Leinster to Battle Clermont and La Rochelle in Champions Cup Group Stage Irish rugby giants Leinster have been drawn to face French powerhouses Clermont and La Rochelle in the pool stage of the prestigious Heineken Champions Cup. The four-time European champions will kick off their campaign at home to Clermont on December 12 before traveling to La Rochelle a week later. The return fixtures will be played in France in January. Clermont, who have reached the Champions Cup final three times in the past decade, will provide a formidable challenge for Leinster. The French side is led by experienced fly-half Camille Lopez and boasts a host of international stars, including Damian Penaud and Arthur Iturria. La Rochelle, the defending champions, are another formidable opponent. They stunned Leinster in the 2021-22 semi-final and went on to lift the trophy with a victory over Racing 92. The French club is led by former New Zealand All Black Will Skelton and has a strong pack of forwards. Leinster head coach Leo Cullen is under no illusions about the task facing his team. “Clermont and La Rochelle are two of the top teams in Europe, so we know we’ll need to be at our best to get out of the group,” he said. “We’ve had some great battles with Clermont over the years, and La Rochelle have shown their quality by winning the title last season. It’s going to be a very competitive pool, but we’re confident in our ability to reach the knockout stages.” Leinster will be hoping to improve on their performance in last season’s Champions Cup, where they were eliminated in the semi-finals by La Rochelle. The Irish province has a rich history in the competition, having lifted the trophy on four occasions (2009, 2011, 2012, 2018). The pool stage of the Champions Cup will run from December 12 to January 22. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the knockout stages.The upcoming season’s Champions Cup draw for the pool stages has been announced. In Group 2, Leinster will face Clermont Auvergne, La Rochelle, Bristol, Benetton, and Bath. Munster will compete against Northampton, Bulls, Stade Francais, Saracens, and Castres in Group 3. Ulster has been placed in Group 1 alongside Toulouse, Bordeaux-Begles, Sharks, Exeter Chiefs, and Leicester. Each team will play four matches against different clubs from other leagues.The upcoming season’s Champions Cup draw for the pool stages has been announced. In Group 2, Leinster will face Clermont Auvergne, La Rochelle, Bristol, Benetton, and Bath. Munster will compete against Northampton, Bulls, Stade Francais, Saracens, and Castres in Group 3. Ulster has been placed in Group 1 alongside Toulouse, Bordeaux-Begles, Sharks, Exeter Chiefs, and Leicester. Each team will play four matches against different clubs from other leagues. In the Challenge Cup, Connacht will face Cardiff, Cheetahs, Perpignan, Lyon, and Zebre. The exact match dates, locations, and start times will be announced later. Group 1: – Leicester – Toulouse – Bordeaux-Begles – Sharks – Exeter Chiefs – Ulster Group 2: – Leinster – Clermont Auvergne – La Rochelle – Bristol – Benetton – Bath Group 3: – Northampton – Munster – Bulls – Stade Francais – Saracens – Castres Group 4: – Glasgow – Racing 92 – Sale – Stormers – Toulon – Harlequins Fixtures: – Round 1: December 6/7/8 – Round 2: December 13/14/15 – Round 3: January 10/11/12 – Round 4: January 17/18/19 – Round of 16: April 4/5/6 – Quarterfinals: April 11/12/13 – Semi-finals: May 2, 3, and 4 – Final: May 24th, Principality Stadium, CardiffLeinster have been drawn in Pool B of the Heineken Champions Cup and will face French giants Clermont Auvergne and La Rochelle in the group stage. The four-time champions will also play two games against an as-yet unknown qualifier from the play-off round. Leinster will open their campaign away to Clermont on the weekend of December 9th/10th/11th, before hosting La Rochelle the following weekend. The return fixtures will be played in April, with Leinster travelling to France to face La Rochelle on the weekend of April 1st/2nd/3rd, before hosting Clermont the following weekend. The top eight teams from each pool will qualify for the knockout stages, with the quarter-finals and semi-finals taking place over two legs in April and May. The final will be held at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, May 20th.