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.
{| class="wikitable" |+ Key to colours |- | style="background: #ccffcc;" | |Top two teams in each group advance to quarter-finals
Pool 1 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts Dax43011621414169726 Bath4301158713688486 Pontypridd43017349760376 Benetton Treviso41031315−2106135−292 Edinburgh4004629−2371199−1280
Pool 2 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts Leicester44001431111443718 Llanelli42029909781164 Leinster4202912−386109−234 Pau410319109137103342 Scottish Borders4103724−1780178−982
Pool 3 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts Brive4400138510665418 Harlequins43012081213195366 Neath42021016−683109−264 Ulster4103610−47587−122 Caledonia40041320−7117156−390
Pool 4 TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts Toulouse430121138157142156 Cardiff4301167913597386 London Wasps420217143156115414 Munster42021122−11109135−264 Milan4004615−973141−680
Seeding SeedPool WinnersPtsTF+/−1 Leicester814+712 Brive813+413 Toulouse621+154 Dax616+72SeedPool Runners-upPtsTF+/−5 Harlequins620+366 Cardiff RFC616+387 Bath615+488 Llanelli RFC49+16
See also 1996–97 Heineken Cup
References