Leinster and Munster have been handed very familiar opposition in next season's Champions Cup after the draw for the 20121-22 tournament was made in Lausanne, Switzerland today.

Leinster’s two Pool A opponents will be Montpellier and Bath, whom they will face at home and away, while Munster will face old foes Castres as well as Wasps in Pool B.

Meanwhile Connacht have been drawn to play Stade Francais and Leicester Tigers home and away in Pool B, while Ulster will face Clermont and Northampton in Pool A.

Tournament organisers have adopted the revised formula of last season’s Covid-afflicted campaign by dividing the 24 qualifiers into two pools of 12 clubs apiece.

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The 2021/22 tournament will be played over nine weekends with four rounds of matches in the pool stage starting in December. The eight highest-ranked clubs from each pool will qualify for the knockout stage which will consist of a Round of 16 on a home and away basis, quarter-finals and semi-finals, with the final in Marseille on May 28th 2022.

Last year’s champions Toulouse will face Wasps and Cardiff, while Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle will meet Bath and Glasgow, all in Pool A.

Champions Cup 2021-22 draw

Pool A

La Rochelle (v Bath and Glasgow).

Exeter Chiefs (v Montpelleir and Glasgow)

Leinster (v Montpellier and Bath).

Montpellier (v Exeter and Leinster).

Bath (v La Rochelle and Leinster).

Glasgow (v La Rochelle and Exeter).

Racing 92 (v Northampton and Ospreys).

Sale Sharks (v Clermont and Ospreys).

Ulster (v Clermont and Northampton).

Clermont (v Sale and Ulster).

Northampton (v Racing and Ulster).

Ospreys (v Racing and Sale).

Pool B

Toulouse (v Wasps and Cardiff).

Harlequins (v Castres and Cardiff).

Munster (v Castres and Wasps).

Castres (v Harlequins and Munster).

Wasps (v Toulouse and Munster)

Cardiff (v Toulouse and Harlequins).

Bordeaux-Begles (v Leicester and Scarlets).

Bristol Bears (v Stade Francais and Scarlets).

Connacht (v Stade Francais and Leicester).

Stade Francais (v Bristol and Connacht_

Leicester Tigers (v Bordeaux and Connacht).

Scarlets (v Bordeaux and Bristol).