The European quarter-final line-ups came down to the final pool matches in both the Heineken Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup, with five Guinness PRO14 sides booking their place in the knockout stages. Leinster lead the way after going six for six to be the top seeds in the Champions Cup, while Ulster will have to go on the road if they are to make it through to the semi-finals. Meanwhile, in the Challenge Cup, a trio of Guinness PRO14 sides, Edinburgh, the Scarlets and the Dragons, are all on their travels in the last eight. TAKING DOWN CHAMPIONS Having won every game so far this season, Leinster will fear no one, and in the quarter-finals they have the chance to get their revenge on the last team to beat them. Leo Cullen’s side fell to Saracens in last season’s Champions Cup final in Newcastle, and have not lost since. And after Sarries snuck through as the eighth seed thanks to a narrow win over Racing 92, they will face Leinster for the third season running. Two years ago, they met at the same stage, with Leinster running out comfortable winners on their way to a fourth European crown. We will face @Saracens at home in the quarter-finals of the #HeinekenChampionsCup on the weekend on 3/4/5 April. Further fixture details and ticket information will be confirmed in the coming days.#LEIvSAR #JoinTheRoar pic.twitter.com/gb6CjFW0Vz — Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) January 19, 2020 With Saracens facing relegation from the Premiership at the end of the season, Europe represents their only remaining objective, while many of the players will have already met in the Guinness Six Nations meeting between England and Ireland at Twickenham at the end of February. Ulster, for their part, travel to France to take on Toulouse as they look to upset the four-time champions, who were the only side other than Leinster to win all their pool games. Ulster last reached the semi-finals in 2012, the year they got all the way to the final, and they will have some reason for optimism going into this one. They were beaten just once in their pool, pushing Clermont hard in the Auvergne but failing to take their chances in a Round 5 defeat. CONFIRMED | Ulster will play @StadeToulousain in the @ChampionsCup quarter-finals on the weekend of 3rd-5th April. More details including priority booking info ⬇️https://t.co/o9PpW5Zh85 — Ulster Rugby (@UlsterRugby) January 19, 2020 And while they will be the underdogs in Toulouse, Dan McFarland’s team have the weapons out wide and the half-back pairing to trouble any side. ON THE ROAD In the Challenge Cup, the Guinness PRO14 sides wrapped up the three best runners-up spots and for Edinburgh and the Scarlets, that means reunions with familiar foes. Edinburgh drew at home to Bordeaux-Bègles before losing away to the Top 14 leaders, and they will hope to make it a full house of results in the third meeting. #BackToBordeaux Who's looking forward to a return to France? 🇲🇫👌 https://t.co/7wvXBLhLYw — Edinburgh Rugby (@EdinburghRugby) January 19, 2020 It will be interesting to see what positions both teams are in after the Six Nations, with Edinburgh of course contributing a large number of players to the Scottish cause, while Bordeaux have five men in the France squad. The Scarlets, meanwhile, return to Mayol, where they came within inches of a famous victory. Charles Ollivon’s last-gasp try, converted by Anthony Belleau, denied them in the pool stages, with Toulon completing the double in the rain at Parc y Scarlets. However Brad Mooar’s men showed plenty of resolve in securing a bonus-point win at London Irish to make the last eight, and will know they should have won on their last trip to Toulon, particularly when you consider they played the entire second half with 14 men. FINAL SCORE | SGÔR TERFYNOL 🔥 What a win, what a night! Thanks to our amazing fans again. Who's coming to Toulon? Pwy sy'n dod i Toulon? Diolch i chi gyd am eich cefnogaeth di-ddiwedd!#LIRvSCA #YNYPAC pic.twitter.com/qTbbltqt3w — Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) January 18, 2020 Finally, the Dragons put Enisei to the sword on Friday night to secure their own passage, and the shortest of trips to Bristol Bears in the quarter-finals. Under Dean Ryan, they have enjoyed something of a resurgence this season. And while Pat Lam has the Bears rolling, a trip across the border might be preferable to going to France to take on one of the Top 14 big guns. 🚨QUARTER-FINAL | The Severn Bridge derby is ON! We will face an away day @BristolBears in the quarter-finals of @ERChallengeCup following the completion of Round 6⃣ Full details of the date and ticketing to be announced in due course 🙌 Who's coming?? 😃😃😃#BringYourFire🔥 pic.twitter.com/pISZ24xkEz — Dragons 🏉 (@dragonsrugby) January 18, 2020 Winning quarter-finals on the road is not easy in Europe but Ulster and the three Challenge Cup contenders will all fancy their chances. Leinster, meanwhile, have unfinished business in their big home quarter-final against Saracens.
