The first round of Heineken Champions Cup play-off games ended today with eight all-action rugby fixtures taking place between Friday and Sunday. 

With the winners now confirmed, here are the four quarterfinal match-ups, which you can find live and exclusively on FloRugby. 

Quarterfinal One– Leinster Rugby vs Leicester Tigers

Aviva Stadium Dublin

Friday April 7^th – 20.00 GMT

The Leicester Tigers, who hosted Scottish capital side Edinburgh at Welford Road, kicked off the action on Friday evening—emerging victorious in challenging conditions by a score of 16 – 6. The Tigers became the first team to confirm their place in the quarterfinals, where they will meet four-time champions Leinster in a repeat of last season’s quarterfinal match-up. 

Unlike last season, however, the Tigers will be away from home as they travel to the Aviva Stadium. Coming up short by 23 – 14, the Tigers will arrive with revenge on their mind. 

The hosts continued their march towards a potential fifth title with a dominant 30 – 15 win over rivals Ulster. In a clinical display of cutthroat knockout rugby, Leinster shows yet again that irrespective of conditions, opposition, or injuries; it will take a near-perfect showing from an opponent to stop them this season. Working in their favour, too, is that all of their remaining fixtures, including the final, will take place in Dublin. 

Quarterfinal Two – Stade Toulousain vs Cell C Sharks

Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse

Saturday April 8^th – 16.00 GMT 

The two most dominant winners from the round of sixteen will meet in what, on paper, has the makings of an all-time classic as Toulouse host the Cell C Sharks. 

Utterly beating the brakes off a European powerhouse in Irish giants Munster in their first Heineken Champions Cup play-off game. The Springbok-laden Sharks reminded the rugby world that when they click, their intense physicality is too much for most teams to live with. 

Emerging with a 50 – 35 win, the Sharks were rarely troubled by their Irish visitors despite suffering a raft of injuries to key players. Worryingly for the Durban side is the loss of Springbok veteran secondrow Eben Etzebeth who is in a race against time to be fit for the trip to Toulouse. 

Away from the Etzebeth injury, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi was once again at his immense best as he put in a number of brutal tackles as well as several strong carries. The 2019 World Cup-winning captain appears to be truly hitting his peak in his final season with the Sharks. He will need to continue this form if the Sharks are to upset the apple cart next week. 

Bracing for the Sharks arrival, the five-time champions Toulouse were equally impressive as they dismissed the Sharks rivals Vodacom Bulls on Sunday. 

Without ever really getting out of first gear, Toulouse combined ferocious physicality with an astronomical pace of play to pulverise the Bulls enroute to a 33 – 9 win. 

Guinness Six Nations player of the tournament Antoine Dupont combined with fellow French stars Thibaut Flament, Romain Ntamack and Thomas Ramos in a seemingly unplayable manner. 

Having been outspoken against the addition of the South African sides into the Heineken Champions Cup. Dupont will have another chance to send one of their teams home next week in what will be an interesting subplot to follow as the game draws closer. 

Quarterfinal Three – Exeter Chiefs vs DHL Stormers

Sandy Park, Exeter

Saturday April 8^th – 17.30 GMT

2020 Champions Cup winners Exeter Chiefs scraped into the quarterfinals courtesy of a 33 – 33 overtime draw with French side Montpellier. 

In a topsy-turvy encounter in which both sides appeared to have won the game at different stages, the Chiefs would progress courtesy of being the home side. 

Director of Rugby Rob Baxter will be relieved, having come through by the skin of their teeth against a Montpellier side that played with 14 men for much of the contest. 

Philippe Saint-Andre’s team saw their English number eight Zach mercer sent off, yet despite being a man down, proceeded to take the fight to their hosts. Having landed a penalty with the clock in the red courtesy of Italian flyhalf Paolo Garbisi, the momentum had swung in the visitor’s favour at just the right moment. So it would prove as they scored on the first try of the 20-minute overtime period to hold a 33 – 26 lead. 

Yet, as had been the case for Montpellier in regulation time, the Chiefs would strike back to score a try with no time remaining in overtime. Flyhalf Joe Simmonds would duly kick the conversion and, with it, send the Chiefs into the next round. 

On the other side of this draw, the reigning URC champions Stormers did just enough to hold off a plucky Harlequins side in Cape Town. 

Emerging with a 32 – 28 win, John Dobson’s side kept alive their hopes of lifting the title in their first season in the competition. 

Starting at a breakneck speed, the two sides exchanged early tries, with Deon Fourie getting over for the hosts before Alex Dombrandt equalised for Quins. 

Stormers captain Steven Kitshoff would re-establish the lead for the home side with a well-taken try. This would be the catalyst for the Cape Town team as they would score three more tries to race into a big lead. 

Once in front, the Stormers all but let the game slip away as Quins scored three in the final ten minutes to come roaring back into the contest. As the final whistle went, Stormers fans, players and coaches breathed a sigh of relief. 

Played in front of over 30,000 fans at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, it is clear that the Heineken Champions Cup has captured the imagination of the South African public.   

Quarterfinal Four – La Rochelle vs Saracens

Stade Marcel Deflandre, La Rochelle,

Sunday April 9^th 16.00 GMT 

Three times Heineken Cup champions Saracens will hit the road as they travel to reigning champions La Rochelle for a mouth-watering quarterfinal clash. 

Starting with the hosts, Ronan O’Gara’s side overcame English Premiership side Gloucester Rugby in one of the weekend’s most hotly contested match-ups. Leading with just seconds remaining on the clock, Gloucester were on the precipice of completing one of the biggest upsets in Champions Cup history. Alas, it was not to be as La Rochelle once again proved their championship mettle as they crashed over with no time remaining on the clock. 

Saracens were much more comfortable in their match-up with Welsh United Rugby Championship side the Ospreys. Boosted by a brace of tries by winger Max Malins, the Londoners came back from a halftime deficit to send their visitors home empty-handed. In addition to Malins, England, captain Owen Farrell continued his return to form with a strong kicking display as he put to rest a difficult period from the tee.