The 16 clubs still in the running are fixed. The last day of the Champions group stage ended on Sunday, determining the table for the elimination phase. An international spring where four French clubs will be present.
Bordeaux-Bègles, the only French team to have finished at the top of its group, finished as the best team in the group stage. Concretely, this means that the Girondins, title holders, are guaranteed to reach a possible semi-final. Louis Bielle-Biarrey and his partners will launch their elimination phase with the reception of the English Leicester, qualified at the last minute thanks to the defeat without bonus of La Rochelle (17-27) Sunday against the Harlequins.
Toulouse and Toulon, ultimately second in their group, will have the opportunity to host in the round of 16. The Toulouse will challenge the English from Bristol, a tough opponent beaten on Sunday (15-27) by Bordeaux-Bègles. In the event of victory, Antoine Dupont and his partners would face the Girondins in the quarter-final. The Toulonnais inherit the South Africans from the Stormers.
Finally Castres, fourth team qualified and the only one to move to the round of 16, inherits a very delicate meeting on the pitch of the English Northampton, finalists last season. The round of 16 will be played on the weekend of April 3, 4 and 5. The quarters will be played the following weekend.
