Munster to face old rivals Racing 92 in Champions Cup semi-final

MUNSTER’S reward for Saturday’s stunning Champions Cup quarter-final win over Toulon is a semi-final showdown with another French Top 14 side, Racing 92, in Bordeaux later this month.

The semi-final showdown between Munster and Donnacha Ryan’s Racing 92 will take place at the Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux on the weekend of April 21-22.

Competition organisers will confirm the exact date and kick-off time for the fixture in the coming days.

Munster secured their place in a 13th Champions Cup semi-final with a nail-biting 20-19 victory over Toulon at a ‘sold-out’ Thomond Park on Easter Saturday.

Johann van Graan’s Munster also met Racing 92 in the pool stages of this season’s Champions Cup with the Top 14 side emerging victorious on a 34-30 scoreline at the U Arena in January, while Munster prevailed 14-7 last October in Limerick.

Racing 92, who include former Munster forward Donnacha Ryan in their squad, recorded a 28-17 victory against Clermont at Stade Marcel-Michelin in their quarter-final on Easter Sunday.

Your first confirmed Champions Cup semi-final!

Fixture details will be announced in due course.#ChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/M9nbD0TRqU

— Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) April 1, 2018

Munster have indicated that ticket details for the semi-final will be released once finalised.

Overall, Munster and Racing have met six times previously. Racing 92 won their first encounter in the 2012/13 season and the last encounter in January with Munster winning the four fixtures in between.