Champions Cup

The Sharks are set to host Munster in the Heineken Champions Cup play-offs on Saturday, with the victor earning a place in the quarter-finals.

"There is so much that we need to look out for this weekend. Lock Gerbrandt Grobler comes in for Emile van Heerden who moves to the bench, while Sikhumbuzo Notshe is at No.8, forcing Phepsi Buthelezi in the replacements. Malakai Fekitoa moves to inside centre with Frisch in at 13 after missing out last week due to injury.

THE scorching heat of South Africa awaits Munster. And Sharks' powerful scrum. If Munster win, they will advance to the quarter-final of the Champions Cup ...

Munster – M Haley; C Nash, A Frisch, M Fekitoa, S Daly; J Carbery, C Casey; D Kilcoyne, N Scannell, R Salanoa; J Kleyn, RG Snyman; P O’Mahony (capt), J Hodnett, G Coombes. What a memory it would be if we got the win." Sharks – B Chamberlin; W Kok, L Am, R Janse van Rensburg, M Mapimpi; C Bosch, J Hendrikse; O Nché, B Mbonambi, T du Toit; E Etzebeth, G Grobler; S Kolisi (capt), V Tshituka, S Notshe. Antoine Frisch returns from injury, having missed last weekend’s disappointing home defeat to Glasgow, to partner Malakai Fekitoa in midfield. Graham Rowntree (Munster): "We were all down after the Glasgow defeat. Munster can't afford to start as slowly.

In addition to Garry Ringrose and Ronan Kelleher, who were sidelined for the final game against England a fortnight ago, and Johnny Sexton, Caelan Doris has ...

O’Mahony starts on his return from international duty with John Hodnett and Gavin Coombes completing the starting XV. It was an amazing day, to see what it means to the crowd, the players, and the work they put in. Dan McFarland can call upon an experienced bench with last week’s hat-trick hero Tom Stewart, Eric O’Sullivan, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Harry Sheridan, and Marcus Rea covering the forwards. Fullback Mike Haley, Calvin Nash and Shane Daly start in an unchanged back three. Scottish loose-head Rory Sutherland also returns to the side. Because of the derby factor on top of that, you can think back to some of those games over the years, whether it’s Leinster-Ulster, or Ulster-Munster, the different dynamics that have played out, they’re hugely exciting games. The latter’s second-row partner Alan O’Connor captains the side. There were a good chunk of guys who played a couple of weeks ago in the England game. we had a group that represented well in the Stormers game last Friday, so it’s about merging those two together. if there is a next week.” It’s going to be a good test. “Our last game together was here against Racing, so we’re ten weeks on, here we are back again.

Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) v Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh). The Champions Cup kicks off with an intriguing battle between these two international fly-halves ...

Toulouse will have to watch out for the Springbok and his partnership with youngster Canan Moodie, which has thrived this season. Arendse, meanwhile, is the slightly quicker and more agile full-back, using his footwork and pace to weave his way through and around defences. The Ospreys showed with their victory at Leicester Tigers in January that they can win big games away from home in the [Champions Cup](https://www.planetrugby.com/tournament/european-champions-cup), so Itoje and Sarries better beware of Jones and co. The 28-year-old Chief has shaken off the injury which forced his withdrawal against Bath last Sunday, which means a full-blooded battle is on the cards between the two, who are both are very quick, athletic and have tremendous footwork. Henshaw undoubtedly plays in the better team and will have the platform to work from, but McCloskey has rarely played poorly for Ulster. His opponent on the other hand tends to go searching for work and is effective in the midfield off first-phase ball. With that in mind, there is perhaps more on the line than just a last-16 Champions Cup tie, as they will want to impress national team head coach Farrell ahead of the World Cup. It is a shame that Albert Tuisue is out, otherwise his clash with Gregory Alldritt would have been box office, so in his absence, we’ve gone for two talented wings who are on the fringes of international selection. The Frenchman is also an outstanding finisher, and he will tend to stay on his wing, waiting for the opportunity to pounce. With Wilco Louw on the opposite side, their first-choice front-row is one of the better units in the Premiership, but can they tame Steven Kitshoff and Malherbe? It is going to be a brutal battle up front this weekend, and leading the charge will be these South African locks. At his best, Pollard is key for both club and country, and he quite frankly is a level above Kinghorn in that sort of form.

Leinster and Ulster have both named their teams ahead of Saturday's eagerly awaited interprovincial Champions Cup round of 16 clash at the Aviva Stadium.

Packing down in the front row are returning internationals Rory Sutherland, hooker Rob Herring and Tom O’Toole. We are very motivated about the opportunity that lies ahead of us on Saturday.” Hugo Keenan and James Lowe, fresh from being named on the Six Nations Team of the Championship are named in the back three alongside Jordan Larmour.

Munster · 15. Mike Haley · 14. Calvin Nash · 13. Antoine Frisch · 12. Malakai Fekitoa · 11. Shane Daly · 10. Jack Crowley · 9. Craig Casey.

- 12. - 13. - 14. - 15. Peter O’Mahony starts on his return from international duty and he will captain the side. Antoine Frisch comes in at 13 after missing out last week due to injurty, Malakai Fekitoa moves to inside centre.

TV and live-stream information as BT Sport brings you live coverage of every game from the last 16 of the Heineken Cup.

Stalwart for club and country Alun Wyn Jones, 37, is out of contract in the summer after 18 years with the club. "Leinster was a real challenge in an organisational front and La Rochelle have lots of rockstars on the pitch. "We managed to be able to slow it down in past games. He said: “I’ve coached in France and it doesn’t get any tougher. Speaking to the press prior to his side's trip to Durban, Rowntree reflected on the second of two narrow defeats to Toulouse in this season's competition, saying: "That was like a Test match. We can influence the game in how we play. It's going to be tough going, but we are very motivated. Reflecting on last Friday's bitterly disappointing defeat to 14-man Newcastle Falcons, Skivington said: "I don't think it was a good look for us and we were pretty angry about it. The last two years we have beaten them twice. We played well in patches in the other games but weren't good enough to beat them this year. It's going to need a similar performance or a better performance this week. So, all those aspects, we have to respect."

While Ulster are without regular skipper Iain Henderson for the Aviva Stadium knock-out tie, Leinster have lost Johnny Sexton, Caelan Doris and Garry ...

On the bench, hooker John McKee is in line to make his European debut. "Caelan was sick at the start of the week, so that's what ruled him out but he's come through OK. "So we need to respect that. "So we need to learn the lessons from that first 20 minutes so we're not in that situation where we have to chase the game to that extent. The game in the RDS was unusual, there was the red card and we'd a very slow start to that game. Along with the loss of club skipper Johnny Sexton after his groin op, the Blues will have to pull out all the stops in what is expected to be a tight affair, as it was when Leinster edged their 2019 quarter-final.

Hugo Keenan has won his race to be fit for Leinster's crunch Champions Cup last 16 clash with Ulster at a sold-out Aviva Stadium.

In one of Leo Cullen’s biggest decisions, Ross Molony partners captain James Ryan in the second-row. Hooker Tom Stewart, who scored a hat-trick against the Bulls, has to settle for a place on the bench alongside Eric O'Sullivan, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Harry Sheridan and Marcus Rea in the forwards, with John Cooney, Stewart Moore and Ben Moxham the backs replacements. Ulster have brought back their big guns for Saturday's Heineken Champions Cup last-16 clash with Leinster with Ireland's Stuart McCloskey, Rob Herring and Tom O'Toole all back for the Aviva Stadium tie.

The indomitable Leinster will look to continue their undefeated season when they host old rivals Ulster in the Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 on ...

Ireland and Leinster winger James Lowe has a nose for the line and his opposite number Rob Baloucoune will have his hands fill. Another Ireland international returns in the form of Stuart McCloskey, who lines out at inside centre, with James Hume retaining his place in the side from last weekend's win to restore a familiar centre partnership. Incredibly, the Irish giants have a rivalry that dates back to 1875.

Irish captain Johnny Sexton, who had to go off with a thigh injury in the second half of Ireland's Grand Slam win over England on March 18, should ...

Syracuse University RFC was established in 1969 and as part of the partnership, Leinster Rugby will appoint a coach to live and work on campus full-time, offering student athletes attending Syracuse University access to Leinster Rugby coaching and training expertise. The match against the MLS All-Stars will be a good test ahead of the 2023-24 season.” Transgender women will no longer be allowed to compete in female track and field events regardless of their levels of testosterone. Shamrock Rovers, who are bidding to win the Premier Division for the fourth season in-a-row, will be hoping to get their first win of the campaign when they travel to Oriel Park to play Dundalk. The game will be played in Washington DC at Audi Field, the home of DC United, who Rooney has been in charge of since last summer. Following the conclusion of the pool stage eight, highest-ranked clubs in each pool have secured their places in the Round of 16 which will be played next weekend. Currently, camogie players are expected to wear skorts, a combination of skirts and shorts, but the east London club have changed to shorts after comprehensive results from an in-house survey, and they hope that will add a further spotlight to an issue set to be debated at Congress Thomas McCurtains, now in its eighth year, interviewed 240 players and found that 82 per cent preferred a move to shorts with 75 per cent saying that the skort does not reflect current society. It will be Taylor’s first fight in Ireland since beating American boxer Queen Underwood in an amateur exhibition in the Brandon Hotel, Tralee back in February 2016. For the first time in the history of the Champions Cup, two Round of 16 matches will be played in South Africa. The proposed Camogie All-Star tour to Canada, scheduled for May has been cancelled. The Thomas McCurtains club in London has launched a “Shorts not Skorts” campaign to raise awareness of the issue ahead of Camogie Congress, which takes place in Tipperary next weekend. Ulster second-row Iain Henderson, who missed the Grand Slam game through injury, should be also back for what looks like will be a full house at the Aviva.

AS challenges in club rugby go, they don't get much greater than Leinster, yet Ulster will head to the Aviva Stadium on Saturday for their European ...

“Leinster’s heartbeat is their gain line or line in quick ball so if you feed them that or if they can impose that, you will struggle in the game. We need to get it right.” The last two years we have beaten them twice, we played well in patches in the other games but we weren’t good enough to beat them this year. “Tom forced himself into that Ireland squad. “Tom has had two years where he barely played any rugby. On Saturday we came through a very physical encounter.

The European Champions Cup last 16 clash takes place at the 52000 capacity King's Park stadium in Durban.

[Katie McCabe set for scan after suffering foot injury](https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/katie-mccabe-set-scan-determine-29587555) [Conor McGregor responds to Carl Froch's claims that he could beat the Dubliner in an MMA fight](https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/other-sport/boxing/conor-mcgregor-reaches-out-eddie-29588415) [Kolisi praises Ireland's 'special' Grand slam triumph](https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/rugby-union/irelands-grand-slam-special-deserved-29584120) [Paralympic legend Jason Smyth announces retirement](https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/other-sport/jason-smyth-retires-paralympics-medals-29577036) [Katie McCabe thanks fans for support as she awaits news on injury](https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/katie-mccabe-thanks-fans-support-29588204) The winner of Sharks v Munster will be away to Toulouse or home to Bulls in next week’s Champions Cup quarter-finals. [Munster's Calvin Nash relishing chance to face Sharks in knock-out Champions Cup tie in Durban](https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/rugby-union/munsters-calvin-nash-relishing-chance-29595224) Munster qualified for the round of 16 thanks to two victories over Northampton Saints, picking up losing bonus-points in narrow defeats to Toulouse. Munster are in South Africa for their Champions Cup last 16 clash with the Sharks at the 52,000 capacity King’s Park stadium in Durban. Sharks won three out of four games in the Pool stages.

Champions Cup, Round of 16: Leinster v Ulster. Aviva Stadium, Saturday, 5.30pm (Live on RTÉ2, BT Sport 4 and RTÉ Radio). After the Lord Mayor's Show?

Results so far: Leinster - W 42-10 v Racing (h); W 57-0 v Gloucester (h); W 49-14 v Gloucester (a); W 36-10 v Racing (h). Cullen said the pitch was dewy and the grass cut shorter for last Monday’s football game (when the atmosphere was cracking), while the forecast is changeable. You live with some of that afterwards, and for younger players you kinda try to get across to them how hard it is to win. That could all add to the entertainment value, and not only is it a cup tie but derbies are simply different gravy. “The memory of how last season ended is still very fresh for us. Indeed, the epic quarter-final clash between these two four years ago to the week was a contender for game of the season. With the emergence of Dan Sheehan, Andrew Porter’s conversion to loosehead, and the likes of Josh van der Flier, Gibson-Park, James Lowe since becoming frontline internationals, this also looks a stronger Leinster team. That’s been the focus for 10 weeks now.” Last season they met Connacht at the same stage in a two-legged tie, winning 26-21 in Galway before all semblance of jeopardy pretty much evaporated after Leinster conjured a try out of nothing by Jamison Gibson-Park in the 11th minute. For their part a trio of Ulstermen who saw out the coronation two weeks ago as replacements start, namely Rob Herring (whose try sealed the deal), Tom O’Toole and Kieran Treadwell. “That’s what drives us day in and day out, it is so bloody hard to win. An ill Caelan Doris has been ruled out in addition to Johnny Sexton, while two other contributors to the Irish Slam, Garry Ringrose and Ronan Kelleher, are also still sidelined.