Leicester Tigers will face Irish club Connacht at home in the European Challenge Cup Round of 16 and will also have home advantage if they progress to the quarter-finals.

Connacht are the Challenge Cup’s most experienced team with 126 previous matches in the tournament and have never faced Tigers previously.

The Irish side lost to Racing 92 and Bristol Bears in the pool stage of the Champions Cup before being placed into the Challenge Cup draw but have had a strong start in the Pro14, sitting second to Munster in Pool B with eight wins from 14 rounds so far.

Tigers reached the semi-finals last season in their first Challenge Cup campaign before being knocked out by Toulon.

The winners of that Round of 16 tie will be at home to the Ospreys or Newcastle Falcons in the quarter-final stages a week later.

Dates and kick-off times are still to be confirmed.

Teams from the same league were kept apart in the Round of 16 draw performed by organisers EPCR in Switzerland this afternoon, with all clubs placed in an ‘open’ draw for the quarter-final stages.

Challenge Cup knockout stages

Round of 16

Dragons v Northampton Saints

Ospreys v Newcastle Falcons

London Irish v Cardiff Blues

Harlequins v Ulster

Benetton Rugby v Agen

Zebre Rugby Club v Bath Rugby

Leicester Tigers v Connacht

Montpellier v Glasgow Warriors

Quarter-Finals

Montpellier or Glasgow Warriors v Benetton or Agen

Dragons or Northampton Saints v Harlequins or Ulster

Zebre Rugby Club or Bath Rugby v London Irish or Cardiff Blues

Leicester Tigers or Connacht or Ospreys or Newcastle Falcons

Heineken Champions Cup draw

Round of 16

Munster Rugby v Toulouse

Gloucester Rugby v La Rochelle

Wasps v ASM Clermont Auvergne

Exeter Chiefs v Lyon

Leinster Rugby v RC Toulon

Bordeaux-Bègles v Bristol Bears

Racing 92 v Edinburgh Rugby

Scarlets v Sale Sharks

Quarter-finals

Exeter Chiefs or Lyon v Leinster Rugby or RC Toulon

Wasps or ASM Clermont Auvergne v Munster Rugby or Toulouse

Gloucester Rugby or La Rochelle v Scarlets or Sale Sharks

Bordeaux-Bègles or Bristol Bears v Racing 92 or Edinburgh Rugby