Gerry Thornley: Is a slimmed down Champions Cup the answer to the competition’s woes?
A revamped 18-team tournament has been proposed by France’s LNR
Champions Cup
Champions Cup team news: O’Mahony returns for Munster; Ringrose named on Leinster wing
Diarmuid Kilgallen makes his Munster competitive debut on the left wing; Leinster makes five changes for Bath clash
Matt Williams: Begrudgers in Ireland must never be permitted to pull Leinster down
Without the province’s exceptional production line and the qualifying of overseas-born players, Irish rugby would be in a much weaker state
Ulster can edge battle of winless sides and prolong European season in Challenge Cup
Richie Murphy’s selection points to a first win of the European season against their English opponents on Friday night
Connacht make four changes as they look to seal home European run with win in Cardiff
Ulster head coach Richie Murphy hands son Jack a first Champions Cup start at outhalf against Exeter
Gordon D’Arcy: Leinster need to hone their attack to win titles
Leo Cullen’s men eked out a dogfight win over rivals La Rochelle but struggled to build a consistent attacking shape
Jacques Nienaber wary of the threat Bath can pose for Leinster
‘Premiership leaders versus URC leaders. It’s going to be a proper Test match-intensity game’ says Leinster’s senior coach
Munster head to Northampton with their destiny in their own hands
Interim head coach Ian Costello says Munster are looking at extending Chris Boyd’s time with the province
Champions Cup permutations: What is on the line for Leinster, Munster and Ulster in final pool matches?
Leinster look to secure home advantage as 24 teams become 16
Jacques Nienaber’s redesigned Leinster defence key to victory over La Rochelle, says James Ryan
Province’s defence held firm against French side that snatched victory with a last-minute try in the 2022 Champions Cup final
Ronan O’Gara says Leinster’s Sam Prendergast has ‘a huge future’
O’Gara says La Rochelle’s performance against Leinster had been their best of the season so far
Ian Costello credits Denis Leamy for making Munster hard to beat in gritty win over Saracens
English side’s number eight Tom Willis said his team couldn’t get any pace on the ball
Caelan Doris hails ugly Leinster victory that could prove vital in the long run
No doubt Leinster’s players are relishing heightened defensive work ethic under influence of Jacques Nienaber
‘We’ll see in May’ - Ronan O’Gara strikes defiant note after Leinster’s successful La Rochelle raid
‘I hope we get another crack later in the season because our boys can do better and will do better’
Leinster’s defence comes up trumps as they see off La Rochelle in another thriller
Skipper Caelan Doris makes 28 tackles and Josh van der Flier 21 as Leinster secure win over Ronan O’Gara’s side
Richie Murphy rues inexperience as Leicester Tigers hand Ulster a shellacking at Welford Road
The Irish province initially led by 10 points but were hammered in the second half
Ian Costello praises Munster’s determination in defeat of Saracens
The impact from the bench, led by try scorer John Hodnett was significant in that end game
Munster secure gritty victory over Saracens to keep hopes of home knockout tie alive
The 22,002 inside Thomond Park breathed a collective sigh of relief as the home team battled back from a deficit
Champions Cup wrap: Bordeaux Bègles and Toulouse maintain winning records
Stormers thrash Sale Sharks in Cape Town
Champions Cup Round Three: TV details, kick-off time, team news and more
Leinster, Ulster and Munster are in action at the weekend in the next round of the pool stage
Leinster v La Rochelle: New arrivals add spice to a rivalry like no other
It’s doubtful Leinster have ever picked a bench as strong as the one selected for Sunday’s big Champions Cup showdown
What Ronan O’Gara has done at La Rochelle is exceptional. What comes next will be fascinating
It would be fascinating to see the Cork coach try to translate his French success to Test level
Munster host Saracens knowing defeat could be very costly
Attack coach Mike Prendergast believes the deciding factor for Munster will be their ability to take their chances
Champions Cup team news: Furlong back for Leinster, Crowley starts for Munster
Furlong will win his 150th Leinster cap against La Rochelle
New deal fuels Tom Ahern’s motivation for the challenges ahead
Waterford man has extended his Munster contract by two years and is looking forward to locking horns with Saracens at Thomond Park
‘Outsider’ Michael Cheika reveals role of aggression in getting Leinster job
Leicester Tigers’ Australian coach explains why ‘I’ve always been an outsider, even when I coached Australia’
‘I’ve been involved a lot in turnarounds’: Michael Cheika on his coaching philosophy and career to date
The Counter Ruck Podcast
Garry Ringrose confident Leinster can balance the yin and yang of attack and defence
Sunday’s match against La Rochelle offers another benchmarking opportunity to see how Leinster’s evolution in style is progressing
Tom Farrell revelling in the Munster experience
In-form former Connacht centre looking forward to another big European night at Thomond Park, a must-win encounter as Saracens come calling
Leinster’s kryptonite Will Skelton eager to stand tall against old rivals again
La Rochelle lock has proved Leinster’s nemesis during his outstanding career but is struggling with an ankle injury in advance of this week’s showdown between the sides
Sam Prendergast’s next task is to make Leinster less predictable
Munster can only succeed against Saracens and Northampton if Jack Crowley regains his best form
Ulster eye coaching shake-up as Mark Sexton linked to Kingspan move
Richie Murphy’s coaching team may draw on familiar faces from his Ireland U20s tenure
Munster set to regroup in advance of crunch Saracens clash in Limerick
Province ‘massively looking forward’ to Champions Cup fixture that ‘is probably going to come down to moments’
Leinster’s attack looking to make swift progress under Tyler Bleyendaal’s guidance
Leinster’s defence and physicality have commandeered more headlines of late, but as attack coach, Bleyendaal points to the communality of the effort to fine tune the team’s patterns
Positive injury update for Leinster as Keenan, Frawley, Conan and Clarkson to return for La Rochelle clash
Hugo Keenan has not played since damaging a wrist in Ireland’s victory over Australia in the Autumn Nations series
Home advantage the name of the game as Champions Cup nears knock-out stages
An away side has only progressed from two knock-out fixtures over the last two seasons
Are Leinster becoming more like the Springboks?
Leinster’s focus on defence, set-pieces, and their kicking game has left them looking remarkably similar to South Africa
South African clubs face player burnout as participation in European competitions divides opinion
Teams like the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers are being crippled by insane workloads on top players, and consequent injuries
Leinster should try to extract the absolute maximum from Jordie Barrett in chase of fifth star
Irish province appear to have struck gold, for as well as being a quality player, he’s clearly a quality bloke
Gordon D’Arcy: If the Champions Cup is not changed, it will drift into obscurity
Despite brilliant recent performances by Toulouse and Bordeaux, it’s clear the existing format of rugby’s top club competition does not work
Jeremy Davidson eyes an eventual return to Ireland
Castres coach eyeing further Champions Cup success following well-plotted win over Munster
Last weekend crystallised the waning appeal of the Champions Cup
The inclusion of the South African sides is not working. One-off long haul treks to Europe are not wanted by anyone
Owen Doyle: Referees should not strive to be everyone’s pal. Foul play needs real disapproval
Dangerous carded actions must get more than just a nonchalant wave of the card from the referee
Munster’s Craig Casey to undergo knee surgery after injury against Castres
Scrumhalf looks to be in a race against time for to be available for Ireland’s opening Six Nations game
Mixed fortunes for Irish provinces leaves plenty of room for improvement
Leo Cullen admits Leinster just muddling their way through after win over Clermont while chastened Munster and Ulster now facing important URC derby clash in Belfast
‘We’re certainly a long way off perfect’ - Leo Cullen reflects on Leinster ‘muddling’ show
Head coach says tight turnaround from Bristol game on back on November internationals has been tough on side
Iain Henderson promises Ulster response ahead of Munster’s visit to Belfast
Bordeaux Bègles pile more Champions Cup pain on Ulster with late barrage of tries in Belfast
Ian Costello defends Munster team selection after Castres defeat
Craig Casey’s serious knee injury places further strain on Munster squad
Toulouse and Antoine Dupont produce box-office Champions Cup show at Exeter
Toulouse show pace, power and relentless support play to take their try tally against Exeter to 10
‘I am embarrassed for him’: Roy Keane scarlet for Kyle Walker before Manchester turns red
Leinster claim agricultural win thanks in part to former Meath farmboy Jordie Barrett
Leo Cullen: ‘The dressingroom is frustrated at how we performed today’
Head coach says players wanted to put on a better show against Clermont Auvergne for the home fans
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