La Rochelle will host Leinster at the Stade Marcel Deflandre on the opening weekend of the Champions Cup. Ronan O’Gara’s European champions are looking for a fourth straight victory over the Irish province having beaten them in the semi-final of the tournament in 2021, the final in Marseille (2022) and in last season’s decider at the Aviva Stadium.
Leinster lost 32-23 on their only previous visit to the Stade Marcel Deflandre in that aforementioned semi-final and will return on Sunday, December 10th. For those who can’t travel to the beautiful city on the Bay of Biscay, the game will be broadcast live on TNT Sports, the rebranded name of BT Sport; the sports broadcasting company was bought out by Warner Brothers Discovery.,
Leinster will host the Sale Sharks the following weekend in their traditional Saturday evening slot at 5.30pm, a match that will be shown live on RTÉ. The venue hasn’t been confirmed but going on previous years it is likely to be at the Aviva Stadium with their round three game in January against Stade Francais Paris, presumably at the RDS.
Leo Cullen’s side conclude their pool games with a trip to Welford Road and perennial foes, the Leicester Tigers.
The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times
Connacht’s Santiago Cordero hopes things go Argentina’s way against Ireland
Cian Healy set to equal Brian O’Driscoll’s 133 cap record
Gordon D’Arcy: Ireland doesn’t have a huge rugby-playing population and there are weaknesses with the system
URC winners Munster will host Bayonne at Thomond Park in their opening fixture on Saturday, December 9th, a game that will be shown on RTÉ. Graham Rowntree’s charges will then travel for back-to-back away matches, to the picturesque Sandy Park in Devon where they’ll be hosted by the Exeter Chiefs and then to the South of France port city of Toulon.
Munster will conclude the pool stage of the competition by welcoming the Northampton Saints to Thomond Park, a team they beat home and away in last season’s Champions Cup.
Connacht are the first of the Irish provinces in action when they host Union Bordeaux-Begles at the Sportsground on Friday, December 8th (8.0). Now under the coaching baton of Peter Wilkins and with a new backroom team that includes John Muldoon, Scott Fardy and Ireland Under-20 assistant coach Mark Sexton, Connacht will make the short trip to London to take on Saracens in week two.
After Christmas they’ll head to Lyon before bringing the pool stages to a conclusion with a ‘Friday Night Lights’ clash with the Bristol Bears, the English club led by former Connacht coach Pat Lam, who led the province to their Pro12 triumph in 2016.
Ulster are off to the beautiful city of Bath on Saturday December 9th where they’ll face a club in its second season under former Munster coach Johann van Graan. Either side of Christmas Dan McFarland’s side will welcome a couple of French heavyweights to Belfast with 8pm Saturday night kick-offs, first Racing 92 under new coach Stuart Lancaster and then Top 14 champions Toulouse.
In their final pool match Ulster make the short hop to London for an early Saturday afternoon game against Harlequins at The Stoop (1.0).
Champions Cup fixtures
Round 1
Friday, December 8th: Connacht v Union Bordeaux-Begles, Sportsground (8.0, TNT Sports); Glasgow Warriors v Northampton Saints, Scotstoun (8.0, live on TNT Sports).
Saturday, December 9th: Toulon v Exeter Chiefs, Stade Felix Mayol (1.0, Irish time, TNT Sports); Bath v Ulster, Recreation Ground (3.15, TNT Sports); Toulouse v Cardiff, Stade Ernest Wallon (3.15, Irish time, TNT Sports); Munster v Bayonne, Thomond Park (5.30, RTÉ, TNT Sports); Vodacom Bulls v Saracens, Loftus Versfeld (5.30, TNT Sports); Bristol Bears v Lyon, Ashton Gate (8.0, TNT Sports)
Sunday, December 10th: Sale Sharks v Stade Francais, Paris, AJ Bell stadium (1.0, ITV, TNT Sports); Leicester Tigers v DHL Stormers, Welford Road (3.15, live on TNT Sports); La Rochelle v Leinster, Stade Marcel Deflandre (3.15, Irish time, TNT Sports); Racing 92 v Harlequins, La Defense Arena (5.30, Irish time, TNT Sports).
Round 2
Friday, December 15th: Bayonne v Glasgow Warriors, Stade Jean-Dauger (8.0, Irish time, TNT Sports); Northampton Saints v Toulon, Franklin’s Gardens (8.0, TNT Sports)
Saturday, December 16th: Saracens v Connacht, StoneX stadium (1.0, TNT Sports); DHL Stormers v La Rochelle, DHL Stadium (3.0, TNT Sports); Union Bordeaux-Begles v Bristol Bears, Stade Chaban-Delmas (3.15, Irish time, TNT Sports); Leinster v Sale Sharks, (TBC, 5.30, RTÉ, TNT Sports); Lyon v Vodacom Bulls, Stade Mamut Gerland (5.30, Irish time, TNT Sports); Ulster v Racing 92, Kingspan stadium (8.0); Cardiff v Bath, Arms Park (8.0, TNT Sports)
Sunday, December 17th: Exeter Chiefs v Munster, Sandy Park (1.0, ITV, TNT Sports); Harlequins v Toulouse, The Stoop (3.15, TNT Sports); Stade Francais Paris v Leicester Tigers, Stade Jean Bouin (5.30 Irish time, TNT Sports).
Round 3
Friday, January 12th: Northampton Saints v Bayonne, Franklin’s Gardens (TNT Sports)
Saturday, January 13th: Lyon v Connacht, Stade Mamut de Gerland, (1.0, TNT Sports); Exeter Chiefs v Glasgow Warriors, Sand Park (1.0, ITV, TNT Sports); Bristol Bears v Vodacom Bulls, Ashton Gate (3.15, TNT Sports); Toulon v Munster, Stade Felix Mayol (3.15 Irish time, TNT Sports); Leinster v Stade Francais Paris, (TBC, 5.30 RTÉ, TNT Sports); DHL Stormers v Sale Sharks, DHL Stadium (7.30, TNT Sports); Ulster v Toulouse, Kingspan stadium (8.0, TNT Sports); Cardiff v Harlequins, Arms Park (8.0, TNT Sports)
Sunday, January 14th: Bath v Racing 92, Recreation Ground (1.0, TNT Sports); La Rochelle v Leicester Tigers, Stade Marcel Deflandre (3.15 Irish time, TNT Sports); Union Bordeaux-Begles v Saracens, Stade Chaban-Delmas (5.30, Irish time, TNT Sport)
Round 4
Friday, January 19th: Connacht v Bristol Bears, The Sportsground (8.0 TNT Sports); Glasgow Warriors v Toulon, Scotstoun (8.0 TNT Sports)
Saturday, January 20th: Harlequins v Ulster, The Stoop (1.0, TNT Sports); Vodacom Bulls v Union Bordeaux-Begles, Loftus Versfeld (3.0 TNT Sports); Leicester Tigers v Leinster, Welford Road (3.15 TNT Sports); Racing 92 v Cardiff, La Defense Arena (3.15 Irish time, TNT Sports); Munster v Northampton Saints, Thomond Park (5.30 RTÉ, TNT Sports); Stade Francais Paris v DHL Stormers, Stade Jean Bouin (5.30, Irish time, TNT Sports); Saracens v Lyon, StoneX stadium (8.0 TNT Sports).
Sunday, January 21st: Sale Sharks v La Rochelle, AJ Bell stadium (1.0, ITV, TNT Sports); Toulouse v Bath, Stade Ernest Wallon (3.15 Irish time, TNT Sports); Bayonne v Exeter Chiefs, Stade Jean Dauger (5.30 Irish time, TNT Sports)
