We could be greedy and lament Connacht’s absence in the Champions Cup quarter finals, but the last eight of Europe’s premier club rugby competition is throwing up four cracking ties.
Of Irish interest, Leinster will get the chance for revenge against Wasps, after the Premiership side dished out two heavy defeats on Leo Cullen’s team last year.
And there’s also the side-show of three former Leinster players coming back to haunt their old province, with Marty Moore, Jimmy Gopperth and Brendan Macken all wearing the black and gold.
Munster’s reward for topping Pool One is a quarter final against Toulouse at Thomond Park. Six months ago, the province’s fans would have snapped your paw off for the prospect of scraping into the final eight, but after making light work of their pool, they’ll have their sights firmly set on heading to the semi finals.
Here are your #ChampionsCup Quarter-Finals ðŸ‰ðŸ† pic.twitter.com/zFXSeXmuq4
— Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) January 22, 2017
With home advantage, the safe money would be on Clermont to continue their pool form and see off Toulon, who scraped in as the 8th seed.
Saracens remain the favourites to make it back-to-back titles, but Glasgow have a backline bursting with match-winners. Mark McCall’s side will need to have their heads on a swivel when Gregor Townsend’s side rock up at Allianz Park.
It could be jumping the gun, but an all-Irish final is on the cards, with Munster and Leinster on opposite sides of the draw.
Should Munster come through their Toulouse quarter final, they’ll play either Saracens or Glasgow in the last four, with a trip to France facing Leinster if they can take the sting out of the Wasp.
Can we dream? Of course we can!
