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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Michael Scully

Leinster to face Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle in the Heineken Champions Cup semi-finals

Four time winners Leinster will meet first-time semi-finalists La Rochelle in the Heineken Champions Cup semi-finals.

The draw for the last four in Europe's elite club competition was made live on BT Sport this afternoon after the conclusion of the quarter-final stage.

And the headline game will see Leo Cullen's charges travel to take on Ronan O'Gara's French side, who were the first team into the semi-finals after beating Sale Sharks on Saturday.

Ronan O'Gara (Twitter/BT Sport)

Leinster joined them by recovering from a 14-0 deficit against reigning champions Exeter to win 34-22.

O'Gara is thoroughly enjoying himself after joining La Rochelle from Crusaders, guiding the club to the summit of the Top 14 earlier in the season and they are currently in second place in their domestic league.

The Corkman will relish the opportunity to go up against the 2018 European champions, having met the Blues while he was Munster's no 10 in the 2006 and 2009, winning the former but losing the latter.

La Rochelle are also managed by Jono Gibbes, who previously worked with Leinster as forwards coach and briefly as Ulster head coach.

In the other semi-final, Toulouse - who have also won the tournament on four occasions - will meet Bordeaux Begles, with both clubs beating French opposition in dour last eight ties today.

In the Challenge Cup, Ulster's reward for a rousing quarter-final victory over Northampton is another clash with English opposition in the form of Leicester Tigers and they will travel to Welford Road.

The matches will be played on the weekend of April 30/May 1.

The countries and venues for the semi-finals will be decided by tournament organisers EPCR at a later date.

But there will be quarantine issues for Leinster if they are not given special dispensation to play their semi-final at the Stade Marcel Deflandre in France.

Champions Cup semi-finals

La Rochelle v Leinster

Toulouse v Bordeaux Begles

Challenge Cup semi-finals

Leicester Tigers v Ulster

Bath v Montpellier

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