Leinster to host Saints at Aviva Stadium in December

Leinster will face Northampton Saints in the fourth round of the Heineken European cup at the Aviva Stadium in December as part of a mouthwatering double-header against the side they beat to claim the trophy in 2011.

Matt O’Connor’s side will travel to Franklin’s Gardens the week beforehand on December 7th, after opening Pool 4 with an away trip to Ospreys (october 12th) and the visit of Castres Olympique to the RDS a week later.

Ulster's Pool 5 campaign begins with the visit of O'Connor's former side, Aviva Premiership champions Leiecester, to Ravenhill on October 11th, the same night Connacht host Saracens at the Sportsground in Pool 3.

Munster begin Pool 6 with a tricky trip to Murrayfield to meet Edinburgh on October 12th before Gloucester arrive in Thomond Park on the 19th. Thomond will host the first game of their December double-header against Perpignan.

Connacht's credentials will be tested twice by Toulouse in December, but back-to-back games against Benetton Treviso are unlikely to overexcite Ulster fans.

Defending champions Toulon will open the defence of their title next season with a home game against Glasgow Warriors at Stade Félix Mayol on Sunday October 13th.

Heineken European Cup fixtures

Round 1

Friday, October 11th, 2013

Pool 3

: Connacht v Saracens, Sportsground, KO 20:00

Pool 5

: Ulster v Leicester, Ravenhill, KO 20:00

Pool 3

: Toulouse v Zebre, Stade Ernest Wallon, KO 21:00

Saturday, October 12th, 2013

Pool 6:

Edinburgh v Munster, Murrayfield, KO 13:35

Pool 5

: Treviso v Montpellier, Stadio Comunale di Monigo, KO 14:35

Pool 4:

Harlequins v Scarlets, Twickenham Stoop, 15:40

Pool 1:

Castres v Northampton, Stade Pierre Antoine, KO 16:40

Pool 1

: Ospreys v Leinster, Liberty Stadium, KO 19:00

Pool 6

: Gloucester v Perpignan, Kingsholm, KO 18:00

Sunday, October 13th, 2013

Pool 2

: Exeter v Cardiff Blues, Sandy Park, KO 12:45

Pool 2:

Toulon v Glasgow, Stade Felix Mayol, KO 16:00

Pool 4

: Racing Metro v Clermont Auvergne, Stade Yves du Manoir, KO 21:00

Round 2

Friday, October 18th

Pool 3:

Saracens v Toulouse, Wembley, KO 19:45

Pool 5

: Leicester v Treviso, Welford Road, KO 20:00

Saturday, October 19th

Pool 2:

Cardiff Blues v Toulon, Arms Park, KO 13:35

Pool 3

: Zebre v Connacht, Stadio XXV Aprile, KO 14:35

Pool 1:

Leinster v Castres, RDS, KO 15:40

Pool 5:

Montpellier v Ulster, Stade Yves du Manoir, KO 16:40

Pool 4:

Scarlets v Racing Metro, Parc Y Scarlets, KO 18:00

Pool 6

: Munster v Gloucester, Thomond Park, KO 18:00

Sunday, October 20th

Pool 1:

Northampton v Ospreys, Franklin's Gardens, KO 12:45

Pool 6:

Perpignan v Edinburgh, Stade Aime Giral, KO 13:45

Pool 2

: Glasgow v Exeter, Scotstoun Stadium, KO 14:00

Round 3

Friday, December 6th

Pool 2

: Cardiff Blues v Glasgow, Arms Park, KO 20:00

Pool 1

: Castres v Ospreys, Stade Pierre Antoine, KO 21:00

Saturday, December 7th

Pool 2

: Exeter v Toulon, Sandy Park, KO 13:35

Pool 3

: Zebre v Saracens, Stadium XXV Aprile, KO 14:35

Pool 4

: Clermont Auvergne v Scarlets, Stade Marcel Michelin, KO 14:35

Pool 1

: Northampton Saints v Leinster, Franklin's Gardens, KO 18:00

Pool 5:

Ulster v Treviso, Ravenhill, KO 18:00

Sunday, December 8th

Pool 6

: Munster v Perpignan, Thomond Park, KO 12:45

Pool 6

: Edinburgh v Gloucester, Murrayfield, KO 13:00

Pool 5:

Leicester v Montpellier, Welford Road, KO 15:00

Pool 3:

Toulouse v Connacht, Stade Ernest Wallon, KO 16:00

Round 4

Friday, December 13th

Pool 1:

Ospreys v Castres, Liberty Stadium, KO 20:00

Pool 2:

Glasgow v Cardiff Blues, Scotstoun Stadium,. KO 20:00

Saturday, December 14th

Pool 2:

Toulon v Exeter, Stade Felix Mayol, KO 14:35

Pool 5:

Treviso v Ulster, Stadio Comunale di Mongio, KO 14:35

Pool 3:

Saracens v Zebre, Allianz Park, KO 15:00

Pool 4

: Scarlets v Clermont Auvergne, KO Parc Y Scarlets

Pool 6:

Perpignan v Munster, Stade Aime Giral, KO 16:40

Pool 1:

Leinster v Northampton, Aviva Stadium, KO 18:00

Pool 3:

Connacht v Toulouse, The Sportsground, KO 18:00

Sunday, December 15th

Pool 4:

Harlequins v Racing Metro, Twickenham Stoop, KO 12:45

Pool 6:

Gloucester v Edinburgh, Kingsholm, KO 15:00

Pool 5:

Montpellier v Leicester, Stade Yves du Manoir, KO 16:00

Round 5 - 10th/11th/12th January 

Pool 1:

Castres Olympique v Leinster Rugby, Stade Pierre Antoine

Pool 1:

Ospreys v Northampton Saints, Liberty Stadium

Pool 2

: Exeter Chiefs v Glasgow Warriors, Sandy Park Stadium

Pool 2

: Toulon v Cardiff Blues, TBA

Pool 3

: Connacht Rugby v Zebre, The Sportsground

Pool 3

: Toulouse v Saracens, Stade Ernest Wallon

Pool 4

: Harlequins v ASM Clermont Auvergne, The Twickenham Stoop

Pool 4

: Racing Métro 92 v Scarlets, Stade Yves du Manoir

Pool 5

: Benetton Treviso v Leicester Tiger, Stadio Comunale di Monigo

Pool 5

: Ulster Rugby v Montpellier, Ravenhill

Pool 6

: Edinburgh Rugby v Perpignan, Murrayfield

Pool 6:

Gloucester Rugby v Munster Rugby, Kingsholm

Round 6 - 17th/18th/19th January 

Pool 1:

Leinster Rugby v Ospreys, RDS

Pool 1

: Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique, Franklin's Gardens

Pool 2:

Cardiff Bluee v Exeter Chiefs, Cardiff Arms Park

Pool 2

: Glasgow Warriors v Toulon, Scotstoun Stadium

Pool 3

: Saracens v Connacht Rugby, Allianz Park

Pool 3

: Zebre v Toulouse, Stadio XXV Aprile

Pool 4

: ASM Clermont Auvergne v Racing Métro 92, Stade Marcel Michelin

Pool 4

: Scarlets v Harlequins, Parc y Scarlets

Pool 5

: Leicester Tigers v Ulster Rugby, Welford Road

Pool 5

: Montpellier v Benetton Treviso, Stade Yves du Manoir

Pool 6

: Munster Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby, Thomond Park

Pool 6

: Perpignan v Gloucester Rugby, Stade Aimé Giral

Finals - Cardiff 2014

Amlin Challenge Cup

- Cardiff Arms Park; Friday, May 23rd, 2014 (20.00)

Heineken Cup

- Millennium Stadium; Saturday, May 24th, 2014 (17.00)