Toulon And Wilkinson Heineken Cup Favourites

Bookmakers William Hill make Toulon and Jonny Wikinson the favourites to win the Heineken Cup this season and finish as top points-scorer respectively.

Ahead of the competition kicking off this weekend, reigning champions Toulon have been installed as the 7/2 favourites with Clermont at 9/2 as the bookies expect French sides to dominate after Toulon beat Clermont 16-15 in last year's final.

Only two sides - Leicester and Leinster - have ever retained the title in the past.

William Hill go 4/6 that a French side wins the tournament with 11/4 against an English side emulating Wasps' triumph of 2007 and 9/2 against an Irish team making it five wins in eight attempts.

Wilkinson is 3/1 joint favourite with Morgan Parra to finish the season with more points than anybody else ahead of Owen Farrell (4/1) and Ian Madigan (8/1).

"The French sides look like they will triumph this year but at least one of them will have to rely on one of England’s greatest ever players," said William Hill spokesman Joe Crilly.

Heineken Cup 2013-2014: 7/2 Toulon, 9/2 Clermont, 6/1 Saracens, 8/1 Leinster, 8/1 Toulouse, 11/1 Leicester, 14/1 Ulster, 16/1 Munster, 16/1 Racing Metro, 20/1 Northampton, 33/1 Glasgow, 33/1 Montpellier, 40/1 Harlequins, 40/1 Perpignan, 50/1 Ospreys, 66/1 Castres, 100/1 Gloucester, 125/1 Exeter, 125/1 Scarlets, 150/1 Cardiff Blues, 500/1 Edinburgh, 500/1 Treviso, 2000/1 Connacht, 5000/1 Zebre

Top Point Scorer: 3/1 Jonny Wilkinson, 3/1 Morgan Parra, 4/1 Owen Farrell, 8/1 Ian Madigan, 10/1 Toby Flood, 12/1 Jonathan Sexton, 12/1 Ruan Pienaar, 16/1 Luke McAlister, 16/1 Stephen Myler, 20/1 Ian Keayley, 20/1 Jimmy Gopperth, 25/1 Nick Evans, 25/1 Rory Kockott, 25/1 Ruaridh Jackson, 33/1 Benoit Paillauge, 33/1 James Hook, , 33/1 Leigh Halfpenny, 33/1 Lionel Beauxis, 40/1 Dan Biggar, 40/1 Freddie Burns, 40/1 Jonathan Pelissie, 40/1 Paddy Jackson, 100/1 others

Heineken Cup Nationality Of Winner: 4/6 France, 11/4 England, 9/2 Ireland, 28/1 Scotland, 33/1 Wales, 250/1 Italy

Past Winners

1995-6: Toulouse (France)
1996-7: Brive (France)
1997-8: Bath (England)
1998-9: Ulster (Ireland)
1999-2000: Northampton (England)
2000-01: Leicester (England)
2001-02: Leicester (England)
2002-03: Toulouse (France)
2003-04: Wasps (England)
2004-05: Toulouse (France)
2005-06: Munster (Ireland)
2006-07: Wasps (England)
2007-08: Munster (Ireland)
2008-09: Leinster (Ireland)
2009-10: Toulouse (France)
2010-11: Leinster (Ireland)
2011-12: Leinster (Ireland)
2012-13: Toulon (France)