European Challenge Cup round one preview

European Rugby returned with a bang last night, with Harlequins putting six tries past potential England Head Coach Jake White’s Montpellier. The pool stages always through up some tasty clashes in both competitions, and the Challenge Cup has some fantastic matches ahead.

In Pool 1 we have already had Connacht’s #RoadToRussia, with the Irish side travelling to Krasnoyarsk to face Russian side Enisei-STM, a mere 5,800km trip from Galway to Siberia, with the two sides facing off on Saturday.

Connacht have had an excellent start to the season, leading the Guinness Pro12 with six wins from seven and Pat Lam’s charges are one of the front runners to win the Challenge Cup. If they can get the mammoth journey out of their legs in time, the Galway side should have no problems dispatching Enisei-STM.

Brive could prove to be one the pool stages’ dark horses having made a good start to the Top 14 season with five wins from eight. However, after losing all their pool stage matches last year, it is likely they will again prioritise the Top 14 over the Challenge Cup this season.

In Pool 2 newly promoted Top 14 side Pau will be hoping their All Black partnership of Conrad Smith and Colin Slade will be firing on all cylinders with a tough draw of Castres, Newport and Sale. Smith and Slade probably wont be available until the new year so will miss the French side’s first two matches in the competition but when they are back they will provide an potent midfield axis to build around.

Pau face Castres in their first match tomorrow in an all-French clash. Last year’s beaten semi finalists Newport will be hoping to go a stage further this year, and will be no doubt buoyed by the retention of Talupe Falatau following Warren Gatland’s intervention.

They have a tough opening fixture, however, facing a visit from Sale Sharks. The two times winners played in the Champions Cup last year, but failed to make it out of the pools. Currently sitting 7th in the Premiership with two wins from four, Steve Diamond’s men are one of the stronger sides in the competition.

Quins stated their intent last night, with their returning England stars out with a point to prove. Elsewhere in Pool 3, the Cardiff Blues who narrowly lost out to Newport in the quarter-finals last year open their campaign against Rugby Calvisano. The Welsh region will be hoping to secure all the points against the Italian side and will be battling it out with Quins for the top spot.

Defending champions Gloucester have a relatively simple start to their campaign, playing Zebre in their first Pool 4 game.

The other Premiership side in the pool, newly promoted Worcester, will face off against La Rochelle and Dean Ryan will be hoping his squad repeat their heroics of the opening match of the season and build some momentum in the competition.

In a pool that will most likely be dominated by the Premiership sides, both Gloucester and Worcester will need to get off to good starts.

Beaten finalists Edinburgh are drawn alongside the team they beat in last year’s quarters, London Irish. The replay will have to wait for now however, with the Scottish outfit facing a visit from French side Grenoble.

Edinburgh are currently seventh in the Pro12 having lost the likes of Denton and Visser to the allure of the Premiership. London Irish, who are yet to get a win this season, will be hoping they can turn their fortunes around in this competition. Last year the Exiles mounted a real title challenge, only to narrowly miss out in the quarters.

Agen, who Irish face in round one, are the other newly promoted French side. Coached by French legend Philippe Sella, they last featured in Europe back in 2013 but could prove to be a tough nut to crack.