Leinster to face Edinburgh in Champions Cup last 16

Any disappointment Leinster might feel at finishing the pool stages as third seeds, failing to earn a top-two draw for the fourth season in a row, has been offset by them ending up in the opposite half of the draw to reigning champions Bordeaux Bègles and six-time winners Toulouse.

As the only Irish side still standing in the Champions Cup, Leinster will host Edinburgh in the Round of 16 on the first weekend of April, and will this week consider whether to host the game at Croke Park or the Aviva Stadium. The dates and times for all of the Round of 16 games will be finalised by Thursday.

Should Leinster win their last 16 tie, they would host a quarter-final a week later against the winners of the Harlequins v Sale tie. If they progress, they could face an away semi-final against Glasgow in Murrayfield if the seedings hold true.

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Harlequins surprisingly won 27-17 in La Rochelle to knock Ronan O’Gara’s two-time winners out of the competition.

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Glasgow emulated Bordeaux Bègles in accumulating a maximum 20 points after a 28-3 bonus-point win over Saracens, their first victory over the three-time champion in seven Champions Cup meetings, to earn themselves a potential home run to the final in Bilbao.

Glasgow will host the Bulls in a repeat of the 2024 URC final in the Round of 16, and, should they progress a week later, would host the winners of Toulon v the Stormers.

In the other half of the draw, Bordeaux Bègles earned top seeding with a 27-15 win in Bristol – Louis Bielle-Biarrey warming up for the Six Nations with a hat-trick – to set up another possible home run to the final.

The holders will now face Leicester Tigers, and should they win that tie would be on course to play Toulouse (if they first beat Bristol at home) in a seismic clash between the two French heavyweights. Bath will host Saracens at the Rec and the winner of that Round of 16 tie will meet the winners of Harlequins v Sale.

For the first time in the five seasons with a last 16 round, Leinster are the only Irish side to reach the knockout stages after Munster’s 31-29 loss to Castres at Thomond Park on Saturday.

Edwin Edogbo dejected after Munster's Champions Cup defeat against Castres at Thomond Park on Saturday. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

That condemned them to joining Ulster and Connacht in the Challenge Cup’s Round of 16, where Clayton McMillian side will be away to Exeter. If the southern province win that tie, they will face Benetton away in the quarter-finals or Cardiff at home.

Ulster earned a third seeding and so will host the Ospreys in the last 16, where a win would secure them a home quarter-final against Newcastle or La Rochelle.

For their part, Connacht will be at home to the Sharks. However, should they win that tie, Stuart Lancaster’s side would then most likely be away to the top seeds, Montpellier, against whom they let slip a 31-14 lead in losing 33-31 just over a week ago.

Under the terms of their agreement for the use of the Aviva Stadium, Leinster can play at the venue up to 11 times in a season, which may see them opt to host their last 16 clash at Croke Park, as they did for last season’s game against Harlequins.

It could be the preferred option for the Edinburgh game, with over two months to sell tickets, compared to the one-week turnaround should they wait for the potential home quarter-final.

The decision to host last season’s game against Harlequins at GAA HQ was vindicated by the 55,627 attendance, compared to the crowd of 22,400 at the Aviva the following week for the quarter-final against Glasgow.

Leinster will face Connacht in a landmark URC game at the Dexcom Stadium next Saturday before hosting Edinburgh in the same competition at the Aviva on Saturday week. Leo Cullen’s side will be shorn of their Ireland internationals for the latter fixture, with Andy Farrell due to name his squad for the Six Nations on Wednesday.

Leinster will invariably carry the brunt of the injury toll from the championship, especially as the five-game tournament has been condensed into six weeks for the first time ever.

“You’d love to get 20 points, but we get 18,” said Cullen after Saturday’s 22-13 win in Bayonne, their 31st successive pool win.

“Is that good? Would you have taken that at the start knowing how difficult a place Bayonne is to come and get a win and knowing how difficult Leicester is as a place to come away and get a win?

“Quins, their swing the bat mentality, they are a danger always, and La Rochelle, as we know, are a danger. So four very tough games. You’d love to get 20, but we’ve got 18. Take it. Move on. Lots of good stuff within that and let’s see where we end up.”

Bayonne were happy with a performance born out of respect for Leinster, of whom their skills/defence coach Nick Abendanon said: “I’ll be surprised if we don’t see them in the semi-final or the final.”