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Rugby Union

Saints and Bristol handed tough Euro draw

24/06/2008

Northampton Saints and Bristol have been given a difficult draw for the pool stage of next season's European Challenge Cup.

The English sides have been placed in pool two alongside the French teams Toulon and Montpellier.

Toulon have recently been promoted to the Top 14 in France and are likely to boast a star-studded line-up next season, featuring a number of All Black players including flanker Jerry Collins.

Fly-half Dan Carter, who recently signed a new contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union which enables him to take a six-month European sabbatical this year, has also been heavily linked with a move to the club.

Pool one sees London Irish drawn alongside Connacht of Ireland, French club Dax and Italian outsiders Rovigo.

In pool three Worcester play French side Bourgoin, Italian team Petrarca and the only Romanian club in the competition, Bucuresti Oaks.

Elsewhere, Newcastle Falcons have again drawn Brive, as well as Italian club Parma and Spaniards Cetransa El Salvador.

Pool five features Saracens alongside the French pair of Bayonne and Stade Montois, as well as Viadana of Italy.

Full European Challenge Cup 2008/09 draw:

Pool 1
London Irish (Eng)
Connacht (Ire)
Dax (Fra)
Rovigo (Ita)

Pool 2
Northampton Saints (Eng)
Bristol (Eng)
Montpellier (Fra)
Toulon (Fra)

Pool 3
Bourgoin (Fra)
Worcester (Eng)
Petrarca (Italy)
Bucuresti Oaks (Rom)

Pool 4
Newcastle Falcons (Eng)
Brive (Fra)
Overmach Rugby Parma (Ita)
Cetransa El Salvador (Spain)

Pool 5
Saracens (Eng)
Viadana (Ita)
Bayonne (Fra)
Stade Montois (Fra)