The pool stage began on 13 October 2016 and was completed on the weekend of 19–22 January 2017.

In the event of a tie between two or more teams from the same pool, the following criteria were used as tie-breakers:[3] If this did not separate teams, and/or the tie related to teams that did not play each other (i.e., in different pools), the following tie breakers were used: Due to a frozen pitch at the main ground at the Stadio Comunale di Monigo complex, kick off was delayed by 2 hours and moved to a nearby training ground.

[14] Due to a frozen pitch on the 8 December, the game was postponed to the following day.

Following this win, Ospreys were the first-ever team in the history of either European rugby competition to get 30 match points out of 30 at the pool stage.

Stade Français were awarded 5 match points in lieu of playing.