 29, Toulouse 0

FIRST BLOOD TO THE OSPREYS
Alan Gaffney's Saracens side got an early taste of Grand Slam fever as they missed out on a first cup final since 1998 when they were put to the sword by the Ospreys in the EDF Energy Cup semi-final at the Millennium Stadium.

Returning to the ground where so many of them had helped Wales to clinch a 10th Grand Slam the previous weekend, the Ospreys ran in four tries in a convincing 30-3 win to set-up a repeat final against Leicester Tigers at Twickenham.

It was a game that allowed the Ospreys to lay down a marker ahead of the Heineken Cup quarter-final meeting between the two sides at Vicarage Road on Sunday, 6 April.

Saracens lost two of their most influential players, skipper and scrum half Neil De Koch and All Blacks lock Chris Jack, through injuries in the first-half, but Gaffney was left in no doubt as to who will start as favourites in two weeks time.

"We didn't need a slice of luck, we needed five more players. A lot of our players were unaware of the quality of the Ospreys, but there is little doubt they will know they are a good side after this," said Gaffney.

"We have to treat this game as a learning curve because they were by far the better side. That was the biggest hammering we've had since I've been at Saracens.

"But we believe we can turn it around in the Heineken Cup. It will be some return match."
Gaffney is sweating on the left arm injury suffered by Jack. He went to hospital for x-rays after the game on Saturday.

Ospreys coach Lyn Jones was reading little into the result ahead of his side's trip to Vicarage Road.

"This was a one off and home advantage will play a big part in the next game," he said.

Ospreys and Wales skipper Ryan Jones was full of praise for his side and believes they are now ready to make the step up to a new level.

"We have really grown and matured as a team. It was bitterly disappointing to lose in the final of the EDF Energy Cup
last year, but we learned from that experience," he said.

"Now we believe we can go one step further. We also believe we can go on and win in Europe as well."

London Irish director of rugby Brian Smith was delighted to see his backs coach Mike Catt get back into action at his old stamping ground at the weekend, but frustrated at only picking up a point at Bath.

The Exiles had enough chances to stop the European Challenge Cup quarter-finalists from marching to the top of the Guinness Premiership, but they failed to take them.

The 36-year-old Catt returned at centre following a broken nose sustained in the defeat at Gloucester at the start of the month. He came through unscathed and looks set to be in contention for a place against Perpignan in the Heineken Cup quarter-final.

Smith and Catt will be hoping the month of March can end on a high note after three successive defeats - Gloucester, London Wasps and Bath - when they host Bristol at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday.

The return to action of influential centre Marc Stcherbina and outside half Dai Flanagan gave Cardiff Blues coach Dai Young something to smile about after seeing his side crash 35-17 at Llanelli Scarlets.

If that defeat virtually ruled them out of the running for the Magners League title, Young knows that with Welsh Grand Slammers Martyn Williams, Tom Shanklin and Gethin Jenkins to come into his line-up there is still hope of progressing in Europe.

"Our away form has generally been good this season and we certainly won't fear travelling to Toulouse. We know they are a formidable outfit at home, but we're ready to give it a crack," said Young.

I didn't want to play too many of the Welsh players in the first game back, but they will all be available for our trip to Edinburgh this weekend and then the quarter-final in Toulouse.

"It is a massive game for the Blues Region as it is the first European quarter-final we have reached."
It was only the third game the Blues had played since crushing Bristol 17-0 to qualify for the quarter-finals.

It may have been a disappointing Six Nations campaign for the Irish, but there were no hang-overs as far as the Munster contingent were concerned. Ronan O'Gara, Paul O'Connell, John Hayes and co got straight back to business for their Province as they helped the home side put Ulster to the sword in Cork.

There were six tries for the Musgrave Park faithful to enjoy and the bonus point victory moved Munster firmly back into the title race in the Magners League. With a game in hand on the top two teams, they are one point behind Llanelli Scarlets (36) and 11 points short of leaders Leinster (46).

Among the try scorers was New Zealand's record Test scorer, Doug Howlett, who notched his first in Munster colours.

After a very poor start to their Top 14 season, Perpignan now find themselves within one point off the top four following their resounding 45-7 home win over Albi.

The return of World Cup winner Percy Montgomery after a knee injury proved crucial as the South African full back notched 23 points.

Perpignan were still missing their captain and England international prop Perry Freshwater, who failed a fitness test on his injured shoulder. But the influential Freshwater is expected to be fit for the quarter-final at London Irish on Saturday, 5 April.

USAP also had to play without two other players they had hoped to welcome back after injury, Patrick Burger and Steve Meyer, but Scottish scrum half Chris Cusiter managed to play for 67 minutes after shrugging off a calf injury.

"Things have clicked into place and we are getting some real momentum behind us," was the verdict of Springbok legend Montgomery.

"We have a big game this weekend against Bourgoin and then the London Irish game. You have to treat it like a final and we are determined not to come away from Reading with any regrets."

With Biarritz Olympique and Cardiff Blues to come at home in the next two weeks, Toulouse coach Guy Noves sent largely a second string side to Paris to meet Stade Francais at Stade de France.

It was a decision that led to a 29-0 defeat - the first time this season his side had failed to score.

Noves is set to recall his French Six Nations stars for the clash with Biarritz at Le Stadium on Saturday.

Wing Yves Donguy picked up a leg strain in Paris that might rule him out of contention for this weekend, but he is expected to be fully fit to face the Blues. So, too, is international centre Florian Fritz, who has recovered from the broken leg sustained in training with the French squad during the Six Nations.

"What happened in the match against Paris is a disappointment for us. We thought we would be able to do a bit more, but we never got into the game - we were totally pushed onto the sidelines," admitted Noves.

Gloucester coach Dean Ryan saw his side lose their grip on the top spot in the Guinness Premiership at the weekend even though his team weren't playing.

Bath have leapfrogged their west country rivals after making up their extra game with a victory over London Irish. Both teams have the same number of points, but Bath have moved to the top on points difference.

Gloucester had to sit out last weekend's games because of the EDF Energy Cup semi-finals and Ryan will be keen to see his side get back to winning ways at Worcester this weekend having suffered four defeats in their last six Guinness Premiership matches.

The sell-out Heineken Cup quarter-final clash with Munster will be Gloucester's 13th game at Kingsholm this season in all tournaments. To date they have won 10, lost one - to Leicester Tigers - and drawn one.
Will it be lucky or unlucky 13 for the home side on Saturday, 5 April?

Three of the four home sides in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals - London Irish, Saracens and Toulouse, will have home advantage in their final domestic league fixtures ahead of their big European battles.

London Irish play on Sunday against Bristol before meeting Perpignan at the Madejski, while the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues will play on Friday, 28 March before their trips on Sunday, 6 April to Saracens and Toulouse.

Guinness Premiership
Saturday, 29 March
Worcester Warriors v Gloucester
Sunday, 30 March
London Irish v Bristol
Saracens v Leeds Tykes

Magners League
Friday, 28 March
Connacht v Munster
Edinburgh v Blues
Ospreys v Ulster

Top 14
Friday, 28 March
Toulouse v Biarritz Olymique
Saturday, 29 March
Bourgoin v Perpignan