THE fixtures for the first ever two-legged Champions Cup quarter-finals have been confirmed.
Munster Rugby and Exeter Chiefs face off in the Champions Cup round of 16 with both legs to be played on consecutive Saturdays in April.
Sandy Park hosts the first leg on Saturday, April 9, at 5.30pm with Thomond Park hosting the return fixture on Saturday, April 16, at 3pm.
Ticket details for the home game will be released in due course.
History will be made as the Round of 16 fixtures will be played over two legs for the first time ever.
Aggregate scores over the two contests will decide the Round of 16 winners with the four highest-ranked clubs in each pool are scheduled to play their second leg matches at home.
Elsewhere, holders, Stade Toulousain, are moving their first leg fixture against URC front runners, Ulster Rugby, to the 33,000-capacity Le Stadium on Saturday, 9 April with the action live on BT Sport, while the second leg goes ahead at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday, 16 April.
Racing 92, the No 1-ranked qualifier from Pool A, make the short journey to Stade Jean Bouin for their first leg clash with Stade Francais Paris on also on Saturday, 9 April with the decisive second leg at Paris La Défense Arena on Sunday, 17 April.
Pool B table-toppers and current Gallagher Premiership leaders, Leicester Tigers, relaunch their bid for the title which has eluded them since 2002 when they travel to Stade Marcel-Michelin to face ASM Clermont Auvergne on Sunday, 10 April ahead of the second meeting at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Saturday, 16 April.
While all Round of 16 matches will be live on BT Sport, additional free-to-air coverage on Channel 4 and Virgin Media in the UK and Ireland is scheduled for the first leg tie between Sale Sharks and Bristol Bears on Saturday, 9 April and for the second leg head-to-head between Harlequins and Montpellier Hérault Rugby on Saturday, 16 April.
Four-time winners, Leinster Rugby, kick off the historic Round of 16 on Friday, 8 April with an all-Irish confrontation against Connacht Rugby at The Sportsground with the return leg set to go ahead at the 51,000-capacity Aviva Stadium on Friday, 15 April.
In the event of drawn matches or equal aggregate scores at the end of normal time during the knockout stage of the Heineken Champions Cup, extra-time will be played with the exception of the first legs of the Round of 16 matches.
Heineken Champions Cup – Round of 16 first leg
(all kick-offs local times)
Friday 8 April
Connacht Rugby v Leinster Rugby, The Sportsground (20.00)
Saturday 9 April
Sale Sharks v Bristol Bears, AJ Bell Arena (13.00)
Union Bordeaux-Bègles v Stade Rochelais, venue TBC (14.00)
Stade Toulousain v Ulster Rugby, Le Stadium (16.15)
Exeter Chiefs v Munster Rugby, Sandy Park (17.30) – BT Sport / beIN SPORTS
Stade Francais Paris v Racing 92, Stade Jean Bouin (18.30)
Sunday 10 April
Montpellier Hérault Rugby v Harlequins, GGL Stadium (14.00)
ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leicester Tigers, Stade Marcel-Michelin (16.15)
Heineken Champions Cup – Round of 16 second leg
Friday 15 April
Leinster Rugby v Connacht Rugby, Aviva Stadium (17.30)
Bristol Bears v Sale Sharks, Ashton Gate (20.00)
Saturday 16 April
Harlequins v Montpellier Hérault Rugby, Twickenham Stoop (12.30)
Munster Rugby v Exeter Chiefs, Thomond Park (15.00) – BT Sport / beIN SPORTS
Stade Rochelais v Union Bordeaux-Bégles, Stade Marcel Deflandre (16.00)
Leicester Tigers v ASM Clermont Auvergne, Mattioli Woods Welford Road (17.30)
Ulster Rugby v Stade Toulousain, Kingspan Stadium (20.00)
Sunday 17 April
Racing 92 v Stade Francais Paris, Paris La Défense Arena (16.30)
Quarter-finals – 6/7/8 May
The quarter-finals will be played over one match and the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage as follows:
QF 1: Racing 92 (A1) or Stade Francais (B8) v Bristol Bears (B4) or Sale Sharks (A5)
QF 2: Harlequins (B2) or Montpellier (A7) v Stade Rochelais (A3) or Bordeaux-Bègles (B6)
QF 3: Ulster (A2) or Stade Toulousain (B7) v Munster (B3) or Exeter Chiefs (A6)
QF 4: Leicester Tigers (B1) or Clermont (A8) v Leinster (A4) or Connacht (B5)
Semi-finals – 13/14/15 May
The semi-finals will be played over one match, and the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have either home country advantage or home venue advantage (TBC) as follows:
SF 1: Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 2
SF 2: Winner QF 3 v Winner QF 4
2022 Heineken Champions Cup final
Saturday, 28 May; Stade Vélodrome, Marseille (17.45)
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