Johann Van Graan’s team looks vastly different to what would have been expected of them before they got stuck in South Africa.

On top of this, it will be Munster’s first 80 minutes of competitive rugby since their defeat to Ospreys on October 23.

The Stags will face the Wasps, who have played four games since October ended but are yet to find a win.

Lee Blackett’s side only have three wins to their name after nine games but are seen as a bigger obstacle to overcome due to Munster’s situation.

Wasps reached the Gallagher Premiership final just two seasons ago, losing by only three points to Exeter Chiefs, who won a league and European double that year.

However, they have failed to reach the heights that they did in the time since then and their measly 23 carries per line break average this season does not exactly scream attacking intent.

Their defence has not been impressive either – in 2019-20, they conceded an average of 22.59 points per game in the regular season in the Premiership but this year, the number sits at 26.55 after just nine games, showing a decrease in performance.

However, 18 players are listed as unavailable for Wasps through injury this weekend, and one can expect them to improve when that number goes down but it appears this Munster side may play Wasps at a perfect time.

Munster, on the other hand, can be analysed for days but their team for Sunday’s 3:15 pm match is an unknown entity.

Five players have been handed their Munster debuts, including Ireland U20 number eight Daniel Okeke.

The team is a mix of youth, experience and players yet to get solid game time under their belts.

Teams

Wasps

15 Marcus Watson (59)

14 Zach Kibirige (56)

13 Michael Le Bourgeois (65)

12 Jimmy Gopperth (136)

11 Josh Bassett (158)

10 Jacob Umaga (58)

9 Sam Wolstenholme (22)

1 Tom West (57)

2 Dan Frost (5)

3 Biyi Alo (22)

4 Sebastian de Chaves (5)

5 Elliott Stooke (9)

6 Alfie Barbeary (16)

7 Brad Shields (61) (c)

8 Tom Willis (49)

Replacements

16 Gabriel Oghre (53)

17 Robin Hislop (9)

18 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (53)

19 Tim Cardall (37)

20 Nizaam Carr (63)

21 Thomas Young (147)

22 Will Porter (37)

23 Francois Hougaard (4)

Munster

(15-9, 1-8) Patrick Campbell; Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell, Damian de Allende, Keith Earls; Joey Carbery, Conor Murray; Dave Kilcoyne, Scott Buckley, James French; Eoin O’Connor, Tadhg Beirne; Peter O’Mahony (C), John Hodnett, Daniel Okeke.

Replacements: Declan Moore, Mark Donnelly, Roman Salanoa, John Forde, Conor Moloney, Ethan Coughlan, Tony Butler, Jonathan Wren.

Odds

Wasps 1/5

Draw 25/1

Munster 7/2

Where To Watch

The match will be available to watch on BT Sport 2 and beIN Sports with coverage starting at 3 pm.

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The New Zealander previously managed Ulster for a season in 2017-18 – the last year in which Ulster missed the Pro14 playoffs.

He returned to New Zealand to coach Waikato instead of seeing out his contract after an underwhelming season.

Gibbes took the Clermont job after spending time with Ronan O’Gara at La Rochelle, leading them to the Champions Cup final last season.

However, his start to life in France has been a mixed bag with impressive wins and poor losses galore.

Dan McFarland’s Ulster have been a far more consistent outfit as a whole but their form in recent weeks has failed to back that up.

The provincial outfit will be hoping to bounce back from defeat to Ospreys with a victory over the three-time Challenge Cup champions.

Their strength as a team grows every year and they are expected to get better with the arrival of new signing Duane Vermuelen.

The World Cup-winning Springbok will make his debut for the Ulstermen this weekend after recovering from Covid-19 following the end of his international duty for the year.

Former Munster fly-half JJ Hanrahan will wear the number 10 shirt for the French outfit hosting the Irish province.

The likes Peceli Yato and Damian Penaud also appear in the starting XV but four players miss out due to Covid – one confirmed case, one close contact and two unvaccinated players.

Teams

Clermont Auvergne

Ulster

(15-9) Mike Lowry, Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Ethan McIlroy, Billy Burns, John Cooney;

(1-8) Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor (Capt.), Kieran Treadwell, Marcus Rea, Nick Timoney, Duane Vermeulen;

Replacements: John Andrew, Jack McGrath, Ross Kane, Sam Carter, Greg Jones, Sean Reidy, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore.

Odds

Clermont Auvergne 4/9

Draw 17/1

Ulster 9/5

Where To Watch

The game kicks off at 5:300 pm and will be shown live on BT Sport 3 – coverage starts at 5:15 pm.

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The two sides are in contrasting form heading into the tie – Leinster have only lost one game from seven while Bath are yet to win a game, losing nine times in a row to start their season.

The Irish provincial outfit’s form is down to the synergy they have nurtured over the years, and now with a full squad at their disposal at all times of the year, they are reaping the rewards of their past rotations.

The forwards are currently outscoring the backs by 21 tries to nine for the Pro14 champions, but are doing so because they are joining attacking phases in wide positions – for example, hooker Dan Sheehan’s try against Connacht.

Bath, on the other hand, have leaked tries and it’s clear that their chemistry is not up to scratch, especially when holes appear in the defensive line several times in every game that they have played.

They have conceded 297 points so far this season – an average of 33 per game – and 142 of those points came inside two games against Gloucester and Saracens, but Leinster have never scored more than 56 against their upcoming opponent.

However, Bath are good at breaking through opposition lines themselves and their attack has benefitted from this – their 18 carries per line break is joint-third-highest in the Gallagher Premiership.

Three Leinster players have contracted Covid-19 and will be unavailable to line out for their team as a result but a strong team was named nonetheless.

Six Bath players will earn their Champions Cup debuts on this season’s opening weekend.

Teams

Leinster

15. Hugo Keenan (35)
14. Jordan Larmour (66)
13. Garry Ringrose (91)
12. Ciarán Frawley (41)
11. James Lowe (56)
10. Ross Byrne (110)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (105)

1. Andrew Porter (81)
2. Rónan Kelleher (29)
3, Tadhg Furlong (117)
4. Ross Molony (122)
5. Ryan Baird (33)
6. Rhys Ruddock (195) CAPTAIN
7. Josh van der Flier (103)
8. Caelan Doris (44)

Replacements:

16. Dan Sheehan (18)
17. Cian Healy (237)
18. Michael Ala’alatoa (6)
19. Devin Toner (270)
20. Max Deegan (70)
21. Luke McGrath (157)
22. Jimmy O’Brien (37)
23. Tommy O’Brien (12)

Bath

Odds

Leinster 1/200

Draw 70/1

Bath 35/1

Where To Watch

The game will be televised on BT Sport and beIN Sports. Coverage starts at 3 pm.

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What’s most interesting about the provincial pack’s season so far is their attacking output – as it stands, they’re outscoring the club’s backs by two to one (21-9).

The reasons for this involve several factors – for example, where they are positioned and how they operate set-pieces.

Hooker Dan Sheehan’s latest effort against Connacht underlines how forwards have developed in today’s game – the number two received the ball out wide and stepped Mack Hansen to get a clear run to the try line. Anyone that used Sky Bet sign up offer to back Leinster -30 collected the 5/1.

The multi-faceted ability of their forwards has only made Leinster a more dangerous threat to their opponents and fullback Hugo Keenan is happy to see his teammates perform so well.

“It’s brilliant – sure they’re scoring our tries for us,” Keenan exclaimed. “Dan Sheehan will be taking our jobs soon out on the wing.

“It’s great to have that talent in the pack. There’s some serious athletes coming through now and it definitely adds a different dynamic to the team and we’re lucky to have it.”

“The list goes on of lads that are in that category as well – it doesn’t happen just for no reason – it’s the work they do in training, the work they do in the gym and, yeah, it’s great to see that it’s paying off now.”

Keenan has noted that the growth of forwards such as Sheehan and flanker Josh Van Der Flier has changed the way he approaches an attack.

Van Der Flier has been dubbed ‘Van Der Flier 2.0’ in recent times as the Wicklow forward has greatly improved his ball-carrying ability in the last year, offering a strong threat with the ball in his hands as well as at the breakdown.

“He’s doing incredible, isn’t he? He’s such a hard worker, you see it in training everyday – he’s a bit of a student game, isn’t he?

“He’s improving so much and any feedback he gets from coaches, he’s so good at taking it on board and learning from it. He’s finding himself out in the wide channels a bit more so he’s working with the outside backs a bit and it’s paying dividends, isn’t it? He’s playing great rugby.”

Several Leinster forwards tend to find themselves in a wide position on phased attacking play, with number eight Jack Conan and hookers Sheehan and Rónan Kelleher being the usual suspects in this case.

In particular, the back row as a unit are known to find themselves in these sort of attacking positions – the likes of Caelan Doris and Dan Leavy can also be seen out wide on occasion.

The development only follows the trend in Leinster of mobile forwards, with those already mentioned serving as fine examples of what to expect from one.

Leinster forwards coach Robin McBryde described them as ‘modern-day forwards’ when speaking about the attacking impact several Leinster pack members had for Ireland last month.

Keenan, who has played full back for Ireland since making his debut last year, has said that he finds himself getting on the shoulder of the Leinster forwards more often.

“I think it’s not just [Van Der Flier], it’s about everyone flooding those channels when there’s a bit of a break.

“I think it was Mike Ala’alaatoa who got on the shoulder of Josh and then Ringer (Garry Ringrose) on Mike’s shoulders.

“That’s always positive to see and it’s something that Felipe (Contepomi) would be big on – winning those races and getting into that space.

“I think it is something that [Van Der Flier’s] improved and people are naturally trying to run off him now but it’s across the board as well.”

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The two 23-year-old hookers have had ample game time to show off their qualities this season and it seems that they are of a similar mould.

Dan Sheehan’s fantastic try (his fourth of the season for Leinster) against Connacht where he stepped Mack Hansen to send himself into a pocket of clear air with the try line in sight is reminiscent of what Kelleher brings to the game for both club and country.

Sheehan’s very presence in the wide channel to receive the ball draws similarities to how his fellow hooker plays and offers a glimpse into the future of Irish rugby.

Leinster assistant coach Stuart Lancaster is well aware of the depth of talent the side has at their disposal in the central front row position.

“There’s some very good, athletic forwards in the Leinster pack now,” Lancaster said. “Ronan [Kelleher] and Dan [Sheehan] are two players who epitomise what we want from our forwards – you know, good ball handlers, physical, abrasive, fit and they can play hooker but they can play multiple positional roles in phased attack and phased defence.”

Kelleher has often been seen in the same spot on a rugby pitch as Sheehan was on Friday, and with 29 carries to his name in just 164 minutes for Ireland during the Autumn Nations Series last month (14 against New Zealand), is clearly an attacking threat for any side he lines out for.

Sheehan, who only made his debut for Leinster last season, only has 313 minutes under his belt in competitive fixtures for the Pro 14 champions but has impressive attacking stats too – 187 metres from 58 carries among them.

With only 55 minutes to his name in green, Sheehan has looked the part, making 53 metres from a mere 11 carries in that time – an average of 4.82 metres per carry.

On top of this, their stats for the traditional roles of a hooker are impressive too – Kelleher missed only one lineout throw against both New Zealand and Argentina from 15 while Sheehan was perfect from 10 in the Autumn Internationals.

Their multi-faceted talents fall in line with what the province’s forwards coach Robin McBryde said about the ‘modern-day forward’ last month.

The competitiveness and experience that Leinster and Ireland veteran Sean Cronin and James Tracy has helped the two young hookers grow into the players they are today.

“It’s great to have [Kelleher and Sheehan] and they’ve got two very good hookers in, you know, James Tracy and Sean Cronin to learn from as well so it’s not like those two have just fallen away – they’re as competitive as the two lads.”

Lancaster is thrilled to see both Kelleher and Sheehan in such good form at the moments after watching their journey for several years but insists there is still work to be done.

“It’s great to see both come through – I’ve watched them both come from fourth-choice and being on the periphery and frustrated they’re not getting opportunities to force their way through to become first and second choice, in whatever order you pick them.

“There’s a lot of hard work gone into what they’ve achieved and a lot of credit must go to the two lads in particular but also to James and Sean for pushing them so hard as well.

“It’s a good position to be in, they’re both exciting players, but they’ve both got a lot to learn still and, you know, we’ll keep their feet on the ground for sure.”

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Salanoa has only played seven times for The Stags since joining the side from Leinster last summer, with his last appearance coming against Zebre in the Pro14 Rainbow Cup in June.

His knee injury has kept him sidelined for several months but the 24-year-old is now in line to return to the Munster 23 this weekend and is set to make his Champions Cup debut.

Chris Farrell and Jonathan Wren have also returned to training, as confirmed on Friday.

Ireland Sevens player Conor Phillips returns to the High Performance Centre this week after representing the nation in Dubai at the weekend.

The 14 members of the travelling party to South Africa who remained in Cape Town are continuing to do well as they move closer to completing their respective quarantine periods at different stages this week.

The 34 players and staff who returned home to Ireland last Wednesday are continuing to follow the government protocols of mandatory self-isolation while following the public health-led PCR testing programme.

It is expected the group will complete their quarantine period over the weekend.

Unavailable: Paddy Kelly (hamstring), Edwin Edogbo (achilles), John Hodnett (ankle), Calvin Nash (ankle), Rowan Osborne (head), RG Snyman (knee).

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Scrum-half Gibson Park has been sidelined with a thigh injury since Ireland’s win over New Zealand last month.

The number nine is set to make his return to the Leinster 23 in the same ground, the Aviva Stadium, this weekend.

Flanker Dan Leavy has also returned to full training having come through the Graduated Return to Play Protocols after suffering an injury 20 minutes into the recent loss to Ulster in the United Rugby Championship.

Centre Rory O’Loughlin has also returned to full training this week having recovered from a shoulder injury, while back-rower Max Deegan got through the Connacht game without any issues.

Lock James Ryan is continuing to comply with World Rugby protocols while training with the team.

Ryan is seeing an independent concussion consultant as part of his return to competitive action.

His fellow Irish internationals Jack Conan and Leinster and national captain Johnny Sexton will increase their workload in training this week and be further assessed before a final decision is made on their recoveries.

Loosehead prop Cian Healy, who was substituted against Connacht as a precaution, will also be assessed ahead of the Champions Cup clash with Bath.

Leinster and Ireland openside flanker Will Connors is back on the injury list after picking up a hamstring issue in training last week.

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The plans will see the Club World Cup replace the Heineken Champions Cup knockout stages in the years it would be held.

Halliday has also said that the EPCR is working to bring South African sides who are currently playing in the United Rugby Championship into the Champions Cup next year.

For now, the EPCR will use a reduced pool stage and more knockout games after deeming last season’s re-jigged format a success.

Clubs are set to play four pool games in a schedule that starts in December, and then there will be a two-legged round-of-16 tie, a quarter-final, a semi-final and a final for those who progress.

“From this new agreement, we are now working on the participation of the South African provinces and building towards a Club World Cup every four years which would replace the latter stages of the Heineken Champions Cup,” he said in a statement.

“Together with our improved formats, reduced pool matches and more knockout rugby, EPCR is in a great position to grow.

“Our newly formed Board is superbly well-equipped and structured to deliver on this growth and I wish them every success.”

Halliday will leave his role as chairman of the sporting body after six-and-a-half years at the helm.

EPCR is searching for a new chief executive after Vincent Gaillard departed earlier this year after six years as their CEO.

Anthony Lepage is currently in charge on an interim basis having previously worked as the administration and finance director.

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Reigning Guinness PRO14 champions, Leinster Rugby, will have Montpellier and Northampton Saints as their opponents in Pool A when the tournament kicks off again in December.

For the purposes of the draw, the 24 clubs which qualified from the Premiership, the PRO14 and the TOP 14 were classified into four tiers based on their performances in the knockout phases of their respective leagues, and/or on their qualifying positions in their respective league tables.

Each tier contained six clubs with Tier 1 made up of the number one and number two ranked clubs from each league, and Tier 2, the number three and number four ranked clubs from each league, and so on.

Starting with Tier 1, the clubs were either drawn or allocated into either Pool A or Pool B so that each pool contained 12 clubs with no clubs in the same tier from the same league in the same pool.

The key principles regarding the pool stage fixtures are that clubs will only play against opponents in the same pool, and clubs from the same league cannot play against one another.

The Tier 1 and Tier 4 clubs which were drawn in the same pool, but which are not from the same league, will play one another home and away over four rounds. The same principle applies to the Tier 2 and Tier 3 clubs which were drawn in the same pool, but which are not from the same league.

The exact dates of the Heineken Champions Cup pool stage fixtures and the Challenge Cup preliminary stage fixtures, including venues, kick-off times and TV coverage, will be announced as soon as possible following consultation with clubs and EPCR’s partner broadcasters.

The four highest-ranked clubs from each Heineken Champions Cup pool will qualify for the quarter-finals which will be played over two legs, and the clubs ranked from number five to number eight in each pool will qualify for the Round of 16 of the Challenge Cup.

Today’s draw, which mapped out the first steps on the journey to the 2021 Marseille finals weekend, was conducted by EPCR Chief Executive, Vincent Gaillard, and by EPCR Commercial and Brand Manager, Anya Alderslade. The event scrutineer was Lausanne-based solicitor, Jean-Guillaume Amiguet.

2020/21 HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP

POOL A (with 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 (with 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 (Munster Rugby, Racing 92)
Glasgow Warriors (Exeter Chiefs, Lyon)
Gloucester Rugby (Lyon, Ulster)
Toulouse (Exeter Chiefs, Ulster Rugby)

2020/21 season weekends
Round 1 – 11/12/13 December 2020
Round 2 – 18/19/20 December 2020
Round 3 – 15/16/17 January 2021
Round 4 – 22/23/24 January 2021
Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals, 1st leg – 2/3/4 April 2021
Challenge Cup Round of 16 – 2/3/4 April 2021
Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals, 2nd leg – 9/10/11 April 2021
Challenge Cup quarter-finals – 9/10/11 April 2021
Semi-finals – 30 April – 1/2 May 2021

2021 finals – Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
Challenge Cup final – Friday 21 May
Heineken Champions Cup final – Saturday 22 May

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Leinster will play Saracens, while Dan McFarlands Ulster side will take on Toulouse in the Champions Cup quarter-finals. These games are to take place on the weekend of September 18th-20th. The Irish Times state that the semi-finals will take place a week later, while the Champions Cup final is scheduled for Saturday October 17th. In terms of the Challenge Cup these games will be played on the weekend of September 18th. The semi-finals will be played a week later. The EPCR said in a statement on their website they hope to host both finals in France, “EPCR and the local organising committee in Marseille intend to clarify the position regarding the finals, including details of ticket refunds where applicable, as soon as possible”. They also went on to say that the venue is “under review” in light of public gatherings and travel restrictions.

Potential changes are likely for the 2021 season with EPCR stating “A 24-club Heineken Champions Cup with eight representatives from each of Europe’s leading league competitions is one of the options under discussion.” These changes would occur for next season which at present is due to begin on 11/12/13th of December 2020. However they said on the EPCR website “An official statement will be made regarding formats once discussions are concluded”.

Schedule of Games

Quarter-finals: weekend of 18/19/20 September

Semi-finals: weekend of 25/26/27 September

Challenge Cup final: Friday, 16 October

Heineken Champions Cup final: Saturday, 17 October

Start of 2020/21 season: weekend of 11/12/13 December

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