Heineken Cup champions Leinster will start their bid to retain their title against London Irish on the evening of Friday 9, October 2009 at the RDS in Dublin, it has been announced.

If Munster can negotiate the huge obstacle that Gloucester respresent in the Heineken Cup quarter-final on Saturday they will either play The Ospreys at The Millennium Stadium or Saracens at The Ricoh Arena on the semi-finals weekend of April 26-27.