NORTHAMPTON will return to Limerick charged with preserving English rugby’s selfrespect in the Heineken Cup.

Saints, European champions ten years ago after they beat Munster at Twickenham, face a Thomond Park rematch against the Irish giants in mid-April.

Confirmation of the quarter- final tie comes just two days after Munster beat Northampton in a gripping Pool One clash which ensured their status as top seeds.

The other last-eight clashes see solitary remaining Welsh challengers the Ospreys meeting Biarritz, holders Leinster hosting Clermont Auvergne and three-time Heineken Cup winners Toulouse entertaining big-spending French rivals Stade Francais.

Toulouse or Stade can then look forward to a semi-final against Leinster or Clermont in early May, with the Biarritz/ Ospreys winners facing Munster or Saints.

England are facing the prospect of not providing a semi-finalist for the first time in seven years in what appears to be a reflection on the often poor standard of this season’s Guinness Premiership.

Only Northampton, the eighth seeds as second-best runner-up, and Gloucester finished second in their groups.

■ Newcastle Falcons will be at home to Cardiff Blues in the quarter-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup after the seedings for the last eight of the competition were confirmed over the weekend.

Falcons will entertain a Cardiff side currently lying eighth in the Magners League on the weekend beginning April 8.

Despite failing to secure a bonus point in Friday night’s 20-3 victory over Petrarca Padova, Newcastle finished the Challenge Cup group stage as the fourth-ranked pool winners, and therefore secured a coveted home slot in the last eight.

They were paired with Cardiff as the Welsh side were the highest ranked of the three Heineken Cup runners- up to drop into the Challenge Cup.

Cardiff rounded off their Heineken Cup campaign with a resounding 45-20 win at Harlequins, a result that left them in second place in Pool Five, five points behind group winners Toulouse.

Ironically, Newcastle and Cardiff are due to meet at the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday in the LV Cup, but Falcons are expected to field a shadow side after losing their first two games in the competition last November.