Reigning Heineken Cup champions Munster will be first into the action when they launch the defence of their title with an opening night Round 1 clash with tournament newcomers Montauban at a revamped Thomond Park on Friday, 10 October.
And treble champions and 2008 finalists Toulouse will close the first weekend’s matches when they host fellow former winners Bath Rugby in match No 12 on Sunday, 12 October, Toulouse staging the match at the 37,000 capacity Le Stadium.
Montauban – who will become the 55th team to play Heineken Cup rugby – will immediately go under the spotlight against the 2006 and 2008 champions with Montauban’s all-French clash with ASM Clermont Auvergne in Round 2 making Stade de Sapiac the 83rd venue to stage tournament action.
“Montauban will be a very interesting – and difficult – start for us and, at the moment, we don’t know that much about them,” said Tony McGahan, Munster’s new Director of Coaching. “However, they have done superbly well in the Top 14 in order to qualify for the Heineken Cup for the first time and there is absolutely no way we will be under-estimating them.”
Another new venue in the later stages will be Parc y Scarlets – the soon to be completed £23m new home of Llanelli Scarlets – while a national ground that will see Pool stage action will be the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Blues moving their big Anglo-Welsh Round 2 match against Gloucester Rugby next door to the venue that has hosted three Heineken Cup finals.
