Carried out this Wednesday at the Maison du Sport International in Lausanne, Switzerland, the draw for the group stage has delivered its verdict.
The die is cast. The Champions Cup group stage draw took place this Wednesday in Lausanne. New season, new format for the most prestigious of the European Cups, with now 24 clubs on the starting line, including eight representatives of the Top 14. Several tasty oppositions for the Tricolores, including the duel in the taste of revenge between the players of Toulouse and the reigning European champions Exeter, their executioners in the semi-finals this year. Also to be continued, Montpellier against Leinster and Clermont, against Munster.
Two pools of twelve, but each team will play four matches, two at home and two away. Impossible to cross a club of its own domestic championship or the hat in which one is in for this draw. The top four in each group will advance to quarter-finals in home and away matches. Note that the teams that finish between 5th to 8th place will be transferred to the European Challenge, second continental level, in the round of 16. Finally, the finals are scheduled for May 21 and 22, 2021 in Marseille.
Champions Cup draw :
POOL A (opponents in brackets)
– Bordeaux-Bègles (Dragons, Northampton Saints)
– Leinster Rugby (Montpellier, Northampton Saints)
– Wasps (Dragons, Montpellier)
– Bath Rugby (La Rochelle, Scarlets)
– Edinburgh Rugby (La Rochelle, Sale Sharks)
– RC Toulon (Sale Sharks, Scarlets)
– La Rochelle (Bath Rugby, Edinburgh Rugby)
– Sale Sharks (Edinburgh Rugby, RC Toulon)
– Scarlets (Bath Rugby, RC Toulon)
– Dragons (Bordeaux-Bègles, Wasps)
– Montpellier (Leinster Rugby, Wasps)
– Northampton Saints (Bordeaux-Bègles, Leinster Rugby)
POOL B (opponents in brackets)
– Exeter Chiefs (Glasgow Warriors, Toulouse)
– Lyon (Glasgow Warriors, Gloucester Rugby)
– Ulster Rugby (Gloucester Rugby, Toulouse)
– Bristol Bears (ASM Clermont Auvergne, Connacht Rugby)
– Munster Rugby (ASM Clermont Auvergne, Harlequins)
– Racing 92 (Connacht Rugby, Harlequins)
– ASM Clermont Auvergne (Bristol Bears, Munster Rugby)
– Connacht Rugby (Bristol Bears, Racing 92)
– Harlequins (Racing 92, Munster Rugby)
– Glasgow Warriors (Exeter Chiefs, Lyon)
– Gloucester Rugby (Lyon, Ulster Rugby)
– Toulouse (Exeter Chiefs, Ulster Rugby)
.
