Jerry Flannery to return to Thomond Park in Champions Cup opener

Former Munster forwards coach Jerry Flannery is now part of Harlequins set up. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Munster will host Harlequins at Thomond Park on Sunday, December 13 (5.30pm) in the opening round of the new European Champions Cup campaign.

Earlier that afternoon (3.15pm) Connacht will be in Paris to play Racing 92 as the western province return to the top tier of the competition.

Ulster will be the first Irish province in action - when hosting Toulouse on Friday, December 11 (8pm) at Kingsholm while Leo Cullen’s Leinster are away to Montpellier on Saturday afternoon (5.30pm).

The times, dates and venues of all four rounds of the pool stages were announced earlier today.

The new-look Heineken Champions Cup consists of two pools of 12 clubs with the pool stage played over four rounds.

The four highest-ranked clubs in each pool will qualify for the quarter-finals which will be played over two legs on a home and away basis.

The clubs ranked 5 to 8 in Pool A and 5 to 8 in Pool B will qualify for the Round of 16 of the Challenge Cup.

Munster have back to back games against Clermont Auvergne in Rounds 2 and 3 before finishing their pool stage campaign away to Harlequins on Saturday, January 23.

Leinster will play Northampton Saints on December 19 and January 15 before welcoming Montpellier to Dublin on Friday, January 22.

The Sportsground welcomes the return of Champions Cup rugby with the visit of the Bristol Bears on December 20th with Andy Friend’s side in England on January 17 before Racing 92 come to Galway on January 23.

Ulster have back to back games against Gloucester before a Round 4 trip to France and a meeting with the mighty Toulouse.

POOL A (with opponents in brackets): Bordeaux-Bègles (Dragons, Northampton Saints); Leinster (Montpellier, Northampton Saints); Wasps (Dragons, Montpellier); Bath (La Rochelle, Scarlets); Edinburgh (La Rochelle, Sale Sharks); RC Toulon (Sale Sharks, Scarlets); La Rochelle (Bath , Edinburgh ); Sale Sharks (Edinburgh , RC Toulon); Scarlets (Bath , RC Toulon); Dragons (Bordeaux-Bègles, Wasps); Montpellier (Leinster , Wasps); Northampton Saints (Bordeaux-Bègles, Leinster).

POOL B (with opponents in brackets): Exeter Chiefs (Glasgow Warriors, Toulouse); Lyon (Glasgow Warriors, Gloucester ); Ulster (Gloucester , Toulouse); Bristol Bears (ASM Clermont Auvergne, Connacht ); Munster (ASM Clermont Auvergne, Harlequins); Racing 92 (Connacht , Harlequins); ASM Clermont Auvergne (Bristol Bears, Munster ); Connacht (Bristol Bears, Racing 92); Harlequins (Munster, Racing 92); Glasgow Warriors (Exeter Chiefs, Lyon); Gloucester (Lyon, Ulster); Toulouse (Exeter Chiefs, Ulster)

Heineken European Champions Cup Round 1

Friday, December 11: Northampton Saints v Bordeaux-Begles, 5.30pm; Ulster v Toulouse, 8pm.

Saturday, December 12: Bristol Bears v Clermont Auvergne, 1pm; Toulon v Sale Sharks, 3.15pm; Bath v Scarlets, 3.15pm; Dragons v Wasps, 5.30pm; Montpellier v Leinster, 5.30pm; Edinburgh v La Rochelle, 8pm.

Sunday, December 13: Lyon v Gloucester, 1pm; Racing 92 v Connacht, 3.15pm; Exeter v Glasgow Warriors, 3.15pm; Munster v Harlequins, 5.30pm.

Round 2

Friday, December 18: Scarlets v Toulon, 5.30pm; Wasps v Montpellier, 8pm.

Saturday, December 19: Leinster v Northampton Saints, 1pm; Glasgow Warriors v Lyon, 1pm; La Rochelle v Bath, 3.15pm; Gloucester v Ulster, 3.15pm; Clermont Auvergne v Munster, 5.30pm; Sale Sharks v Edinburgh, 8pm; Bordeaux-Begles v Dragons, 8pm.

Sunday, December 20: Harlequins v Racing 92, 1pm; Toulouse v Exeter Chiefs, 3.15pm; Connacht v Bristol Bears, 5.30pm.

Round 3

Friday, January 15: Northampton Saints v Leinster, 5.30pm; Toulon v Scarlets, 8pm.

Saturday, January 16: Lyon v Glasgow Warriors, 1pm; Ulster v Gloucester, 1pm; Exeter Chiefs v Toulouse, 3.15pm; Edinburgh v Sale Sharks, 5pm; Munster v Clermont Auvergne, 5.30pm; Montpellier v Wasps, 8pm.

Sunday, January 17: Bath v La Rochelle, 1pm; Racing 92 v Harlequins, 3.15pm; Dragons v Bordeaux-Begles, 3.15pm; Bristol Bears v Connacht, 5.30pm.

Round 4

Friday, January 22: Leinster v Montpellier, 5.30pm; Sale Sharks v Toulon, 8pm.

Saturday, January 23: Bordeaux-Begles v Northampton Saints, 1pm; Scarlets v Bath, 1pm; Clermont Auvergne v Bristol Bears, 3.15pm; La Rochelle v Edinburgh, 5.30pm; Harlequins v Munster, 5.30pm; Wasps v Dragons, 8pm; Connacht v Racing 92, 8pm.

Sunday, January 24: Gloucester v Lyon, 1pm; Toulouse v Ulster, 3.15pm; Glasgow Warriors v Exeter Chiefs, 5.30pm.

Champions Cup quarter-finals, 1st leg - April 2/3/4

Champions Cup quarter-finals, 2nd leg - April 9/10/11

Semi-finals April 30/May 1-2

Heineken Champions Cup final, Stade Vélodrome, May 22.