Fate seemed to be having a laugh as it ensured Leinster would become wrapped up with La Rochelle and again draw in the personality of the French team coach Ronan O’Gara to the Champions Cup conversation.
The former Ireland outhalf has become like the arch villain in the pantomime over the last few years, popping up with a ready grin and dastardly plan. Over the airwaves or on the pitch, O’Gara’s tactics are always varied.
Following Tuesday’s draw in Cardiff, coach Leo Cullen and his side are again set against the team that beat them in the final in Marseille two years ago and again in Aviva Stadium last year.
However, Leinster will go into the meeting with most recent bragging rights, having won twice last season at home in the pool stages and again in the quarter-final.
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James Lowe scored two tries in the 40-13 knockout phase before Leinster moved on to Northampton and 82,00 people for the Croke Park semi-final experience.
That recent history against La Rochelle should leave Leinster in a confident place for the next clash despite the disappointing end to the season in both the Champions Cup and United Rugby Championship (URC).
The schedule of matches has not yet been made but the first round of pool games kicks off in early December.
Munster also meet familiar foe in Northampton in Pool 3. It was the Premiership-winning side that ended the interest of coach Graham Rowntree in last seasons’ competition at the round of 16 stage, with Northampton kicking on the stronger after the sides were level 14-14 at halftime. Two tries, this time from George Hendy, ended Munster’s participation.
Stade Francais, Saracens, Castres and the South African Bulls make up the rest of the pool. However, according to European Professional Cup Rugby (EPCR) rules, there will be no matches between clubs from the same league.
Each team will play four matches either home or away against four different league clubs. That rules out a pool match against Bulls in Munster’s pool, Benetton in Leinster’s pool and Sharks in Ulster’s Pool 1 as of the teams play in the URC. There are six teams in each pool.
Ulster, like Munster, are categorised as a Tier 2 team and have current champions Toulouse as their strongest Tier 1 opposition as well as Bordeaux, Exeter, Leicester and Sharks in the group.
They are looking for a recharge with the arrival of Richie Murphy to Belfast as coach. Ulster limped meekly out of the competition last season after a seven-try pounding at the hands of Harlequins in The Stoop at the end of January.
But Murphy has brought in some fresh ideas, enough at least to hold out greater hope of ending higher than fifth in the group as they did last season.
In The Challenge Cup, Connacht have been grouped with Cardiff, Cheetahs, USAP, Lyon and Zebre in Pool 1.
Both Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals take place over the weekend of May 23/24 in 2025.
Pool 1
Leicester
Toulouse
Bordeaux-Begles
Sharks
Exeter Chiefs
Ulster
Pool 2
Leinster
Clermont Auvergne
La Rochelle
Bristol
Benetton
Bath
Pool 3
Northampton
Munster
Bulls
Stade Francais
Saracens
Castres
Pool 4
Glasgow
Racing 92
Sale
Stormers
Toulon
Harlequins
Fixtures
Round 1 – December 6/7/8
Round 2 – December 13/14/15
Round 3 – January 10/11/12
Round 4 – January 17/18/19
Round of 16 – April 4/5/6
Quarter-finals – April 11/12/13
Semi-finals – May 2/3/4
Final – Saturday, May 24th, Principality Stadium, Cardiff
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