HEINEKEN CUP FIXTURES ANNOUNCED
Toulouse will launch the defence of their Heineken Cup title at home against Llanelli Scarlets in Pool 6 in a reverse of last season’s fixture schedule. The two teams met in Pool 3 last year with the Frenchmen winning 9-6 at Stradey Park and 53-36 at Stade Ernest Wallon.
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It will be the first time Toulouse have had the luxury of a home game in the opening round after winning the title. In 1996 they had to travel to Milan to launch their defence and in 2003 they were beaten in Edinburgh in their opening game.
English champions London Wasps will tread new ground when they meet Edinburgh Rugby in the other opening round fixture in Pool 6 at Murrayfield.
Celtic League winners the Ospreys will have last season’s runners-up Stade Francais Paris as their first European guests in what could well be a sell-out, 20,000 crowd at their new all-seater stadium at Morfa, Swansea in Pool 3, while Leicester Tigers eight Lions will meet up with their fellow New Zealand tourist Stephen Jones when Clermont Auvergne return to the tournament at Welford Road in the same Pool.
Former Welsh international Phil Davies will take his Powergen Cup holders Leeds Tykes to the Welsh capital in the first round to meet Cardiff Blues, while newly crowned Italian champions Calvisano will meet Perpignan for the fifth time when they host them on the opening day in Pool 2.
European Challenge Cup winners Sale Sharks will have home advantage over Celtic Cup holders Munster in Pool 1, while Newport Gwent Dragons will travel to France to face Castres Olympique.
The French champions Biarritz Olympique travel in the first round for the fourth successive season with an away day in London against Saracens. They kicked off with a defeat at London Wasps last season and will be looking for a better start to their Pool 4 campaign this season. Ulster will host Benetton Treviso in the other game in round one in that Pool.
Leinster will get the chance to make it a quick-fire hat-trick of European victories over Bath in Pool 5 when they entertain the 1998 champions at Lansdowne Road. They were convincing 30-11 victors in Dublin in Pool 2 last season and followed up that triumph with a 27-23 win at the Recreation Ground.
French championship semi-finalists Bourgoin will meet Glasgow Warriors at Stade Pierre Rajon in the other opening round fixture in Pool 5.
The precise dates and kick-off times for all the Pool matches in the early rounds will be confirmed as soon as possible with the broadcaster partners in the UK, Ireland, France and Italy.
