Leinster and Ulster face English opposition

Sunday, 23 January 2011


Leinster will host Leicester in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals, while Ulster must travel to top-seeded Northampton.


Pool 2 champions Leinster will host the Tigers at home, potentially at the Aviva Stadium instead of regular home ground, the RDS, in what is a repeat of the 2009 Heineken Cup final - a match Leinster won 19-16 at Murrayfield.



Ulster face a very tough examination as they travel to England to face Northampton Saints. That match is currently fixed for Franklin's Gardens, but there are discussions ongoing to change the match to Stadium:mk. Franklin's Gardens has a capacity of 13,591, while Stadium:mk holds 22,000.


Ulster will consider themselves lucky to have avoided European giants Toulouse. A last-minute David Lemi try gave Wasps a surprise 21-16 win over Toulouse, a result which pushes Guy Noves' charges into an away tie against Biarritz.


Both Leinster and Ulster have also been handed potential home semi-final ties. Should Leinster defeat Leicester in the quarters they will host Biarritz or Toulouse in the semi-finals, while if Ulster account for Northampton in the last eight they will host a last-four encounter against either Perpignan or Toulon.
In the Amlin Challenge Cup, Munster will travel to Brive-la-Gaillarde to face Brive in the quarter-finals.


Should Munster overcome that hurdle, the two-time Heineken Cup champions will host the winner of the Harlequins versus Wasps clash in the tournament's semi-finals.


Heineken Cup quarter-final draw:
(Ties to be played 8-10 April.)

Northampton v ULSTER
LEINSTER v Leicester
Perpignan v Toulon
Biarritz v Toulouse
Heineken Cup semi-finals:
(Ties to be played 30 April/1 May.)
LEINSTER/Leicester v Biarritz/Toulouse
Northampton/ULSTER v Perpignan v Toulon
Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final draw:
(Ties to be played 8-10 April.)
Stade Francais v Montpellier
Brive v MUNSTER
La Rochelle v Clermont
Harlequins v Wasps


Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final draw:
(Ties to be played 30 April/1 May.)
Stade Francais/Montpellier v La Rochelle/Clermont Auvergne
Brive/MUNSTER

well done BOD and the goiys gooooooo Leinster (in my best D4 accent)