Champions Cup 2025/26 · Play-Offs
Leinster
Sale Sharks
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Championship Standings
Leinster finished 3rd with a perfect 4/4 pool record and 18 points. Sale Sharks scraped through in 11th on 11 points — two wins over weaker opponents bookending a 5-point loss to Glasgow and a 70-point humiliation by Toulouse. The 7-point gap barely captures the gulf in class.
| 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 flawless — four from four, with away wins at Leicester and Bayonne. The 25–24 squeaker against La Rochelle showed ice-cold composure. They then hammered Edinburgh 49–31 in the R16 — their attack is hitting peak output at exactly the right time.
Sale Sharks
W2, L2Sale's pool campaign tells a familiar story — comfortable wins over weaker opposition and total capitulation against the elite. The 77–7 annihilation in Toulouse was a historic humiliation. They beat Harlequins 26–17 away in the R16 but their −38 point difference tells you everything.
Head-to-Head Record
1 – 0 – 0
Leinster wins · Draws · Sale wins (1 recent meeting)
Leinster (1)These sides have met just once in recent history — a Champions Cup pool match in December 2023 at the Aviva Stadium, which Leinster won 37–27. Limited data, but the quality gap between the squads is evident from every other data point.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2023 | Champions Cup | Leinster 37–27 Sale Sharks |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Leinster 37 – Sale 27. Only one meeting, but Leinster controlled the contest and pulled away late.
Extended Form
Leinster13W, 2L
Champions Cup: beat Edinburgh 49–31, La Rochelle 25–24, Harlequins 45–28. URC: beat Scarlets, Edinburgh, Connacht (twice), Munster, Ulster, Zebre, Dragons. Lost to Glasgow 38–17 (away), Cardiff 8–7 (away).
Leinster's last 15 matches read W13 L2 — and both losses came away from home. At the Aviva, they are virtually unbeatable. Their European form is W5 from 5 this season, and the 49–31 R16 demolition of Edinburgh showed a team peaking at the business end.
Sale Sharks3W, 12L
Champions Cup: beat Harlequins 26–17 away, Clermont 35–14 away; lost to Glasgow 21–26, Toulouse 7–77. Premiership: 1 win in last 6. Prem Cup: 0 wins from 4.
Sale's form is atrocious. Three wins in 15 matches, and their away record is especially dire. They've been beaten by 70 by Toulouse, by 51 by Saracens, by 41 by Bath. The pattern is unmistakable: when they face elite opposition away from home, they capitulate.
Leinster XV
Lineups not yet announced. Expect Sam Prendergast at fly-half, Rieko Ioane and Garry Ringrose in the centres, James Lowe on the wing, and the Irish international front row of Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, and Tadhg Furlong.
Sale Sharks XV
Lineups not yet announced. Sale's best hope rests on George Ford at fly-half and Tom Curry at openside flanker — genuine world-class operators who can influence any match.
Key Matchups
Tom Curry at the breakdown is Sale's one genuine edge — his jackling and carrying are world-class. But Leinster's backrow of van der Flier and Doris neutralises even that. Everywhere else, Leinster dominate. The scrum is anchored by the Ireland front row, the midfield of Ringrose and Ioane is the most talented centre pairing in club rugby.
Match Forecast
This has mismatch written all over it. Leinster's Champions Cup pedigree, their Aviva Stadium fortress record, and the sheer depth of their squad make them overwhelming favourites. The scorecard net of +25 pushes this into mismatch territory, with every single dimension favouring Leinster.
Sale's slim hope is Tom Curry producing a disruptive masterclass and George Ford kicking everything. Their R16 win at Harlequins proved they can raise their game — but Leinster at the Aviva is a different universe. Expect Leinster to be ruthless and into the quarter-finals by half-time.
Leinster to win by 25+ points — Sale's European journey ends emphatically in Dublin.