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Despite finishing third in their pool, Leinster have been handed a possibly advantageous knockout draw in the Champions Cup, avoiding clashes wiht reigning champions bordeaux Bègles and six-time winners Toulouse until the semi-final stages. The Irish province will host Edinburgh in the Round of 16 on the first weekend of April, with a decision pending on whether to utilize Croke Park or the Aviva Stadium as the venue. Final dates and times for all Round of 16 matches will be confirmed by Thursday.
Irish Hopes Rest on Leinster’s Shoulders
For the first time in five seasons, Leinster stand as the sole remaining Irish representative in the Champions Cup knockout rounds. This comes after Munster’s narrow 31-29 defeat to Castres at Thomond Park on saturday,a result that relegates them,along with Ulster and Connacht,to the Challenge Cup’s Round of 16. Ulster will host the Ospreys, while Connacht will welcome the Sharks.
Road to Bilbao: Leinster’s Potential path
Should Leinster overcome Edinburgh, they are slated to host a quarter-final against the winners of the Harlequins v Sale clash. A potential semi-final encounter could see them travel to Murrayfield to face Glasgow, assuming seedings remain consistent. Harlequins delivered a important upset,defeating two-time champions La Rochelle 27-17,eliminating Ronan O’Gara’s side from the competition. Glasgow, mirroring Bordeaux Bègles’ perfect pool stage record, secured a maximum 20 points with a 28-3 victory over Saracens – their first win against the three-time champions in seven attempts – positioning themselves for a potential home advantage throughout the remainder of the tournament, culminating in the final in Bilbao.
Bordeaux Bègles and Toulouse Dominate the Other Half
Bordeaux Bègles earned top seeding with a 27-15 win over Bristol, setting themselves up for a favorable run to the final. They will face Leicester Tigers in the Round of 16, with a potential quarter-final showdown against Toulouse looming if the French giants overcome Bristol at home. Bath will host Saracens,with the winner progressing to face either Harlequins or Sale.
Stadium Decision Looms for Leinster
Leinster are currently weighing their options for hosting the Round of 16 match against Edinburgh. Under their agreement for the Aviva Stadium,they are permitted up to 11 games per season,potentially making Croke Park a viable alternative. The decision is influenced by the potential for increased ticket sales, as last season’s game against Harlequins at croke Park drew a crowd of 55,627, significantly exceeding the 22,400 attendees at the Aviva Stadium for the subsequent quarter-final against Glasgow.
URC and Six Nations Impact
Before refocusing on the Champions Cup, Leinster will face Connacht in a URC fixture at the Dexcom Stadium next Saturday, followed by a URC match against Edinburgh at the Aviva Stadium the following week. However, Leo Cullen’s squad will be without their Ireland internationals for the latter fixture, as Andy Farrell is set to announce his Six Nations squad on Wednesday. Leinster is expected to bear a significant portion of the injury toll during the condensed six-week Six Nations tournament.
“You’d love to get 20 points, but we get 18,†Cullen remarked after Saturday’s 22-13 win in Bayonne, their 31st consecutive pool win. “Is that good? Would you have taken that at the start knowing how tough a place Bayonne is to come and get a win and knowing how difficult Leicester is as a place to come away and get a win? Quins, their swing the bat mentality, they are a danger always, and La Rochelle, as we certainly know, are a danger. So four very tough games. You’d love to get 20,but we’ve got 18. Take it. Move on. Lots of good stuff within that and let’s see where we end up.â€
bayonne’s skills/defense coach, Nick Abendanon, expressed confidence in Leinster’s prospects, stating, “I’ll be surprised if we don’t see them in the semi-final or the final.â€
Champions Cup Round of 16 (april 3rd/4th/5th)
- bordeaux Bègles v Leicester
- Glasgow v Bulls
- leinster v Edinburgh
- Bath v Saracens
- Northampton v Castres
- Harlequins v Sale
- Toulon v stormers
- Toulouse v Bristol
Quarter-finals
- QF 1: Winner 1 v Winner 8
- QF 2: Winner 2 v Winner 7
- QF 3: Winner 3 v Winner 6
- QF 4: Winner 4 v Winner 5
Semi-finals
- SF 1: Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 4
- SF 2: Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 3
Challenge Cup Round of 16 (April 3rd/4th/5th)
- Newcastle v La Rochelle
- Zebre v Pau
- Stade Francais v Dragons
- Ulster v Ospreys
- Benetton v Cardiff
- Connacht v Sharks
- Montpellier v Perpignan
- Exeter v Munster.
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