Advertisement
There’s always an attitude shift in Irish rugby when it comes to Europe. After all, it has been dubbed ‘the Holy Grail’ by supporters of Leinster, Munster and Ulster. When you have seven titles between you, across a 19-year spell, you have every right to get that tingly feeling when the tournament rolls around.
As always, Leinster take up the marquee billing. Their ‘Drive for Five’ has been halted for seven seasons now, with four defeats on the biggest day (2019 & 2022-2024) and two semi-final losses (2021 and 2025).
On the flip side, despite it being almost 20 years since Munster first claimed the crown, they are the tournament’s fairytale team. However, Clayton McMillan’s introduction to the tournament is a pool of death that features Bath and Toulon.
Ulster and Connacht might be closest to silverware by virtue of their Challenge Cup prospects, and favourable pool draws; with Racing 92’s trip to Belfast the perfect appetiser to kickoff the now global tournaments.
Investec Champions Cup:
Leinster:
Record: 4 time champions (‘09, ‘11, ‘12, ‘18); Last year: Lost SF to Northampton Saints
Coach: Leo Cullen; Captain: Caelan Doris
Fixtures: Harlequins (H), Leicester Tigers (A), La Rochelle (H), Bayonne (A).
Star Men: Dan Sheehan & Rieko Ioane
Prediction: Finalists
Success raises expectations, and for Leinster, expectations are higher than the Spire in Dublin City. Leo Cullen and Jacques Nienaber are under the sternest of pressure to finally deliver that fifth star, and perhaps this season will be the year they do just that.
In recent interviews, Leo Cullen correctly described the pool stages as a seeding race, one of which Leinster are often the pacesetters. This season they have sticky away trips to Leicester and Bayonne, both formidable tests, as well as home showdowns with Quins and La Rochelle.
The stiffest challenge will be points accumulation. The four-time champions will seek to go unbeaten in the pool stage, but without a clear walkover contest, 62-0 win over Harlequins last April notwithstanding, so they could struggle to hit the 18/19 points needed to secure a home path to the final.
Once in the final stages, there are far few better teams than Leinster, and it feels like only Lions fatigue can stop them from making a run in the new year.
Munster:
Record: 2 time champions (‘06, ‘08); Last year: Lost QF to Union Bordeaux-Bégles
Coach: Clayton McMillan; Captain: Tadhg Beirne
Fixtures: Bath (A), Gloucester (H), RC Toulon (A), Castres (H).
Star Men: Craig Casey & Jack Crowley
Prediction: Quarter-Finals
Where there is Munster, there will be drama. Pitted against some of the best sides in France and England, it will take an age-old Munster miracle to secure a home knockout tie.
All eyes will be on round two for their blockbuster home clash with Gloucester, but before that, they will need to find a result, of some sort, against Bath. Toulon will be favourites for the pool however, as they welcome both Munster and Bath to the Mayol.
New coach Clayton McMillan has enjoyed a fruitful opening run of games, picking up six wins from their first seven, but this next block will be much tougher. How he manages the window, with IRFU player welfare protocol and the need to accumulate points in tricky fixtures, will be a challenge the Kiwi is sure to meet head on.
If the Limerick based side can find three wins in the pool, then you can never bet against them in the knockout stages. This season might come a year too soon to contend, but they are ‘kings of the hard way’.
EPCR Challenge Cup:
Ulster:
Record: 1 time champion (1999); Last year: Lost Ro16 to Union Bordeaux-Bégles
Challenge Cup Starting Debut
Coach: Richie Murphy; Captain: Iain Henderson
Fixtures: Racing 92 (H), Cardiff (A), Cheetahs (A), Stade Francais (H).
Star Men: Juarno Augustus & Jacob Stockdale.
Prediction: Finalists
A European Cup winner in 1999, it’s hard to believe Ulster are fast approaching 20 years since they last lifted silverware. Their maiden Challenge Cup voyage presents an opportunity to end two decades of pain, and with a youthful core and explosive new signings, who would bet against them?
Like Munster, the Red Hand province have lost just once so far this season, buoyed by the in-form Nathan Doak, Jude Postlethwaite and of course, Juarno Augustus. They now add Wallabies destroyer Angus Bell to the cast, and although there are question marks about the depth chart, they have the top end to be a challenger in Bilbao come May.
Connacht:
Record: 3 time semi-finalists (‘04, ‘05, ‘10); Last year: Lost QF to Racing 92
Coach: Stuart Lancaster; Captain: Cian Prendergast
Fixtures: Ospreys (A), Black Lion (H), Montpellier (A), Montauban (H).
Star Men: Bundee Aki & Mack Hansen
Prediction: Quarter-Finals
From debutants to the familiar faces, Connacht are Ireland’s routine Challenge Cup team, making their 24th appearance in the second tier competition this time around.
Like Ulster, silverware has often eluded the men from the west, and this competition exemplifies it. They have only made the semi-finals on three occasions, the most recent being back in 2009-10 when a pre-juggernaut RC Toulon came to town.
With Stuart Lancaster now as head coach, the man who eliminated them last season, he will be hoping to lead them out of a favourable pool and deep into the knockout stages, to cement his status as an elite coach, and Connacht’s as a top side.