Leinster and La Rochelle set for another epic encounter as Champions Cup fixtures announced
They've contested in two of the most competitive and thrilling Investec Champions Cup finals in recent memories and all their other clashes bar one (the quarter-final in 2024) have been nail-biters that went right to the wire.
La Rochelle have the upper hand, winning the two finals but Leinster have won the last three encounters, including two away wins in the Stade Marcel Deflandre. With the added element of Ronan O'Gara coaching against his old foes this rivalry really has lived up to all expectations in recent years. The La Rochelle team celebrate after lifting the Champions Cup. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
The next installment in this rivalry was announced last month when the two were drawn in the same Champions Cup pool for the third year in-a-row and now today we finally have a date for the match.
The EPCR confirmed on Tuesday that Leinster will host Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle in round 3 of the pool stages on Saturday 10 January 2026, with kick-off slated for 5:30pm. One thing to note in the announcement is the lack of confirmation of a venue for the match. Ciarán Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park and Hugo Keenan after their side's victory against La Rochelle. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Leinster played the majority of their home games at the Aviva Stadium last season due to renovations to the RDS Arena and are set to continue their residency in Lansdowne Road for the 2025/26 season. Leinster have also since 2024 hosted a number of games at Croke Park, including an interprovincial clash against Munster and the URC Grand Final against the Bulls last month.
With a game as prestigious and as hyped as Leinster-La Rochelle we could see the clash on its biggest stage yet at Croke Park. The historic venue would be the perfect stage for such a rivalry and if Leinster give plenty of notice, they'll back themselves to be able to get close to selling out the stadium.
Their other pool stage games have also been set. They begin their quest for a fifth star at home to Harlequins on 6 December 2025 before they travel to Leicester to face the Tigers on December 12. They then face La Rochelle in Dublin before finishing the pool stages in a first-time ever clash against Bayonne on 17 January. Ryan Baird, right, and Josh van der Flier of Leinster celebrate win against Stade Rochelais. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Munster too have confirmed their Champions Cup fixtures as they begin their campaign away to English Premiership Champions Bath on 6 December. They will then make their return to Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on 13 December as they host Gloucester in Cork. Munster players make their way on to the pitch at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
They'll then travel away to the Stade Felix Mayol to face Toulon on 11 January before finishing their pool stage at home to Castres on 17 January.
We may have all eyes set on the Lions but the club season is only around the corner yet again as Leinster will look to finally end their European hoodoo and get their fifth star.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Cork ratings: Second half to forget for the Rebels
It wasn't to be for the Rebels today as a stunning second-half comeback from Tipp demolished Cork's Liam MacCarthy dreams. Here's how we rated the Munster champions. Patrick Collins - 5 One of those nightmare days for the Cork 'keeper who will feel he could have done better for the first and third goal concessions, two high deliveries that weren't dealt with. Cork got plenty of joy off his puck-outs in the first-half, with 17 of them finding a red jersey. But it all went south after that. 5 Sean O'Donoghue - 5 Picked up Jason Forde and ensured that the experienced attacker was perhaps Tipp's least effective forward. Got on plenty of puck-outs but with mixed results distribution-wise and Forde did still get two points. Eoin Downey - 5 A day to consign to a folder marked 'forgotten' for the Glen Rovers man who was booked twice and sent off. Fouled John McGrath for two first-half frees that were converted. Fouled him again for the penalty which Darragh McCarthy also converted. That was Downey's last act before exiting on the red card. Niall O'Leary - 5 Scored a 14th minute point after a fine solo run. He was marking Darragh McCarthy and at that stage they'd scored one from play each. But McCarthy took off as the game went on and O'Leary couldn't handle the U-20 star. Ciaran Joyce - 6 Kept tabs on Jake Morris and didn't have the worst afternoon, holding the Nenagh man to two points. Kept up the fight even when things were going badly against Cork. Robert Downey - 6 Played a big part in the Cork goal, beginning the move in the same spot where his own solo run started for the goal in last year's final. Decent overall in the first-half but, like the rest of the Cork defence, found himself under siege after the break. Mark Coleman - 6 Played the final ball for the Cork goal and was a lively performer in the first-half. But when Sam O'Farrell cut inside him at the start of the second-half and fed Andrew Ormond for a crucial point, the game started to get away from him and Cork. Tim O'Mahony - 5 Brilliant against Dublin in the semi-final but couldn't match that performance on the grandest stage. Found himself up against Conor Stakelum and never really got into the game. Darragh Fitzgibbon - 6.5 The first man to break away when the national anthem was complete and certainly looked fired up for action. The midfielder hit two first-half points but also registered two-wides overall. To his credit, never gave up. Declan Dalton - 5 Won a free and converted it to put Cork five points ahead after 26 minutes. Wasn't nearly as influential as he was against Dublin in the semi-final, however, and was eventually the first player taken off after 44 minutes. Should have perhaps taken the long-range free that Pat Horgan missed early in the second-half. Shane Barrett - 7.5 At half-time, with Cork leading by six, it looked as if Barrett was a decent shout for Man of the Match. He was sitting on 1-3 at that stage and finished with 1-4. He took his goal well and also set up Pat Horgan for an earlier score. But it all turned sour after the break. Cork's best player at least. Diarmuid Healy - 6.5 Hit the game's opening point just seconds into the contest and three in total in the first-half. That was as good as he could have hoped for but he was peripheral after the break and was replaced midway through the second-half. Patrick Horgan - 5 The 37-year-old hoped to cap a glorious career with the All-Ireland win he craves. But he never really got it going, scoring just once from play, albeit an excellent point off his backfoot. He struck two wides and was generally shackled expertly by Michael Breen before being taken off. Alan Connolly - 5 For Cork to win, a goal or two from Connolly was a must but it never looked like materialising. He butchered a hand-pass intended for Brian Hayes late on when a goal was a possibility. Held to a single point overall and dominated by Robert Doyle. Brian Hayes - 5.5 The Hurler of the Year favourite heading into the game didn't do his prospects much good. Only scored the one point and found Ronan Maher to be a limpet-like presence that he couldn't shake off. Did win two frees that Patrick Horgan converted. Substitutes Seamus Harnedy - 6.5 Fit again and brought on as Cork's first sub in the 44th minute. Hit the woodwork, as well as a wide though did grab one of their two second-half points. Damien Cahalane - 6 Coughed up a foul but did his best when thrown into the maelstrom. Conor Lehane - 5 His 60th Championship appearance was one to forget, coming on and having a penalty saved by Rhys Shelly. Shane Kingston - 5 Took on two shots that were blocked as he chased goals late on. Tommy O'Connell
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
St Patrick's Athletic prove toughest of tests for UCC as they knock in eight goals
FAI Cup second round: St Patrick's Athletic 8 UCC 0 Chris Forrester scored a nonchalant brace as St Patrick's Athletic equalled a club record win to cruise through to the FAI Cup third round with this facile victory over Munster Senior League side UCC at Richmond Park. Having won the cup twice in the last four years, and five times in total, Stephen Kenny's side were never in danger of losing their record of never having lost to a non-league team in the competition. Doubtless with Thursday's Conference League home clash with Estonian side Kalju in mind, manager Kenny opted for a completely different starting XI from last Thursday's rousing 2-0 win away to FC Hegelmann. That meant a full debut for 19-year-old midfielder Matthew O'Hara, captain of the club's under-20 side, who recently signed his first professional contract having been at the club since he was 13. READ MORE UCC needed a play-off victory to retain their top flight status in the MSL which finished two months ago. Not only out of season, they travelled to Dublin missing up to a half a dozen first-team players in what was head coach Noel Healy's final game over a 15-year association with the university club. Unsurprisingly, it was one-way traffic from the off with UCC goalkeeper Kevin Fitzpatrick inspired early on with fine saves to deny Conor Carty and Aidan Keena, before Saints pressure told on 19 minutes, if not from an expected source. Zach Elbouzedi pulled the ball back for defender Axel Sjoberg, whose low cross was knocked past Fitzpatrick by his unfortunate skipper Colm Murphy for an own goal. Fitzpatrick made another terrific save to thwart Elbouzedi one-on-one while Carty bounced a header off the crossbar from Brandon Kavanagh's delivery, all a mere prelude to the floodgates opening with a quick-fire treble before half-time. First, the lively Kavanagh beat Fitzpatrick at his far post with a looping header from Sjoberg's cross on 40 minutes. Two minutes later Kavanagh's shot was deflected into the path of Keena, who cut inside a couple of defenders to drill to the bottom corner. Skipper Forrester then got in on the act to utterly deflate UCC when casually dribbling past three defenders inside the area to tap home. The goal deluge continued into the second half with another three scored inside six minutes of the restart. Scarcely a minute in, Al-Amin Kazeem ghosted in off the left flank to meet Sjoberg's cross and find the top corner for his first goal for the club. Two minutes later it was 6-0 when half-time substitute Jake Mulraney rifled to the bottom corner from the edge of the area. Kazeem then provided the cross for Carty to continue the scoring on 51 minutes with a well-placed header. Forrester completed the rout with his second from a crisp low drive to the net on 68 minutes following debutant substitute Billy Hayes's assist. Daragh Murtagh scored a first half hat-trick as First Division Longford Town had to come from behind twice to see off Mayo League side Castlebar Celtic , 6-3, at the town's Celtic Park. Mark Cunningham and Eoghan Hughes twice put Castlebar in front with Murtagh equalising on each occasion before getting his third, all inside the opening 23 minutes. A penalty from Jordan Loftus levelled for Castlebar to complete a manic first half before a Dean George brace and a goal from substitute Francis Campbell eased Longford to victory. ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Sjoberg, Turner, Breslin; Forrester, O'Hara (Grivosti, 63); Elbouzedi (Mulraney, h-t), Kavanagh (Hayes, h-t), Kazeem; Carty, Keena. UCC: Fitzpatrick; Duggan, Murphy, Iyalla, O'Neill (Roberts, 64); McCarthy; Walsh (Connolly, 64), Broderick (Bowdren, 80), Howard (O'Halloran, 69), Loughery; Fahy (Sulleiman, 69). Referee: Alan Patchell (Dublin). Attendance: 1,243.
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Tadhg Beirne admits Andy Farrell's ‘quiet word' played big part in first Test triumph
He can look weary, perhaps wearier than he actually is, due to the Trojan volume of work he invariably accumulates week upon week, month upon month, and season upon season. But come the big day, he invariably delivers. That's just in his DNA. That's what Tadhg Beirne does. Speaking to a handful of journalists in a corner of the crammed mixed zone room along a long corridor from the dressingrooms, Beirne cuts a relieved and satisfied person. The Lions have won, and he has delivered what he, and Andy Farrell , had demanded of him in his first Lions Test start, after which he was named the man of the match. He has won titles with the Scarlets and Munster, has been part of Ireland's landmark triumphs in his 61 caps to date and was a replacement in the opening two Lions Tests four years ago. Yet he said of this first Test: 'It was right up there.' Revealingly, Beirne also admitted: 'I felt the pressure. I'm not going to lie; I did feel the pressure this week. There are some things you can't shy away from. A lot of people calling for your head out there. I know my performances to this date weren't up to par by my standards. So, to be in this team, Faz [Andy Farrell] has put a lot of trust in me, and it was an honour to be selected. READ MORE 'I had to put in a performance today. All of us did. Everyone around me put in great performances and the best part about it was that we were able to make each other look good, particularly for the first half,' added Beirne, before admitting they 'fell off a bit' in the last quarter. This was Beirne's fifth start in the Lions' seven matches to date. He had performed strongly against Argentina and the Force if less so, as he conceded, against the Waratahs and Invitational XV. Farrell had helped to foster the discussion around the 'hotly contested' backrow, yet then used the debate around picking Beirne and Tom Curry to fuel the fire within both flankers. 'Andy had a quiet word with the backrow, the captains, and he said a few things to us,' Beirne revealed. 'He put a little bit of pressure on us without putting pressure on us, as Andy does. But it gives you motivation and it gives you a little bit of realisation as to where his head's at and the opportunity that's being presented to us. Tadhg Beirne runs into contact during the first Test against Australia in Brisbane. Photograph:Asked what the tone of Farrell's comments had been, Beirne was not inclined to reveal too much. 'Andy said what he said to us, and I think it helped all of us. Those words certainly sat with me for the 24 hours leading up to the game,' he said. 'I'm 33 now, I'm not going to be on another Lions tour, let's be realistic,' he added with a wry smile. 'These are special moments. These are huge games and I want to be involved in all of them. I knew how important this game was and hopefully I've done enough to help this team win tonight and hopefully be selected next week.' You put it to Beirne that he's a big game player. 'I love the pressure. Only joking,' he said, laughing, but clearly there's an element of truth in this. 'That is it. This is the game. Big games. You want to perform. You either step up to it or you don't.' As is his wont, Farrell had his players perfectly primed emotionally, and Beirne was certainly of a mind to seize the day. 'You've got to love those occasions. You've got to love every minute of it. You've got to love the dark moments when you are blowing out your arse and love when you are camped on your own line. You have to love every part of it, and I certainly did today.' It helped that Beirne won the first of his two jackal penalties just 22 seconds into the game after Tadhg Furlong had stopped Joseph Suaalii in his tracks moments after Tom Curry had done likewise with a big shot on James Slipper. Beirne was also quick to share the kudos with Curry, helpfully too, as the latter's answers in his post-match briefing were, well, brief. Tom Curry tackles Australia fullback Tom Wright during the first Test. Photograph: David Davies/PA Wire 'His work-rate off the ball, everything he is doing that people aren't seeing is incredible, and that is why he has been selected. It is for those moments, the incredible fitness and work-rate he has.' Beirne's isn't bad either, for he was the game's top tackler (22), won three turnovers, nicked a Wallabies throw and had some typically assured touches on the ball. He was additionally motivated by the memory of four years ago when, as he tellingly put it, 'an accumulated 12 minutes' in the opening two Tests before being left out of the decider. No less than the Springboks then, the Wallabies will be fighting for their lives on home soil next Saturday in the MGC and will be strengthened by the return of Rob Valetini and Will Skelton. 'I was there last time and we won the first Test and lost the last two, so we can't just sit back and relax now. We have to go forward and that's where it's going to be challenging next week. 'They're going to elevate their performance, they've a few lads coming back, a few world-class performers, and the challenge becomes even more difficult because not only do they have some world-class names back, but they also have a lot more to fight for because they know if they lose, they've lost the series. 'It's going to be tough in Melbourne. We don't know what the weather is going to be like. It was nice today, but it could be terrible there. 'So, it's a big challenge for us next week to elevate our performance; a lot to work on but we'll be proud of what we put in today at the same time.'
