Failings on the road mean Munster face ROG reunion 

Munster’s Tadhg Beirne after the Northampton game. Pic: Billy Stickland/Inpho

Munster’s failures on the road in the Champions Cup came back to bite them as they were handed an away trip to Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle for their Round of 16 fixture in April.

It will be the first time O’Gara has coached against his former province, with whom he won two Heineken Cups in 2006 and 2008. Having emulated his success as a player with two Champions Cup successes as boss at La Rochelle, Munster will know they have paid a heavy price for an inconsistent pool campaign.

Ian Costello’s side, beaten at Castres in December, had needed victory at Northampton Saints on Saturday to top Pool 3 and claim a home draw. Their 34-32 defeat meant they were resigned to a third-place finish and an away last 16 tie for the third season in a row, the ninth seeds pitted against O’Gara’s big guns at Stade Marcel Deflandre on the first weekend in April.

O’Gara’s side lifted the Champions Cup in both 2022 and 2023 at Leinster’s expense but will themselves be ruing back-to-back defeats, at home to Leinster and then at Benetton on Saturday, leaving them seeded eighth.

Either side faces a difficult road to the final in Cardiff on May 25, with Toulon, Saracens, Toulouse and Sale Sharks lying in wait on the other half of the draw while the winners will face either top seeds Bordeaux or Ulster in the quarters.

Munster’s interim head coach Costello did little to hide his disappointment on Saturday night as the province once again missed an opportunity to cash in on a knockout fixture at Thomond Park. Yet he took solace in actually reaching the knockout rounds.

"I think two weeks ago, if we knew for sure we could if we're going to the Round of 16, we would have said that would be the minimum outlook. We are, we're delighted we're still in knockout rugby in April,” Costello said.

"It's hard to process that now because we gave ourselves an opportunity to play at home and that would have been massive for the club.

"Very disappointed for (the supporters) and disappointed we don't have a (home) match again in April, but no doubt when we do get to April, we'll give this competition a real crack and at least we're still in it."

Munster may still be in it but the cream of European club rugby rose to the top over the weekend with Bordeaux-Begles earning top seeding and securing a rematch with Pool 1 rivals Ulster, whom hammered 40-19 in Belfast in round two.

Second seeds Leinster’s reward for a perfect pool campaign is a potential route to a fourth consecutive final that can be secured without leaving Dublin. They will welcome 15th seeds Harlequins to Aviva Stadium in R16 with the winners facing Glasgow or Leicester Tigers in the last eight and a possible home-country semi-final rematch with Northampton.

Connacht, meanwhile, finished the Challenge Cup pool stages as top seeds and can look forward to a home R16 clash with Cardiff, whom they beat on the road at the Arms Park on Friday night.

Champions Cup Round of 16 – April 4/5/6 

R16 1: Union Bordeaux-Bègles (1) v Ulster Rugby (16)

R16 2: Leinster Rugby (2) v Harlequins (15) 

R16 3: Northampton Saints (3) v ASM Clermont Auvergne (14) 

R16 4: RC Toulon (4) v Saracens (13)

R16 5: Stade Toulousain (5) v Sale Sharks (12) 

R16 6: Castres Olympique (6) v Benetton Rugby (11) 

R16 7: Glasgow Warriors (7) v Leicester Tigers (10) 

R16 8: Stade Rochelais (8) v Munster Rugby (9) 

NB The clubs ranked numbers 1 to 8 will have home venue advantage 

Quarter-finals – April 11/12/13 

QF 1: Winner R16 1 v Winner R16 8 

QF 2: Winner R16 2 v Winner R16 7 

QF 3: Winner R16 3 v Winner R16 6 

QF 4: Winner R16 4 v Winner R16 5 

NB The highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage 

Semi-finals – May 2/3/4 

SF 1: Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 4 

SF 2: Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 3 

NB The matches will be played in Europe and where relevant the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home country advantage 

2025 Investec Champions Cup final - Saturday May 24; Principality Stadium, Cardiff (14.45).

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP Round of 16 – April 4/5/6 

R16 1: Connacht Rugby (1) v Cardiff Rugby (16) 

R16 2: Montpellier Hérault Rugby (2) v Gloucester Rugby (15) 

R16 3: Edinburgh Rugby (3) v Emirates Lions (14) 

R16 4: Ospreys (4) v Scarlets (13) 

R16 5: Lyon Olympique Universitaire (5) v Hollywoodbets Sharks (12) 

R16 6: Aviron Bayonnais (6) v Vodacom Bulls (11) 

R16 7: Section Paloise (7) v Bath Rugby (10) 

R16 8: USAP (8) v Racing 92 (9) 

NB The clubs ranked numbers 1 to 8 will have home venue advantage.

Quarter-finals – April 11/12/13 

QF 1: winner R16 1 v winner R16 8 

QF 2: winner R16 2 v winner R16 7 

QF 3: winner R16 3 v winner R16 6 

QF 4: winner R16 4 v winner R16 5 

NB The highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage.

Semi-finals – May 2/3/4 

SF 1: winner QF 1 v winner QF 4 

SF 2: winner QF 2 v winner QF 3 

NB The highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage.

2025 EPCR Challenge Cup final - Friday, May 23; Principality Stadium, Cardiff (20.00)