Referee confirmed for Munster Rugby's Champions Cup clash with Toulouse

ONE of the world’s most experienced referees, England’s Wayne Barnes, will be in charge of a major clash in the Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 when two former tournament winners, Munster Rugby and Toulouse, go head-to-head on Saturday, April 3.

Barnes’s selection for the high-profile fixture at Thomond Park live on BT Sport is a feature of the referee appointments for the start of the knockout stages of the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup which have been announced today, Thursday, March 18 by EPCR’s Match Officials Selection Committee.

Munster's last 16 clash with Tip 14 champions Toulouse will kick-off at 3pm on Easter Saturday.

Limerick-based referee Andy Brace Andrew has been appointed to take charge of Gloucester Rugby's Champions Cup clash with Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle on Good Friday evening.

Ben Whitehouse of Wales will be in the middle for the showdown between holders, Exeter Chiefs, and Lyon at Sandy Park also on Saturday, 3 April while on the same day, Ireland’s Frank Murphy has been appointed for the meeting of Wasps and ASM Clermont Auvergne at the Ricoh Arena.

On Easter Sunday, April 4, Luke Pearce of England will be in charge when last season’s defeated finalists, Racing 92, host Edinburgh Rugby at Paris La Défense Arena, Scotland’s Mike Adamson has been appointed for the Bordeaux-Bègles v Bristol Bears tie at Stade Chaban-Delmas and the meeting of Scarlets and Sale Sharks at Parc y Scarlets will be refereed by Mathieu Raynal of France.

The Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 gets underway on Friday, 2 April with the eagerly-awaited confrontation at the RDS Arena between two European heavyweights, Leinster Rugby and RC Toulon, which will have England’s Matthew Carley in the middle.

The knockout stage of the Challenge Cup also starts on Friday, 2 April with France’s Pierre Brousset taking charge of Zebre Rugby Club v Bath Rugby at Parma’s Stadio Lanfranchi.

Georgia’s leading match official, Nika Amashukeli, will referee the meeting of London Irish and Cardiff Blues at Brentford Community Stadium while Karl Dickson of England has been appointed for the clash of 2016 winners, Montpellier, and Glasgow Warriors at the GGL Stadium later that evening.

Two of the more high-profile matches in the Round of 16 between Leicester Tigers and Connacht Rugby, and Harlequins and Ulster Rugby, will be refereed by Pascal Gauzère and Romain Poite of France.