LEINSTER WILL FACE La Rochelle for the fifth consecutive season after the two clubs were drawn in the same pool for next season’s Champions Cup pool stages.
The 2024/25 Champions Cup will again consist of four pools of six teams, with each pool containing two clubs from the URC, Premiership and Top 14. Each club will play four pool matches against four different clubs home or away.
Leinster, beaten by Toulouse in this season’s Champions Cup final, were named in Pool 2 alongside Clermont Auvergne, La Rochelle, Bristol Bears, Benetton and Bath.
🚨 2024/25 #InvestecChampionsCup Pools 🚨
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) July 2, 2024
Bring on the season 💪 pic.twitter.com/AXJLMkuBhp
There will be no pool matches between clubs from the same league, so Leinster will play Clermont, La Rochelle, Bristol and Bath.
Munster are also set to face some familiar opponents, with Graham Rowntree’s team drawn with Northampton Saints in Pool 3.
Northampton won at Thomond Park in this year’s pool stages before beating the province at Franklin’s Gardens in the round of 16.
Munster will also face Stade Francais, Saracens and Castres, with the Bulls the other URC representative in Pool 2.
Ulster are in Pool 1 and will play Toulouse, Bordeaux-Begles, Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers, with the Sharks also in Ulster’s pool.
Pool 4 consists of Glasgow Warriors, Racing 92, the Sharks, the Stormers, Toulon and Harlequins.
In the Challenge Cup, Connacht have been placed in Pool 1 alongside Cardiff, the Cheetahs, Perpignan, Lyon and Zebre.
2024/25 #ChallengeCupRugby Pool Draw ✅
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) July 2, 2024
Now that you know your matchups, who are you excited to face in the pools? pic.twitter.com/qrtxqPshBN
With EPCR keeping same-league clashes to a minimum in the Challenge Cup, Connacht will play the Cheetahs, Perpignan, Lyon and one of Cardiff or Zebre.
Next season’s Challenge Cup will consist of 18 clubs split into three pools of six.
Fixture details for both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup pool stages will be confirmed at a later date.
The first round of pool fixtures will be played on the weekend of 6/7/8 December, with the Challenge Cup and Champions Cup finals set for Cardiff on 23 and 24 May 2025 respectively.
Champions Cup 2024/25
Pool 1:
Toulouse
Bordeaux-Begles
Sharks
Exeter Chiefs
Leicester Tigers
Ulster
Pool 2:
Leinster
Clermont Auvergne
La Rochelle
Bristol Bears
Benetton
Bath
Pool 3:
Northampton Saints
Munster
Bulls
Stade Francais
Saracens
Castres
Pool 4:
Glasgow Warriors
Racing 92
Sale Sharks
Stormers
Toulon
Harlequins
Challenge Cup 2024/25
Pool 1:
Cardiff
Connacht
Cheetahs
Perpignan
Lyon
Zebre
Pool 2:
Montpellier
Pau
Newcastle Falcons
Dragons
Emirates Lions
Ospreys
Pool 3:
Vannes
Black Lion
Bayonne
Scarlets
Edinburgh
Gloucester
Seems really odd that people give them no chance.
Australia is not a great team and while they have shipped big loses this year, they’ve also got some good wins and in the games they lost (even the thrashing in Argentina) they had great patches. They beat England in Twickenham a couple of weeks ago. And they’re managed by Joe Schmidt. Of course they have a chance.
Even Harry Potter ain’t magiking a win at landsdowne…
@Stuart: Spirintionious Downderighticus Indecorneronious
If Joe can gather his best troops, Bell, Tupou, Faessler, Frost, Valentini, McReight and most of all, the big man who has been Leinster’s nemesis, Aussie may have a chance, but only a chance.
This game will epitomise the old adage “Forwards win matches, Backs decide by how much”. The Irish pack is better than Australia. Ergo, Ireland should win. But competitive sport is different. Momentum is enormously important. Ireland go into this game with it and Farrell knows how to maintain it.
Joe will try to ambush Ireland, tactically. But Faz & this Irish team have been around the block enough times to prepare for that.
Ireland to win.
No chance
Not alone will Australia win they will win big. Ireland has no chance against one of the best teams in the world. Ireland are only ranked 7th in the raynkings. Australia are up in second behind England. What hope is there for Ireland. Farrell is a fraud and Ireland are a shambles. They have conceded a massive 3 tries in 3 games, you can’t defend that sort of mediocrity.
@anthony davoren: Is that the All seeing, knowing and Powerful Oracle Ray Ridge speaking through the medium of Horse****
@anthony davoren: Anthony I think your account has been hacked. It might be the head of Russian counter intelligence – Рэймонд Ридж
@Caballo Blanco: I find if you get in ahead of Nostraridgenus with his nonsensical comments it limits the rubbish he comes out with from his multiple accounts
@Paul Ennis: I’m a priority one target lol
@anthony davoren: 4 tries in 3 games but ya australia should win this by 50
@anthony davoren: Brilliant answer I love it. Mr Ridge also thinks both Australia and Scotland will beat Ireland which is pretty laughable punditry. I listened to an Eddie O’sullivan podcast and he calls Australia’s defence the most passive drift defence in the world and they’re tackling pathetic against Scotland which i tend to agree with. Ireland could potentially put a small Cricket score on Aus if they do they’re homework in defence and attack in the right channels.
@Shanie: Read Antony’s post again Shane he’s being quite Witty regarding Mr Ridge !!!
This will be a bridge too far for him but if he keeps up this positive momentum they just might cause an upset for one of the tests.
@bee bop: Lions tests I mean
No