MUNSTER rugby have been drawn in Pool 4 of next season’s Rugby Champions Cup. Anthony Foley’s men will face French Top 14 champions Stade Francais, English Premiership giants Leicester Tigers and Benetton Treviso from the Pro12.
The group, which Munster secured second seeding in, can be considered ‘easier’ than what could have been.
Munster fans only have to look at last season, where Clermont and Saracens ousted Munster from the competition, to see what the worst case scenario can be.
There are arguably two Pools of ‘death’ in this season’s competition. Pool 1 sees Premiership champions Saracens face Toulouse, Oyonnax and Ulster. The group will see Saracens coach Mark Mc Call return to Ulster where he once coached.
The toughest Pool of all is Pool 5, where three times champions and near neighbours Leinster will face Bath, Wasps and Paul O’Connell’s Toulon.
Leinster, who are currently without a head coach, will struggle to from a Pool where it looks like only one team will advance. With Toulon strengthening their squad ahead of their chase for a fourth title in a row, the odds are stacked against the Irish province who are sure to provide the bulk of Joe Schmidt’s World Cup squad.
The initial fixture dates for the Pool games are November 14 and 21, December 12 and 19 and January 16 and 23, with the exact fixtures details to be announced in the coming weeks.
Pool 1
Saracens – Ulster – Toulouse – Oyonnax
Pool 2
Clermont – Ospreys – Exeter – Bordeaux
Pool3
Glasgow – N’hampton – Racing 92 – Scarlets
Pool 4
Stade Francais – Munster – Leicester – Treviso
Pool 5
Bath – Toulon – Leinster – Wasps
