Check out the state of play in Pool 1 at the half-way stage of the 2013/14 Heineken Cup Pool stage. The return legs of the back-to-back fixtures in round 4 are played this weekend, but who will qualify for the quarter-finals.

POOL 3

Connacht threw Pool 3 wide open by recording one of the greatest shocks in Heineken Cup history on Sunday when they stunned European giants Toulouse 16-14 in the South of France.

Connacht had lost their last eight games in the PRO12, but they somehow ended Toulouse’ unbeaten start to their latest continental quest thanks to a Kieran Marmion try and 11 points from the boot of Dan Parks.

The Heineken Cup’s most successful side led 7-6 at the break courtesy of a converted try from Jean-Pascal Barraquery on the stroke of half time, but Connacht deservedly restored their advantage with 10 points in the space of three minutes just after the restart and they were 16-7 to the good with just over half an hour remaining.

Most observers would no doubt have expected Toulouse to come back and a late rescue act seemed to be on the cards when captain Thierry Dusautoir crossed for a converted try with 15 minutes still left to play. Connacht dug deep, however, to make Heineken Cup headlines by becoming the first team in five years to win a European tie at the Stade Ernst Wallon.

That surprise result leaves Connacht well and truly in the hunt for a place in the knockout stages as they now sit just a point behind both Toulouse and Saracens at the halfway point of the pool. And as well as giving everyone at the Sportsground a huge boost ahead of the return leg, it will also have raised spirits at Sarries.

The former English champions looked as if they would struggle to repeat last season’s semi-final showing after they were edged out by Toulouse at Wembley in Round 2, but they now know that topping the Pool is once again in their own hands, even if they do have to go to France for the penultimate round of action next month.

Mark McCall’s men secured maximum points in Italy in Round 3 as they eased past Zebre 39-10 in Parma and will want to do the same again at home this weekend to give themselves every chance of going to Toulouse in the New Year as the Pool leaders.