TOULOUSE’S RAMPANT 80-point evisceration of Leicester yesterday leaves them ever so slightly ahead of Leinster as Champions Cup favourites but last year’s pair of finalists are on a collision course to meet again in this season’s decider in Cardiff on 24 May.
Bordeaux, who earned a perfect 20 match points from a possible 20 to advance into the knock-out stages as top seeds, should not be discounted.
In the likes of Matthieu Jalibert, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud – who scored six tries in their hammering of the Sharks yesterday – they have a delightful array of lethal threats.
Leinster will be happy that the draw for the knock-out stages means that Toulouse and Bordeaux are on the other side. The Irish province won’t have to deal with both of them.
Leo Cullen’s men go through as the second seeds, meaning home advantage all the way through until the final if they reach it. And they should.
Leinster will be huge favourites against Harlequins in their Round of 16 clash at Croke Park on 4/5/6 April.
Win that and they will be at home against either Glasgow or Leicester in the quarter-finals.
Win that and Leinster will host Northampton, Clermont, Castres, or Benetton in the semi-finals. So a repeat of last year’s semi-final against Northampton at Croke Park could be on the cards.
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Defending champions Toulouse will be hard to dethrone. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Win that semi-final and Leinster would presumably face either Toulouse or Bordeaux in what would be their fourth consecutive Champions Cup final.
Munster are on the other side of the draw to Leinster and are now seen as 66/1 longshots to win the competition. Their apparent mission impossible would mean having to most likely beat all of La Rochelle, Bordeaux, and Toulouse to reach the final. That would be beyond epic.
Munster were close to pipping Northampton in their thrilling final pool game on Saturday but came up short, meaning they were condemned to an away fixture in the Round of 16 for the third consecutive season.
Their visit to La Rochelle will be enthralling given the reunion with Ronan O’Gara for what will be his first experience of coaching against his native province with the Top 14 side. This match-up has been eagerly awaited and the build-up promises to be fascinating.
La Rochelle were impressive in their narrow defeat at home to Leinster two weekends ago but their up-and-down season continued with the loss to a well-coached Benetton side on Saturday evening. They still finished second in their pool but were the lowest-ranked second placers so have to take on the top-ranked third-placed team in Munster.
There’s no doubt the southern province will be underdogs but it has all the hallmarks of a European classic at Stade Marcel Deflandre. O’Gara has been searingly honest in his views on Munster’s shortcomings in recent seasons so it will be intriguing to hear what he has to say before this tie in April.
Should Munster pull off an upset in La Rochelle, they would be facing a likely visit to Bordeaux in the quarter-finals unless Ulster deliver a massive shock in their Round of 16 trip to the Stade Chaban Delmas.
Richie Murphy’s men squeezed out of their pool as the lowest-ranked side overall after winning just one of their four pool games and finishing with a points difference of -61.
Nick Timoney scores against Exeter. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
And yet, Ulster have had major injury issues and it was misfortunate to have to face both Toulouse and Bordeaux in their pool. Murphy will expect to have several more experienced players fit again by April and will be keeping a close eye on Bordeaux’s French international contingent during the Six Nations.
Many Ulster fans would have preferred a crack at the Challenge Cup and UBB will be major favourites for the Champions Cup Round of 16 clash, but you never know how things will look in two-and-a-half months.
Connacht’s bonus-point win in Cardiff on Friday means they finished the Challenge Cup pool stages with a perfect 20 match points and top seeding for the knock-out stages to ensure home advantage up until the final if they reach it.
One quirk of the format is that Connacht will now host Cardiff in the Round of 16 on 4/5/6 April.
Win that and they will host either Perpignan or Racing 92 in the quarter-finals.
Win that and Connacht would be at home against Ospreys, Scarlets, Lyon, or the Sharks in the semi-finals.
It’s not hard to see Connacht taking that possible fixture or one of their earlier knock-out ties to somewhere like MacHale Park in Castlebar, where they host Munster in the URC in March.
Connacht would obviously love to be competing at the top table in the Champions Cup but they have done fine work in the Challenge Cup so far and their fans can now get excited about a possible run of home knock-out ties.
To have Irish provinces in both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals in Cardiff in May would be a wonderful thing.
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Leinster's clear path, Munster's ROG reunion, and Ulster's big ask
TOULOUSE’S RAMPANT 80-point evisceration of Leicester yesterday leaves them ever so slightly ahead of Leinster as Champions Cup favourites but last year’s pair of finalists are on a collision course to meet again in this season’s decider in Cardiff on 24 May.
Bordeaux, who earned a perfect 20 match points from a possible 20 to advance into the knock-out stages as top seeds, should not be discounted.
In the likes of Matthieu Jalibert, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud – who scored six tries in their hammering of the Sharks yesterday – they have a delightful array of lethal threats.
Leinster will be happy that the draw for the knock-out stages means that Toulouse and Bordeaux are on the other side. The Irish province won’t have to deal with both of them.
Leo Cullen’s men go through as the second seeds, meaning home advantage all the way through until the final if they reach it. And they should.
Leinster will be huge favourites against Harlequins in their Round of 16 clash at Croke Park on 4/5/6 April.
Win that and they will be at home against either Glasgow or Leicester in the quarter-finals.
Win that and Leinster will host Northampton, Clermont, Castres, or Benetton in the semi-finals. So a repeat of last year’s semi-final against Northampton at Croke Park could be on the cards.
Win that semi-final and Leinster would presumably face either Toulouse or Bordeaux in what would be their fourth consecutive Champions Cup final.
Munster are on the other side of the draw to Leinster and are now seen as 66/1 longshots to win the competition. Their apparent mission impossible would mean having to most likely beat all of La Rochelle, Bordeaux, and Toulouse to reach the final. That would be beyond epic.
Munster were close to pipping Northampton in their thrilling final pool game on Saturday but came up short, meaning they were condemned to an away fixture in the Round of 16 for the third consecutive season.
Their visit to La Rochelle will be enthralling given the reunion with Ronan O’Gara for what will be his first experience of coaching against his native province with the Top 14 side. This match-up has been eagerly awaited and the build-up promises to be fascinating.
La Rochelle were impressive in their narrow defeat at home to Leinster two weekends ago but their up-and-down season continued with the loss to a well-coached Benetton side on Saturday evening. They still finished second in their pool but were the lowest-ranked second placers so have to take on the top-ranked third-placed team in Munster.
There’s no doubt the southern province will be underdogs but it has all the hallmarks of a European classic at Stade Marcel Deflandre. O’Gara has been searingly honest in his views on Munster’s shortcomings in recent seasons so it will be intriguing to hear what he has to say before this tie in April.
Should Munster pull off an upset in La Rochelle, they would be facing a likely visit to Bordeaux in the quarter-finals unless Ulster deliver a massive shock in their Round of 16 trip to the Stade Chaban Delmas.
Richie Murphy’s men squeezed out of their pool as the lowest-ranked side overall after winning just one of their four pool games and finishing with a points difference of -61.
And yet, Ulster have had major injury issues and it was misfortunate to have to face both Toulouse and Bordeaux in their pool. Murphy will expect to have several more experienced players fit again by April and will be keeping a close eye on Bordeaux’s French international contingent during the Six Nations.
Many Ulster fans would have preferred a crack at the Challenge Cup and UBB will be major favourites for the Champions Cup Round of 16 clash, but you never know how things will look in two-and-a-half months.
Connacht’s bonus-point win in Cardiff on Friday means they finished the Challenge Cup pool stages with a perfect 20 match points and top seeding for the knock-out stages to ensure home advantage up until the final if they reach it.
One quirk of the format is that Connacht will now host Cardiff in the Round of 16 on 4/5/6 April.
Win that and they will host either Perpignan or Racing 92 in the quarter-finals.
Win that and Connacht would be at home against Ospreys, Scarlets, Lyon, or the Sharks in the semi-finals.
It’s not hard to see Connacht taking that possible fixture or one of their earlier knock-out ties to somewhere like MacHale Park in Castlebar, where they host Munster in the URC in March.
Connacht would obviously love to be competing at the top table in the Champions Cup but they have done fine work in the Challenge Cup so far and their fans can now get excited about a possible run of home knock-out ties.
To have Irish provinces in both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals in Cardiff in May would be a wonderful thing.
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Champions Cup Leinster Munster road to the final Ulster