Ian McGeechan has called for an overhaul of the Heineken Cup seeding system that he believes creates lopsided pools and ends up with potential winners eliminated before reaching the knockout stages, which ultimately devalues Europe’s showpiece tournament. The London Wasps director of rugby complained that his club, the defending champions, were paired with Munster, Clermont Auvergne and Llanelli Scarlets in what has been termed “the ultimate group of death”, while weaker teams enjoyed what appeared to be a far easier route to the last eight. He feels the present structure favours the Celtic unions, whose representatives qualify virtually automatically, and penalises success.

“We are supposed to be the No 1 seeds in this competition, so how can the top seeds get a draw like this?” McGeechan asked at the launch of this year’s tournament in Cardiff yesterday. “Munster were champions in 2005, Llanelli semi-finalists last season and Clermont runners-up in the French championship. I am still trying to get my head around it. You have to ask questions about the way the seedings are arranged.”

The champions of each of the participating nations head each of the six pools. That guarantees Ireland, Wales and Scotland a top seed regardless of where they finish in the Magners League. “People have asked how can you make it more competitive for the Celtic countries,” he said. “One way is to say you have to earn your right to get into Europe by what you do in the Magners League. Their seedings should be based upon their final standings in that competition as they are in England and France and not as three separate unions as they are now.

“You want the best scenario and environment for what is the top competition. If that can reflect strengths then it is only going to take the whole thing forward.”

Peter Wheeler, the chief executive of Leicester, who, like Wasps, have won Europe’s elite tournament twice, backed McGeechan. Leicester can also feel hard done by given that they are in the same pool as Leinster, Toulouse and Edinburgh.

“You can’t protect teams in a competition of this stature,” Wheeler said. “You have got the best 20 teams in Europe. You don’t want a situation where two potential winners at a pool stage go out because you have got three potential winners in one group and none in another.”

Derek McGrath, the European Rugby Cup chief executive, said the seeding system was reviewed annually and that a report would be assessed by the board on November 22. He agreed that there were issues to be resolved. “Yes, there is the perception that there are hard pools and some pools which are a lot easier,” he said. “The Magners League idea is one way of thinking. You have to ask will it bring improvements. But you have to decide what is your objective in terms of improvement.

“The challenges we have across Europe, the well-known issues in Scotland and Italy, how they benchmark against other countries is one we have to balance. Do we take a meritocratic view, or the long-term view? At the moment we have taken the view that we have to be inclusive.”

How they line up

Pool one

London Irish, Newport Gwent Dragons, Perpignan, Treviso

Pool two

Bourgoin, Gloucester, Ospreys, Ulster

Pool three

Bristol, Cardiff Blues, Harlequins, Stade Français

Pool four

Biarritz, Glasgow, Saracens, Viadana

Pool five

Clermont Auvergne, Llanelli Scarlets, London Wasps, Munster

Pool six

Edinburgh, Leicester, Leinster, Toulouse

(Seeds in bold type)

Qualification is based on previous season’s performance

England top six in Guinness Premiership

France top six in Top 14

Ireland top three in Magners League

Wales top three in Magners League

Scotland top two in Magners League

Italy top two in Super 10

England received an extra place because London Wasps won the trophy, Wales by the Dragons winning a play-off against Italy’s third-placed team