Connacht's first knock-out tie in the Champions Cup will be against provincial rivals Leinster - while Ulster will face reigning champions Toulouse and Munster the 2020 winners Exeter Chiefs in the last 16.
Connacht put in another heroic display this afternoon in Paris only to lose in the dying minutes for the second weekend running.
The westerners were already assured of a place in the knock-out stages for the first time after Cardiff were awarded a 28-0 victory over Toulouse on Friday.
But Connacht were without head coach Andy Friend for the game against Stade Francais as he was a Covid close contact.
Having lost to Leicester Tigers last week after coughing up an 18-point lead in the second half, the westerners fell to another late try at the Stade Jean-Bouin, and a last-gasp penalty kick for the hosts put them in the last 16 ahead of Cardiff Blues.
Two further bonus points put Connacht in fifth place in Pool B and, with Leinster finishing in fourth place in Pool A after another big European victory on Saturday - they scored 10 tries at the Rec in the 64-7 hammering of Bath, the two provinces will meet in the first leg on the weekend of 8/9/10 of April.
They will also face off in the URC in a re-arranged fixture on March 26, before their European showdowns, so the two provinces will be seeing plenty of each other.
Meanwhile Ulster also took care of business yesterday with a dramatic victory at home to Clermont Auvergne.
Dan McFarland's side powered into a comfortable 34-12 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining, only for the visitors to stage a remarkable comeback to score 19 unanswered points in the closing stages, but Ulster held on for a fourth successive pool victory and second place in Pool A.
But the province are unlucky to face such formidable opposition in Toulouse, who go through in seventh spot in Pool B on the back of one victory against Cardiff, a loss to Wasps and after two forfeiting two games due to Covid trouble.
Munster had already qualified after last week's victory at Castres and hammered Wasps 45-7 in their final pool game in Thomond Park this afternoon - with Simon Zebo scoring two tries - and discovered their fate after the final pool game between Montpellier and Exeter this evening, with the French club winning 37-26 at home.
Connacht will be the only Irish province playing at home first, with Leinster, Ulster and Munster all away initially. Leinster chiefs will discuss the possibility of moving the second leg to the Aviva Stadium.
Exeter supremo Rob Baxter reacted to the Munster draw afterwards, saying: “It’s brilliant for our supporters. Every time we go over to Ireland our supporters think it is amazing.
"Munster (Limerick) is an amazing rugby city, it’s one of those great places to go and play so we are really looking forward to that.
“That will be a nice experience for us and it’s one of those things that you need to do.
"If you want to have a really good Heineken Cup campaign at some stage you’ve got to beat one of the Irish teams and this will be a nice experience for us.
“Double-headers as knockouts are quite rare. It’s been a long time since we’ve had one before.
"Being home first will be interesting. It will be an interesting dynamic for us.”
Ulster and Munster will face off in the quarter-finals at Kingspan Stadium if both make it through the last 16.
Leinster or Connacht will take on either Leicester or Clermont in the last eight.
Last 16 line-up: Racing 92 v Stade Francais, Ulster v Toulouse, La Rochelle v Bordeaux, Leinster v Connacht, Bristol v Sale, Munster v Exeter, Harlequins v Montpellier, Leicester v Clermont.
