Saturday night fever for Leinster and Exeter Chiefs in Champions Cup quarter-final clash

Rugby

Leinster rugby head coach Leo Cullen – his team go through to the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Exeter Chiefs Director of Rugby Rob Baxter. Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Leinster rugby head coach Leo Cullen – his team go through to the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Ruaidhri O'Connor Twitter

April 04 2021 09:52 PM

Leinster’s reward for their Friday walkover win over Toulon is a daunting trip to face champions Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park on Saturday evening (5.30).

The four-time champions have their work cut out for them to reach the semi-final, with Chiefs boss Rob Baxter promising his team will be much improved after their come-from-behind 47-25 win at home to Lyon on Saturday.

Leo Cullen’s side, who didn’t train over the weekend, are the only remaining Guinness PRO14 representatives in the last eight after Edinburgh and Scarlets joined Munster in exiting the tournament yesterday and there is a record French contingent of five in the quarter-finals. Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle host Sale Sharks at home on Saturday (3.0) while Mike Prendergast, Simon Zebo and Donnacha Ryan’s Racing 92 travel to Bordeaux-Begles on Sunday (12.30). Toulouse’s reward for beating Munster is a trip to Clermont Auvergne on Sunday afternoon (3.0).

Leinster are the only team of the eight remaining sides who did not play at the weekend, but Baxter promised they are relishing the prospect of facing the boys in blue.

“We will have to be better next week and we will be,” the coach said. “The game time to get that team aligning was really important. We needed a game … I’d expect us to be at least 10 per cent better next week.”

HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS QUARTER-FINALS

Saturday, April 10

La Rochelle v Sale Sharks, Stade Marcel-Deflandre, 3.0; BT Sport, Virgin Media, Channel 4;

Exeter Chiefs v Leinster Rugby, Sandy Park, 5.30; BT Sport

Sunday, April 11

Bordeaux-Bègles v Racing 92, Stade Chaban-Delmas, 12.30, BT Sport

ASM Clermont Auvergne v Toulouse, Stade Marcel-Michelin, 3.0; BT Sport;

CHALLENGE CUP QUARTER-FINALS

Friday, April 9

Bath v London Irish, The Rec, 8.0; BT Sport;

Saturday, April 10

Leicester Tigers v Newcastle Falcons, Welford Road, 12.30; BT Sport; Northampton Saints v Ulster, Franklin's Gardens, 8.0; BT Sport; Montpellier v Benetton Rugby, GGL Stadium, 8.0; BT Sport;

Semi-final draws: Sunday, April 11

Semi-finals: April 30, May 1/2