# 1996–97 Heineken Cup pool stage

The 1996–97 Heineken Cup pool stage was played during October and November 1996. The top two teams in each group qualified for the quarter-finals.
All times are local to the game site.
    Key to colours   Top two teams in each group advance to quarter-finals

## Pool 1

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Dax | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 141 | 69 | 72 | 6 |
| Bath | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 136 | 88 | 48 | 6 |
| Pontypridd | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 97 | 60 | 37 | 6 |
| Benetton Treviso | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 15 | −2 | 106 | 135 | −29 | 2 |
| Edinburgh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 29 | −23 | 71 | 199 | −128 | 0 |
* 12 October 1996 14:30
| Pontypridd | 28–22 | Benetton Treviso |
* Sardis Road Attendance: 3,500
* 12 October 1996 15:00
| Bath | 55–26 | Edinburgh |
* Recreation Ground Attendance: 6,500
* 16 October 1996 19:00
| Edinburgh | 10–32 | Pontypridd |
* Myreside Attendance: 3,000
* 16 October 1996 20:00
| Benetton Treviso | 14–34 | Dax |
* Stadio Comunale di Monigo Attendance: 1,000
* 19 October 1996 14:30
| Pontypridd | 19–6 | Bath |
* Sardis Road Attendance: 7,000
* 20 October 1996 14:30
| Dax | 69–12 | Edinburgh |
* Parc Municipal des Sports Attendance: 8,000
* 26 October 1996 15:00
| Bath | 25–16 | Dax |
* Recreation Ground Attendance: 8,000
* 27 October 1996 14:30
| Edinburgh | 23–43 | Benetton Treviso |
* Myreside Attendance: 1,500
* 2 November 1996 14:30
| Benetton Treviso | 27–50 | Bath |
* Stadio Comunale di Monigo Attendance: 2,500
* 2 November 1996 19:30
| Dax | 22–18 | Pontypridd |
* Parc Municipal des Sports Attendance: 9,000

## Pool 2

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Leicester | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 114 | 43 | 71 | 8 |
| Llanelli | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 97 | 81 | 16 | 4 |
| Leinster | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 12 | −3 | 86 | 109 | −23 | 4 |
| Pau | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 137 | 103 | 34 | 2 |
| Scottish Borders | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 24 | −17 | 80 | 178 | −98 | 2 |
* 12 October 1996 14:30
| Llanelli | 34–17 | Leinster |
* Stradey Park Attendance: 2,800
* 12 October 1996 17:00
| Pau | 85–28 | Borders |
* Stade Municipal du Hameau Attendance: 3,000
* 16 October 1996 18:45
| Leinster | 10–27 | Leicester Tigers |
* Lansdowne Road Attendance: 3,500
* 16 October 1996 19:00
| Borders | 24–16 | Llanelli |
* Mansfield Park Attendance: 2,000
* 19 October 1996 14:30
| Llanelli | 31–15 | Pau |
* Stradey Park Attendance: 3,000
* 19 October 1996 14:30
| Leicester Tigers | 43–3 | Borders |
* Welford Road Attendance: 4,609
* 26 October 1996 14:30
| Borders | 25–34 | Leinster |
* The Greenyards Attendance: 3,500
* 26 October 1996 16:45
| Pau | 14–19 | Leicester |
* Stade Municipal du Hameau Attendance: 9,000
* 2 November 1996 14:30
| Leinster | 25–23 | Pau |
* Donnybrook Attendance: 4,000
* 2 November 1996 15:00
| Leicester Tigers | 25–16 | Llanelli |
* Welford Road Attendance: 11,000

## Pool 3

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Brive | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 106 | 65 | 41 | 8 |
| Harlequins | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 131 | 95 | 36 | 6 |
| Neath | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 16 | −6 | 83 | 109 | −26 | 4 |
| Ulster | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 75 | 87 | −12 | 2 |
| Caledonia | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 20 | −7 | 117 | 156 | −39 | 0 |
* 12 October 1996 17:15
| Brive | 34–19 | Neath |
* Parc Municipal des Sports Attendance: 5,000
* 13 October 1996 14:30
| Caledonia | 34–41 | Ulster |
| Try: Rowen Shepherd Paul Rouse Stuart Grimes Con: Rowen Shepherd (2) Pen: Rowen Shepherd (4) Drop: Jonathan Newton | Report | Try: David Humphreys (2) Jan Cunningham (2) Stephen McKinty Con: David Humphreys (2) Pen: David Humphreys (2) Stuart Laing Drop: David Humphreys |
* McDiarmid Park Attendance: 2,400 Referee: J. C. Gastou
* 16 October 1996 19:00
| Ulster | 15–21 | Harlequins |
| Pen: David Humphreys (4) Drop: David Humphreys | Report | Try: Mick Watson Daren O'Leary Con: Will Carling Pen: Will Carling (2) |
* Ravenhill Attendance: 8,000 Referee: I. Ramage
* 16 October 1996 19:15
| Neath | 27–18 | Caledonia |
* The Gnoll Attendance: 2,000
* 19 October 1996 15:00
| Harlequins | 44–22 | Neath |
* Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 3,500
* 20 October 1996 15:00
| Caledonia | 30–32 | Brive |
* McDiarmid Park Attendance: 2,000
* 26 October 1996 14:30
| Neath | 15–13 | Ulster |
| Try: Steve Williams Leighton Gerrard Con: Geraint Davies Pen: Geraint Davies | Report | Try: Andrew Matchett Con: David Humphreys Pen: David Humphreys (2) |
* The Gnoll Attendance: 2,000
* 27 October 1996 16:15
| Brive | 23–10 | Harlequins |
* Parc Municipal des Sports Attendance: 13,000
* 2 November 1996 14:30
| Ulster | 6–17 | Brive |
| Pen: David Humphreys Drop: David Humphreys | Report | Try: Francois Duboisset Sebastian Carrat Sébastien Viars Con: David Venditti |
* Ravenhill Attendance: 3,500 Referee: H. Lewis
* 2 November 1996 14:30
| Harlequins | 56–35 | Caledonia |
* Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 3,751

## Pool 4

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Toulouse | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 157 | 142 | 15 | 6 |
| Cardiff | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 135 | 97 | 38 | 6 |
| London Wasps | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 156 | 115 | 41 | 4 |
| Munster | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 22 | −11 | 109 | 135 | −26 | 4 |
| Milan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 15 | −9 | 73 | 141 | −68 | 0 |
* 12 October 1996 15:00
| Munster | 23–5 | Milan |
| | Report | |
* Musgrave Park Attendance: 1,500
* 13 October 1996 15:00
| London Wasps | 24–26 | Cardiff |
* Loftus Road Attendance: 6,000
* 16 October 1996 19:15
| Cardiff | 48–18 | Munster |
| | Report | |
* Cardiff Arms Park Attendance: 4,000
* 16 October 1996 20:30
| Milan | 26–44 | Toulouse |
* Stadio Comunale Giuriati Attendance: 500
* 19 October 1996 15:30
| Munster | 49–22 | London Wasps |
| | Report | |
* Thomond Park Attendance: 6,000
* 19 October 1996 15:30
| Toulouse | 36–20 | Cardiff |
* Les Sept Deniers Attendance: 10,000
* 26 October 1996 15:00
| London Wasps | 77–17 | Toulouse |
* Loftus Road Attendance: 8,000
* 27 October 1996 15:00
| Cardiff | 41–19 | Milan |
* Arms Park Attendance: 3,000
* 2 November 1996 14:30
| Milan | 23–33 | London Wasps |
* Stadio Comunale Giuriati Attendance: 1,200
* 2 November 1996 16:00
| Toulouse | 60–19 | Munster |
| | Report | |
* Les Sept Deniers Attendance: 14,000

## Seeding

| Seed | Pool Winners | Pts | TF | +/− |
| 1 | Leicester | 8 | 14 | +71 |
| 2 | Brive | 8 | 13 | +41 |
| 3 | Toulouse | 6 | 21 | +15 |
| 4 | Dax | 6 | 16 | +72 |
| Seed | Pool Runners-up | Pts | TF | +/− |
| 5 | Harlequins | 6 | 20 | +36 |
| 6 | Cardiff RFC | 6 | 16 | +38 |
| 7 | Bath | 6 | 15 | +48 |
| 8 | Llanelli RFC | 4 | 9 | +16 |