Champions Cup

So Bordeaux and Exeter home and away?

sparking wrote: We're f*#cked, we'll be playing one of 1st/2nd in each of the Top 14 and Premiership Home and Away.
A hearty welcome to the top table of rugby to Dragons, may God have mercy on your souls.

Far from it!

Since the Top 14 was abandoned well before the business end of the season, we'll either be playing Lyon (1 win, 11 defeats in 2 seasons of HEC rugby) or UBB, who have been playing Challenge Cup these last few years. It's entirely possible that neither team will be remotely interested in Europe, and we've completely avoided the big guns.

If we were tier one we'd draw Toulouse or Montpellier, tier two either Clermont or La Rochelle, tier three either Racing or Toulon. So bizarrely our lowly status gives us the softest possible draw of the French teams. Two out of two there and we guarantee midtable in the pool and entry to the last 16 of the Challenge Cup.

[Note to Friendy - let's not turn our noses up at the Challenge Cup this year, silverware is silverware]

As regards the English clubs, if we draw Exeter our ambitions end at 2 wins and CC knockouts.

If we get the losing finalist (any of Sale down to Northampton most likely) then a home win on top of two against the French puts us into the last 8 of the HEC.

sparking wrote: They changed us from Tier 4 to Tier 3! Massive difference, probably not for the easier route though! Racing or Toulon!
www.pro14.rugby/latest/pro14/guinness-pr...ropean-qualification

Ok, now we're f*cked. Here's praying for Toulon and the worse of the English semifinal losers.

What's the difference?

Bordeaux and Lyon have big budget, big squad, they would not have been easier (nor worse), than Toulon/Racing.

Same with Bristol/Sale/Exeter/Wasps, it changes very little.

Bristol is half Sarries indeed, but team is not that cohesive yet, and I'd be glad to meet Lam in official huge game!

With the last game of the Premiership now decided. Looks like our Tier Two opposition from that league will be Bristol or Bath.

Draw announcement at 3pm Irish Time today. Apparently it is being done behind closed doors.

CONFIRMED | We will meet Racing 92 and Bristol Bears in this season's Heineken Champions Cup!
The draw was made earlier this morning and places Connacht in Pool B with 11 other clubs, but it's Racing and Bristol that we face home and away.

Typical.
Those two away fixtures are up there with Clermont and Northampton as games I'd love to travel to

What's wrong with Clermont? Or Paris for that matter!

POOL B (with opponents in brackets)

Exeter Chiefs (Glasgow Warriors, Toulouse)
Lyon (Glasgow Warriors, Gloucester Rugby)
Ulster Rugby (Gloucester Rugby, Toulouse)
Bristol Bears (ASM Clermont Auvergne, Connacht Rugby)
Munster Rugby (ASM Clermont Auvergne, Harlequins)
Racing 92 (Connacht Rugby, Harlequins)
ASM Clermont Auvergne (Bristol Bears, Munster Rugby)
Connacht Rugby (Bristol Bears, Racing 92)
Harlequins (Munster Rugby, Racing 92)
Glasgow Warriors (Exeter Chiefs, Lyon)
Gloucester Rugby (Lyon, Ulster)
Toulouse (Exeter Chiefs, Ulster Rugby)

A tough group to even place in top 8 for challenge cup contention. Bring on Pat et al though, should be a great few games.

The answer to attending the Sportsground for the Champions Cup matches