Jump to main content

Menu

Opponents Confirmed For Provinces’ EPCR Knockout Matches

Opponents Confirmed For Provinces’ EPCR Knockout Matches

The Champions Cup trophy is pictured at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, the venue for the two EPCR tournament finals in May ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

All four provinces have knockout matches to look forward to in early April, including home fixtures for Leinster and Connacht in the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup respectively.

Irish Rugby’s three Champions Cup representatives have advanced to the round of 16, with unbeaten Leinster going through as Pool 2 winners, Munster finishing third in Pool 3, and Ulster, the 52-24 conquerors of Exeter Chiefs, squeezing through as fourth place finishers in Pool 1.

Having seen off a fast-starting Bath on a 47-21 scoreline, Leinster, who progressed as second seeds overall, are lining up Croke Park for their round of 16 game against Harlequins.

The first round of knockout fixtures will be played over the weekend of April 4/5/6, and the venues, dates and ticketing information will be confirmed this week.

Leo Cullen’s men, who are on a 13-match winning run this season, last faced Harlequins in a couple of pre-season friendlies in 2021 and 2022. The teams had one pool win each when they met during the 2014/15 Champions Cup campaign.

Despite two tries each from Calvin Nash and Diarmuid Kilgallen, Munster fell just short against reigning English champions Northampton Saints. They picked up two bonus points from the 34-32 defeat to set up a mouth-watering round of 16 trip to La Rochelle.

There is of course added intrigue to the encounter as Munster and Ireland great Ronan O’Gara coaches the 2022 and 2023 European champions, who ended the pool stages with losses to both Leinster (16-14) and Benetton (32-25).

La Rochelle still managed to finish as pool runners-up, meaning they are eighth seeds and will have home advantage against ninth-seeded Munster. The Stade Marcel Deflandre played host to Munster before for pre-season ties in 2011 and 2012.

Bordeaux-Bègles did Ulster a big favour in beating the Hollywoodbets Sharks 66-12, meaning Richie Murphy’s charges held on for a top four finish in their pool. Cormac Izuchukwu starred with a hat-trick of tries during their own runaway victory over Exeter.

As the 16th-ranked team, Ulster will travel to top seeds Bordeaux in the round of 16, with the sides having already met during the pool stages. A scoreless second half was Ulster’s undoing in a 40-19 loss at Kingspan Stadium last month.

If Munster and Ulster can both upset the odds in France, they would set up an all-Irish quarter-final clash the following week. A home date with either Glasgow Warriors or Leicester Tigers is Leinster’s reward if they can end Harlequins’ interest in the competition.

Meanwhile, Connacht will move on to the Challenge Cup’s round of 16 as the top seeds. They completed a clean sweep of Pool 1 successes by winning away to Cardiff thanks to tries from Josh Murphy, Joe Joyce, Byron Ralston, and replacement Matthew Devine.

The 28-19 bonus point triumph gave Pete Wilkins’ side a perfect 20 points in all, one ahead of Pool 2 winners Montpellier. They will take on Cardiff again in the round of 16, this time in Galway, and their seeding would guarantee a home quarter-final and semi-final.

INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP ROUND OF 16:

Weekend of April 4/5/6 –

R16 1: Union Bordeaux-Bègles (1) v ULSTER RUGBY (16)
R16 2: LEINSTER RUGBY (2) v Harlequins (15)
R16 3: Northampton Saints (3) v ASM Clermont Auvergne (14)
R16 4: RC Toulon (4) v Saracens (13)
R16 5: Stade Toulousain (5) v Sale Sharks (12)
R16 6: Castres Olympique (6) v Benetton Rugby (11)
R16 7: Glasgow Warriors (7) v Leicester Tigers (10)
R16 8: Stade Rochelais (8) v MUNSTER RUGBY (9)

NB: The teams ranked numbers 1 to 8 will have home venue advantage

QUARTER-FINALS:

Weekend of April 11/12/13 –

QF 1: Winner R16 1 v Winner R16 8
QF 2: Winner R16 2 v Winner R16 7
QF 3: Winner R16 3 v Winner R16 6
QF 4: Winner R16 4 v Winner R16 5

NB: The highest-ranked teams from the pool stages will have home venue advantage 

SEMI-FINALS:

Weekend of May 2/3/4 –

SF 1: Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 4
SF 2: Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 3

NB: The matches will be played in Europe, and where relevant, the highest-ranked teams from the pool stages will have home country advantage

2025 Investec Champions Cup Final: Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Saturday, May 24, kick-off 2.45pm

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP ROUND OF 16:

Weekend of April 4/5/6 –

R16 1: CONNACHT RUGBY (1) v Cardiff Rugby (16)
R16 2: Montpellier Hérault Rugby (2) v Gloucester Rugby (15)
R16 3: Edinburgh Rugby (3) v Emirates Lions (14)
R16 4: Ospreys (4) v Scarlets (13)
R16 5: Lyon Olympique Universitaire (5) v Hollywoodbets Sharks (12)
R16 6: Aviron Bayonnais (6) v Vodacom Bulls (11)
R16 7: Section Paloise (7) v Bath Rugby (10)
R16 8: USAP (8) v Racing 92 (9)

NB: The teams ranked numbers 1 to 8 will have home venue advantage

QUARTER-FINALS:

Weekend of April 11/12/13 –

QF 1: Winner R16 1 v Winner R16 8
QF 2: Winner R16 2 v Winner R16 7
QF 3: Winner R16 3 v Winner R16 6
QF 4: Winner R16 4 v Winner R16 5

NB: The highest-ranked teams from the pool stages will have home venue advantage

SEMI-FINALS:

Weekend of May 2/3/4 –

SF 1: winner QF 1 v winner QF 4
SF 2: winner QF 2 v winner QF 3

NB: The matches will be played in Europe, and where relevant, the highest-ranked teams from the pool stages will have home venue advantage

2025 EPCR Challenge Cup Final: Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Friday, May 23, kick-off 8pm