European Adventures Continue For Munster And Leinster
Munster are the only former Heineken Cup winners through to the prestigious tournament semi-finals at the end of the month – Saracens, Toulon and Clermont Auvergne are each out to get their names on the trophy for the first time.
Two-time champions Munster will clash with Clermont Auvergne at the Stade de La Mosson in Montpellier in the first of the Heineken Cup semi-finals on Saturday, April 27.
A day later Saracens will be back at Twickenham for their Sunday showdown with Toulon – Jonny Wilkinson booting the Top 14 pacesetters through with six penalty goals and a trademark drop goal at the death for a 21-15 home win over Leicester Tigers.
In the earlier Sunday quarter-final, Munster booked a record-equalling teneth semi-final with an 18-12 victory over Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop – their fourth quarter-final win on the road – with Ronan O’Gara scoring all of their points with six penalty goals.
2012/13 HEINEKEN CUP SEMI-FINALS:
Saturday, April 27 –
Clermont Auvergne v MUNSTER, Stade de la Mosson, 6pm local time/5pm Irish time
Sunday, April 28 –
Saracens v Toulon, Twickenham, 3pm
Final: Aviva Stadium, 5pm, Saturday, May 18
What an incredible round of quarter-final matches we had to enjoy in the Amlin Challenge Cup – 254 points and 28 tries in four breathtaking games.
Where the games in Gloucester, Perpignan and High Wycombe had led, Bath did not disappoint in the fourth and final fixture as Stade Francais ran out 36-20 victors in a game that had six tries, including braces from Hugo Bonneval and Waisea Vuidarvuwalu.
The winners of the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-finals will meet at the RDS on Friday, May 17 (kick-off 8pm), and whoever survives from the first semi-final, Perpignan or Stade Francais, will be chasing their first European trophy.
The quality of the Challenge Cup semi-finalists is underlined by the fact all four teams have played in the Heineken Cup final before – Perpignan in Dublin in 2003, Stade Francais in Paris in 2001 and Edinburgh in 2005, Biarritz Olympique in Cardiff in 2006 and Paris in 2010 and Leinster in Edinburgh in 2009, Cardiff in 2011 and Twickenham in 2012.
Leinster are the only one of the teams to have won the Heineken Cup, in all three of their finals, and they will be playing the reigning Challenge Cup holders Biarritz. Stade Francais were beaten finalists in the Challenge Cup decider in Cardiff in 2011.
2012/13 AMLIN CHALLENGE CUP SEMI-FINALS:
Friday, April 26 –
Perpignan v Stade Francais, Stade Aimee Giral, 9pm local time
Saturday, April 27 –
LEINSTER v Biarritz Olympique, the RDS, 2.30pm
Final: the RDS, 8pm, Friday, May 17
Related Links –
Dublin 2013 Ticket Information