Despite losing in Brive in their final pool match last weekend, Dai Young’s side were still able to finish in the top four places in Pool A to guarantee themselves a home draw. Sale Sharks are one of four team dropping down from the Heineken Champions Cup after finishing outside the top eight places.
The game will be played on the weekend of 31 March -1/2 April, and the winner of the tie will go on to play away to the winners of the game between two more URC clubs, Benetton Rugby and Connacht.
Scarlets, who finished top of their pool, will now host Brive, with the winners having a home quarter-final against either Bristol Bears or Clermont Auvergne.
A dramatic second half fightback earned the Dragons two bonus-points in their 30-25 home defeat against the Lions. Their reward for that is a trip to Scotland to face Glasgow Warriors, with the winners then hosting either the Lions or Racing 92.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP
Round of 16 – 31 March-1/2 April
R16 1: Toulon v Cheetahs
R16 2: Glasgow Warriors v Dragons
R16 3: Cardiff v Sale Sharks
R16 4: Bristol Bears v Clermont Auvergne
R16 5: Stade Francais Paris v Lyon
R16 6: Lions v Racing 92
R16 7: Benetton Rugby v Connacht
R16 8: Scarlets v CA Brive
NB The four highest-ranked clubs from each of the EPCR Challenge Cup pools have home advantage.
Quarter-finals – 7/8/9 April
QF 1: Winner R16 1 v Winner R16 5
QF 2: Winner R16 7 v Winner R16 3
QF 3: Winner R16 2 v Winner R16 6
QF 4: Winner R16 8 v Winner R16 4
NB The highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home advantage.
Semi-finals – 28/29/30 April
SF 1: winner QF 1 v winner QF 2
SF 2: winner QF 3 v winner QF 4
NB The matches will be played in Europe and the highest-ranked clubs from the pool stage will have home venue advantage.
2023 European Challenge Cup Final: Friday 19 May; Aviva Stadium, Dublin
