Saturday is D-Day for Leinster and Munster - only two matches away from a Champions Cup final! Or the end of the Champions Cup road...
On the face of it, Leinster have the bigger challenge, taking on megabucks Wasps with a multinational team of stars. I was at the match the last time they came to town, and it wasn't pretty I can tell you. We totally underestimated them, and paid the price. This time, we're expecting them to be good, and there's the small matter of payback too. We have a nearly full squad to pick from, missing only the much maligned Jamie Heaslip. Leinster is really Ireland light though, and has different skills these days, due to the magic touch of Stuart Lancaster.The facts that he's mostly likely signed up for next season is the best news I've heard for ages. Well, I'm going to go for a win for Leinster, we've got home advantage, I think our defense can contain them and our attack can hurt them. Don't let me down now!
Then Munster should have no problem accounting for Top 14 strugglers Toulouse, who are currently 10th. They are carrying a lot of injuries though - Murray is in doubt, and Kleyn, Saili, and Keatley are not available. Murray is the key, Munster are half the team without him. But really, hard to see anything other than a good Munster victory, although it might stay close to start with.
In the other matches, I think the home teams of Saracens and Clermont will claim the spoils.
Saturday 1st April
Leinster 15:15 Wasps
Munster 17:45 Toulouse
Sunday 2nd April
Saracens 13:00 Glasgow Warriors
Clermont Auvergne 15:15 Toulon
Friday 31st March
Edinburgh 20:00 La Rochelle
April 2017
Saturday 1st April
Bath 12:45 Brive
Gloucester 20:05 Cardiff Blues
Sunday 2nd April
Ospreys 17:45 Stade Francais
