Champions Cup pool-by-pool guide: What teams will Leinster and Munster face?
There is room for error in qualifying for the knockout stages, but seeding makes a strong start essential
Champions Cup
Munster’s trip to The Rec will be closest players get to a Test match before Six Nations
What has impressed me the most about Clayton McMillan, so far, is he has not tried to reinvent the wheel
Joe McCarthy returns to Leinster team for Harlequins clash, with Ioane on bench
Paddy McCarthy with make his Champions Cup debut in the frontrow
Leinster’s Dan Sheehan: ‘There is that sort of hatred towards us’
Any animosity aimed at the club is not about to shake the unflappable hooker ahead of Harlequins in Aviva on Saturday
‘Big pack, good set-piece, good in air’: Munster’s John Hodnett wary of Bath opponents
Daunting Champions Cup opener awaits Clayton McMillan’s side against reigning Premiership champions
Gordon D’Arcy: Reactionary thinking threatens to force rugby to be something it’s not
European competitions offer a chance for fresh faces to put their names in the hat for Six Nations selection
Champions & Challenge Cup: Irish provinces’ fixtures, competition formats, where to watch
Leinster and Munster to go again in Champions Cup and Ulster join Connacht in challenger ranks
Denis Leamy ‘hopeful’ Jack Crowley will be available for Champions Cup trip to Bath
Jack O’Donoghue ruled out after failing HIA in Stormers defeat
Jacques Nienaber rejects questions over his commitment to Leinster
Coach says he will remain with Leinster until his contract ends in 2027
Michael Ala’alatoa joins new Munster team-mates ahead of Champions Cup opener
Jack O’Donoghue is the only injury doubt for the game against Bath
Joe McCarthy makes injury return for Leinster ahead of Champions Cup opener
All Black Rieko Ioane will be at Leo Cullen’s disposal having arrived last week
Three sporting events to watch this week: Your handy guide to sport on television
Your guide to the best sport on television (Monday – Sunday, Dec 1st–7th)
South Africa ‘up a level’ across all areas of the game, says Garry Ringrose
Ireland centre didn’t enjoy losing the two games he started in the Autumn Series
Munster’s Brian Gleeson on course for January return
Alongside lock Edwin Edogbo, the young Munster duo offer size and dynamism
James Ryan to miss Leinster’s Champions Cup opener through suspension
Secondrow handed three-match ban for red card against South Africa
Leinster to play home European pool games at the Aviva Stadium
Leo Cullen’s side will take on Harlequins on December 6th while Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle arrive on January 10th
Gerry Thornley: Not even slow ticket sales can take shine off Leinster v Munster clash
Perhaps novelty value of Blues hosting matches at Croke Park is wearing off
URC champions Leinster must come out fighting against Bulls, says McBryde
Blues know they need to bounce back in Pretoria after 35-0 defeat to Stormers
Provincial rugby preview: Predictions, prospects and players to watch as new season kicks off
Leinster and Munster will expect a tilt at glory in URC and Champions Cup, but Connacht and Ulster can hope to progress
Munster to host Gloucester at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in December Champions Cup clash as fixture details confirmed
Leinster have seventh Champions Cup meeting with La Rochelle on January 10th
Leo Cullen and Ronan O’Gara to renew rivalry as Leinster pooled with La Rochelle in Champions Cup draw
Munster drawn in Pool Two with Castres, Bath, Toulon, Edinburgh and Gloucester
Champions Cup draw: Leinster draw La Rochelle again; Munster in pool with Bath
Follow live as Connacht get two Top 14 clubs in their pool in Challenge Cup
Gordon D’Arcy: If Leinster have learned anything, it’s that nothing is guaranteed. Good teams lose
‘Lions selection is a rare honour; success within that environment is even more difficult to accomplish’
Gerry Thornley: The true story of Leinster in the 2020s is one of remarkable success
Province’s ability to keep climbing off the canvas after agonising setbacks shows an admirable inner strength
Matt Williams: Unless Leinster’s defence wake up they will be left dreaming of what might have been
Deeper commitment to physical processes of defending is needed if they are to lift this year’s URC title
Sharks’ shameful antics against Munster betrayed the moral code that makes rugby special
Jaden Hendrikse’s antics during URC shootout have been roundly criticised, apart from in South Africa
Owen Doyle: Rugby’s failure to punish violence and gamesmanship risks pushing a generation away
Amateur players are abandoning the sport over fears of sustaining brain damage
Matt Williams: Irish rugby should value the URC above the faltering Champions Cup
Many cling to memories of an era that has now passed, wrongly obsessed with the bisected remains of a once-great competition
Gordon D’Arcy: The greatest danger to Leinster could come from within
Bordeaux Bègles showed what can happen when sides get things right
Who can challenge the dominance by French clubs of European rugby?
Top 14 clubs are dominating European rugby and the end does not appear in sight
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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