England's squad for the Six Nations Championship will begin a three-day training camp at Twickenham today after a dramatic weekend that saw the balance of power in European club rugby undergo a significant shift. For the first time in five years two English sides have secured home ties in the Heineken Cup quarter- finals and it is their French and Irish rivals who are under more pressure.

Just days after announcing plans to boycott the tournament next season, France's top clubs must now reflect on their smallest representation in the last eight since the event was launched more than a decade ago. The two leading Irish provinces have also failed to gain a place among the top four seeds following the unexpected weekend defeats of Munster and Leinster.

Wasps and Leicester, in contrast, have transformed their seasons with gritty away wins in the final round of pool matches and have been rewarded with home ties against Leinster and Stade Français respectively on the weekend of March 30-April 1. With Northampton also qualifying as one of the two best runners-up, the odds on at least one English team featuring in the final at Twickenham on May 20 have been greatly enhanced.

Leicester, in particular, will feel anything is now possible after becoming the first team in the tournament's history to beat Munster at Thomond Park. "We face another tough tie but we now know we can compete against anyone," said the Tigers head coach Pat Howard.

At the end of a week in which a leaked document prompted reports the Rugby Football Union were plotting to set up a franchise system that did not include many of the game's most illustrious names, it is Leicester who are enjoying the last laugh.

If anyone at the RFU does secretly envisage Bedford and Coventry superseding Leicester and Northampton as centres of rugby excellence in the Midlands any time soon this was, conversely, the grimmest of weekends. Those who saw the gripping contest in Limerick on Saturday night will be aware that the club game frequently matches the international stage in terms of theatre and intensity nowadays, and the Tigers' captain, Martin Corry, hopes the England side will be among the beneficiaries.

"A couple of months ago the English clubs were losing, which shows how fine the line is between winning and losing," said Corry, recently replaced as England's captain by Phil Vickery. "Going into the Six Nations Brian Ashton wants to be picking from teams who are winning. He wants players to be walking into training buoyed by a successful weekend and, luckily, that's what he's got."

It might also help those attempting to negotiate France's participation in next season's tournament that Biarritz have qualified as top seeds and will fully expect to end Northampton's campaign in front of a fervent Basque audience in San Sebastian. The only other remaining Gallic team, though, are Stade Français. They must travel to Leicester, a rerun of the classic final between the sides in 2001.

Wasps, the 2004 Heineken Cup winners, will also relish their meeting with Brian O'Driscoll's Leinster, and Munster face an awkward away tie against Llanelli Scarlets. A lot can happen between now and April but a last four comprising Biarritz, Wasps, Llanelli and Leicester must be a serious possibility.

All eight remaining contenders must wait, however, for tomorrow's advance semi-final draw at Twickenham, which could have a major bearing on their prospects. If Biarritz receive another home draw, for example, their presence in the final will be all but guaranteed.

England are also well represented in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals in which the pick of the ties is a Bath v Bristol derby. Bristol's scrum-half Shaun Perry is still suffering from rib problems and is understood to be a near-certain absentee when England kick off the Six Nations against Scotland at Twickenham on February 3.

The Leinster wing Shane Horgan, meantime, has damaged the cartilage in his left knee and will definitely miss the first two games of Ireland's campaign.

Quarter-final draws

Heineken Cup

Biarritz v Northampton

Llanelli Scarlets v Munster

Wasps v Leinster

Leicester v Stade Français

European Challenge Cup

Bath v Bristol

Clermont Auvergne v Newcastle

Saracens v Glasgow

Newport Gwent Dragons v Brive

All matches to be played on weekend of March 30 to April 1