Leinster to face La Rochelle yet again in Champions Cup

If familiarity breeds contempt, there can surely be no love lost between Leinster and Rona O’Gara’s La Rochelle, the European heavyweights will face each other for the fifth season on the trot after today’s Investec Champions Cup draw.

Leo Cullen’s beaten finalists have been drawn in Pool 2 and will face O’Gara’s men – who they beat twice last season – as well as Clermont Auvergne, Bristol and Bath.

In Pool 3, Munster will face Premiership champions Northampton, Saracens, Stade Francais and Castres.

While Leinster and Graham Rowntree’s men will be relatively satisfied with their draws, it is a tougher proposition for Ulster.

Richie Murphy’s men face an uphill task to qualify after being pitted against the all-conquering Toulouse, Bordeaux, who lost the Top 14 final to the double winners last weekend, as well as Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers from the Premiership.

The pool matches will be fixed for the weekend’s of 6-8 December, 13-15 December, 10-12 January and 17-19 January.

Connacht have been drawn against Cardiff, Zebre, Perpignan, Lyon and the Cheetahs in Pool 1 of the Challenge Cup.