Leinster vs Harlequins – Clash of the Giants

We’re in for a classic as Leinster take on Harlequins in their opening game of the 2025/2026 European Rugby Champions Cup campaign. Ireland’s most successful club, Leinster reached the semi-finals of the competition last season and will be looking to go a step further this time around.

Harlequins will be a difficult game for them, though. Their form in the Premiership might have dwindled since winning the title in 2021, but they’re still a side that possesses a huge amount of quality.

Leinster have a formidable record in the European Champions Cup. They’ve won the competition on four occasions, second only to French side Toulouse who have six Cups to their name. The Irish side have been runners up on four occasions, losing three consecutive Finals between 2022 and 2024.

Harlequins don’t have such a rich history in this competition. While they have won a number of domestic and European trophies, the Champions Cup is one that has eluded them. Harlequins’ best performance in this competition came in the 2023/24 season where they reached the Semi-Final, only to be knocked out by the aforementioned Toulouse. Incidentally, the Final that year was also the last time Leinster reached the final stage.

With such a pedigree in this competition, coupled with their excellent performances in 2025, it’s no surprise that Leinster head into the European Rugby Champions Cup as favourites to win outright. Leinster were dominant in the 2025 United Rugby Championship, winning the title finishing eight points clear of second placed Bulls. They won 16 of their 18 fixtures, comprehensively adding yet another URC title to their already huge trophy cabinet.

In the last four years of the European Rugby Champions Cup, Leinster were finalists three years in a row, and finished as semi-finalists in last year’s competition. They are far and away the favourites to add to their four ERCC titles in this year’s event.

As for Harlequins, they’ve had four lean years since their Premiership title win in 2021. That success was the first trophy the English side had picked up since their previous Premiership win in 2011. Heading into this season’s ERCC, they’re ranked as outsiders to win the competition. Aside from reaching the semi-finals of the competition in 2023/24, they’ve failed to progress from the Round of 16 stage in three of the last four seasons.

Leinster faced Harlequins in the 2024/25 European Rugby Champions Cup in the Round of 16. That match ended in a comprehensive victory for the Irish side, with Leinster winning by 62-0.

Leinster’s last five games in all competitions saw them win three and lose two. For Harlequins, their last five brought two wins and three defeats.

For our Leinster vs Harlequins prediction, we’ve analysed the current form of both teams, alongside their recent history in the European Rugby Champions Cup.

What is the latest team news?

We’ve explored who’s likely to start for both teams as they look to start their ERCC campaign off with a win.

Leinster – Looking to find some consistency

Leinster’s start to the URC title defence has got off to a shaky start with three wins and three defeats. For their ERCC opener, we’re expecting Alex Soroka to start, along with Joshua Kenny who scored two tries against Dragons in their last outing. RG Snyman will also start, alongside Harry Byrne.

Harlequins – Hoping to cause a surprise

There aren’t many who are expecting Harlequins to get a win at the Aviva Stadium, but with Leinster’s up-and-down form, this might be a good time to face them. They’ll need to improve on their recent form to do so, though. We’re expecting Jimmy Staples and Jake Murray to start, who both scored tries in their defeat to Saracens in November. Harry Browne is also likely to start.

Where to watch Leinster vs Harlequins

There are a number of European Rugby Champions Cup official broadcasters around the world who will be showing Leinster vs Harlequins live, as well as all other matches in the competition. Along with television broadcasts, there are a number of betting sites who can provide their users with access to a Leinster vs Harlequins live stream. Some online bookmakers will require a funded account to activate a stream, others might need a bet to be placed on the match to activate it.

Text commentary is also available and can be found on the official websites and social media channels of both clubs. The official Investec Champions Cup website will also provide a commentary service, as well as highlights of the game.

In the list below, you’ll find the official broadcasters for a variety of countries. Some broadcasts are free to air, others may require a paid subscription. To watch if our Leinster vs Harlequins prediction is accurate, you can access the broadcast via the following channels.

• Ireland: Premier Sports
• UK: Premier Sports, S4C
• France: TVSport
• South Africa: SuperSport
• Portugal: Sport TV
• Spain: Telefonica
• USA: FloRugby

Prediction for Leinster vs Harlequins

While Leinster have had a mixed start as they look to defend their United Rugby Championship title, they’ll be looking at ERCC as a way to find some consistency. This might be a good time for Harlequins to face the Irish side, but realistically it’s difficult to see them getting a win from their opening game. For our Leinster vs Harlequins prediction, we think it’s a comfortable win for the home side. We’re predicting Leinster to win with a -12.5 handicap.

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