MUNSTER’S BONUS POINT win over Castres brought the Champions Cup pool stage to a close this evening, locking in the line-up for the quarter-finals and keeping the possibility of an All-Ireland final alive.
Having secured top seeding with their win away to Montpellier yesterday, Leinster will host Saracens on the weekend of March 31 after Mark McCall’s men sneaked in to the running for the last eight with a big win over Northampton yesterday.
The reigning champions, England’s only representatives in the knock-out stage, will be stiffer opposition than Leinster fans hoped to welcome to Dublin.
Munster are also on home turf and will meet Toulon in the last eight. The formidable French side enter the quarter-finals as one of the three best runners-up after narrowly losing an absorbing clash with Scarlets in Llanelli.
Ulster’s hopes of making the last eight fizzled out in Coventry as they slipped to third in their pool while Wasps helped themselves to a bonus point win.
Champions Cup quarter-finals ( to be played weekend of 31 March)
Leinster v Saracens
Clermont v Racing 92
Munster v Toulon
Scarlets v La Rochelle
Semi-finals
Leinster / Saracens v Scarlets / La Rochelle
Munster / Toulon v Clermont / Racing 92
