Paris (AFP)
London Wasps and Cardiff for Toulouse, Glasgow Warriors and Bath for La Rochelle: the two French clubs, finalists of the last European Cup, inherited a draw within their reach for the 2022 edition.
The previous season had been partly truncated by the pandemic but did not prevent the Top 14 from shining with five teams in the quarter-finals and then three in the semi-finals.
It was finally Toulouse which had been crowned for the fifth time in its history by dominating the Rochelais (22-17), before repeating this victory a month later in the final of the French championship (18-8).
To return to the final, in Marseille at the end of May, they will have to garner the maximum number of points from their double confrontations against the English of Wasps and the Welsh of Cardiff for Toulouse, against the English of Bath and the Scots of the Glasgow Warriors for La Rochelle.
An objective that is a priori achievable for the two best French teams of the moment, starting with the Rouge et Noir who dream of becoming the first team to keep their trophy since the Saracens, winners in 2016 and 2017, the second French team after the Toulon treble. (2013, 2014, 2015).
It will be much more complicated for Montpellier, which inherited from the Chiefs of Exeter, European champions 2020 and second in the last English championship, then from Leinster, four times European champion and semi-finalist 2021.
- Final in Marseille -
Castres will also have a lot to face the surprise Harlequins, all fresh champions of England, and the regulars of Munster.
Stade français, absent from the competition since the 2015-2016 season, will have their work cut out for them ahead of the Bristol Bears, winners of the European Challenge 2020, and the Irish from Connacht.
The ambitious Racing 92 seems, him, armed to get rid of Northampton and the Swansea Ospreys of the eternal Alun Wyn Jones while Clermont will have to use all his talent against Sale and Ulster.
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Finally, UBB will face the Leicester Tigers, crowned in 2001 and 2002, and the Welsh franchise of Llanelli Scarlets.
In this field widened to 24, the teams were divided into two pools of 12. Each team will play four matches, two round-trip confrontations against the two clubs of the two other championships (Top 14, Premiership, Pro 14) located in the hat. opposite (1 against 4, 2 against 3).
The 2021-2022 Champions Cup season will span nine weekends, including four group stage days starting in December.
The eight best-ranked clubs from each pool will advance to the knockout phase with a round-of-16 back and forth, then quarterfinals, semi-finals and a single-match final, with the final scheduled in Marseille on May 28. 2022.
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The draw for the 2021-2022 European Cup:
POOL A
Stade Rochelais (FRA), against Bath (ENG) and Glasgow Warriors (SCO)
Exeter Chiefs (ENG), against Montpellier (FRA) and Glasgow Warriors (SCO)
Leinster (IRL), against Montpellier (FRA) and Bath (ENG)
Montpellier (FRA), against Exeter Chiefs (ENG) and Leinster (IRL)
Bath (ENG), against Stade Rochelais (FRA) and Leinster (IRL)
Glasgow Warriors (SCO), against Stade Rochelais (FRA) and Exeter Chiefs (ENG)
Racing 92 (FRA), against Northampton Saints (ENG) and Ospreys (WAL)
Sale Sharks (ENG), against Clermont (FRA) and Ospreys (WAL)
Ulster (IRL), against Clermont (FRA) and Northampton Saints (ENG)
Clermont (FRA), against Sale Sharks (ENG) and Ulster (IRL)
Northampton Saints (ENG), against Racing 92 (FRA) and Ulster (IRL)
Ospreys (WAL), against Racing 92 (FRA) and Bath (ENG)
POOL B
Stade Toulouse (FRA), against Wasps (ENG) and Cardiff (WAL)
Harlequins (ENG), against Castres (FRA) and Cardiff (WAL)
Munster (IRL), against Castres (FRA) and Wasps (ENG)
Castres (FRA), against Harlequins (ENG) and Munster (IRL)
Wasps (ENG), against Stade Toulouse (FRA) and Harlequins (ENG)
Cardiff (WAL), against Toulouse (FRA) and Harlequins (ENG)
Bordeaux-Bègles (FRA), against Leicester Tigers (ENG) and Scarlets (WAL)
Bristol Bears (ENG), against Stade Français (FRA) and Scarlets (WAL)
Connacht (IRL), against Stade Français (FRA) and Leicester Tigers (ENG)
Stade Français (FRA), against Bristol Bears (ENG) and Connacht (IRL)
Leicester Tigers (ENG), against Bordeaux-Bègles (FRA) and Bristol Bears (ENG)
Scarlets (WAL), against Bordeaux-Bègles (FRA) and Bristol Bears (ENG)
© 2021 AFP