Champions Cup 2025/26 · Round of 16
Leinster
Edinburgh
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Championship Standings
Leinster topped Pool 3 with a perfect 4/4 record and 18 points — the second-highest tally across all groups. Edinburgh squeezed through as 4th in Pool 2 with 10 points but a point difference of −71, the worst of any qualifying team. In the URC, Leinster sit 4th (41 pts) while Edinburgh are 13th (23 pts) — a 9-place, 18-point gulf that underscores the gap between these sides.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Bordeaux-Bègles | 4 | 4 | 0 | +76 | 20 |
| 2 |  Glasgow Warriors | 4 | 4 | 0 | +49 | 20 |
| 3 | Leinster | 4 | 4 | 0 | +35 | 18 |
| 4 |  Bath | 4 | 3 | 1 | +91 | 16 |
| 5 |  Northampton Saints | 4 | 3 | 1 | +46 | 16 |
| 6 |  Harlequins | 4 | 3 | 1 | +98 | 15 |
| 7 |  Bristol Bears | 4 | 3 | 1 | +50 | 14 |
| 8 |  RC Toulon | 4 | 3 | 1 | +17 | 14 |
| 9 |  Stormers | 4 | 3 | 1 | −8 | 14 |
| 10 |  Toulouse | 4 | 2 | 2 | +94 | 12 |
| 11 |  Sale Sharks | 4 | 2 | 2 | −38 | 11 |
| 12 |  Saracens | 4 | 2 | 2 | +13 | 10 |
| 13 |  Castres Olympique | 4 | 2 | 2 | −8 | 10 |
| 14 |  Sharks | 4 | 2 | 2 | −10 | 10 |
| 15 | Edinburgh | 4 | 2 | 2 | −71 | 10 |
| 16 |  Munster | 4 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 8 |
| 17 |  Bulls | 4 | 1 | 3 | −68 | 7 |
| 18 |  Leicester Tigers | 4 | 1 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| 19 |  La Rochelle | 4 | 1 | 3 | −13 | 6 |
| 20 |  Gloucester | 4 | 1 | 3 | −27 | 6 |
| 21 |  Section Paloise | 4 | 1 | 3 | −50 | 6 |
| 22 |  Scarlets | 4 | 0 | 4 | −54 | 3 |
| 23 |  Clermont | 4 | 0 | 4 | −108 | 0 |
| 24 |  Bayonne | 4 | 0 | 4 | −115 | 0 |
Leinster
W4, L0Leinster have been relentless in the pool stage — four from four, including away wins at Leicester and Bayonne. The 25–24 squeaker against La Rochelle showed composure under pressure, while the 45–28 demolition of Harlequins demonstrated their devastating attacking firepower. They average 29 points per game and have scored at least 22 in every match — this is a side hitting its stride in Europe.
Edinburgh
W2, L2Edinburgh's Champions Cup campaign tells a story of home comfort and away collapse. They managed two home wins but were hammered on the road — conceding 140 points across four matches for a dire point difference of −71. Averaging just 17 points per game, their attack has been anaemic by European standards. The two away defeats were heavy enough to leave them with the worst PD of any team that qualified for the knockouts.
Head-to-Head in Dublin
10 – 0 – 1
Leinster wins · Draws · Edinburgh wins (last 11 meetings)
Leinster (10)Leinster are overwhelmingly dominant in this fixture. Edinburgh's sole win in recent memory came back in 2019 at Murrayfield — in Dublin, Leinster have won every meeting comfortably. The most recent clash was a 28–20 Leinster victory in the URC in February 2026, and even that flattered Edinburgh given Leinster led for virtually the entire match.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2026 | URC | Leinster 28–20 Edinburgh |
| Oct 2025 | URC | Edinburgh 14–31 Leinster |
| Mar 2025 | URC | Leinster 35–10 Edinburgh |
| Nov 2024 | URC | Edinburgh 17–24 Leinster |
| Apr 2024 | URC | Leinster 40–14 Edinburgh |
| Oct 2023 | URC | Edinburgh 10–38 Leinster |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Leinster 33 – Edinburgh 14. Leinster have won their last 6 meetings by an average margin of 19 points.
Extended Form
Leinster12W, 2L
Wins against: Scarlets 36–19, Edinburgh 28–20, La Rochelle 25–24, Connacht 52–17, Ulster 24–20, Harlequins 45–28, Zebre 50–26, Munster (URC), Connacht 34–23, and more. Losses to: Glasgow 38–17 (away), Cardiff 8–7 (away).
Leinster's last 14 matches read W12 L2 — and both losses came away from home (Glasgow and Cardiff). At the Aviva and RDS, they are virtually unbeatable. They've scored 30+ points in 8 of those 14 games, and their only European blemish was a single-point win over La Rochelle that they controlled for 70 minutes.
Edinburgh4W, 9L
Wins against: Munster (home, URC), Castres (home), and two others. Losses to: Bath (away), Toulon (away), and multiple URC defeats. Edinburgh's away record is dire — they've conceded 140 points in 4 Champions Cup matches, and sit 13th in the URC with 4 wins from 13.
Edinburgh are a different proposition on the road. They've struggled for consistency away from Murrayfield all season, and their URC form — 13th with a negative point difference — is a far cry from the squad that reached European knockout stages. Their away losses in Europe to Bath and Toulon were particularly one-sided.
Leinster XV
Lineups not yet announced. Leinster are expected to select close to full strength for this Champions Cup knockout fixture. Sam Prendergast at fly-half, Rieko Ioane in the centres, and James Lowe on the wing give them world-class options across the backline. Leo Cullen will likely recall his Ireland internationals after rotating in the URC — expect a battle-hardened XV.
Edinburgh XV
Lineups not yet announced. Edinburgh will lean heavily on their Scotland internationals — Duhan van der Merwe and Darcy Graham provide genuine threat out wide. The pack needs to front up against Leinster's power game. Head coach Sean Everitt will know this is Edinburgh's biggest European match in years and will select accordingly.
Key Matchups
Edinburgh's best hope lies in their back three — Duhan van der Merwe is one of European rugby's most dangerous wingers, and Darcy Graham's pace off either wing can exploit any broken-field play. But Leinster dominate in the tight — their scrum is anchored by Irish internationals, the lineout is clinical, and their midfield of Ringrose and Rieko Ioane is arguably the most talented centre pairing in club rugby right now. Prendergast's game management at 10 gives Leinster control that Edinburgh simply cannot match with their halfback options.
Match Forecast
This is a mismatch on paper and should play out as one on the pitch. Leinster's Champions Cup pedigree, home advantage at the Aviva, and sheer squad depth make them overwhelming favourites. They topped their pool with a perfect record, they've won 12 of their last 14 matches, and they've beaten Edinburgh by an average of 19 points in their last 6 meetings. The scorecard net of +25 puts this firmly in mismatch territory — every single dimension favours the hosts.
Edinburgh's path to an upset runs exclusively through their back three. If Duhan van der Merwe can find space and Darcy Graham can exploit any broken-field ball, they could trouble Leinster's wider defence. But Edinburgh conceded 140 points in 4 pool matches and have the worst point difference of any qualifying team. Their away record is dismal. Leinster at the Aviva in a knockout match is about as difficult as European rugby gets — don't expect Edinburgh to break the trend.
Leinster win comfortably by 20+ points — Edinburgh's European adventure ends in Dublin.