Challenge Cup Pool Draw
European Challenge Cup Draw
©European Challenge Cup
Next season marks the second year of the new European competitions, and following the draws this week, Mike Stanton analyses the lay of the land for the European Challenge Cup.
Pool 1:
This pool has some serious travel involved, mostly down to Challenge Cup new comers Enisemi-STM. The first Russian side to feature in the competition, away sides must fly into Moscow before flying the same time again into Siberia to face the dark horses of the competition.
Connacht, who lost in the first round Champions Cup play-off to Gloucester last season will go into the group as favourites. Drawn alongside French outfit Brive, who finished 10th in the Top 14 last season, and Newcastle who will also fancy their chances.
The Falcons are a different team on their new artificial pitch and the likes of Sinoti Sinoti wreaking havoc. Add to that mix the signing of England Sevens star Marcus Watson and the Falcons could mount a serious challenge for the title.
Pool 2:
Top 14 new boys Pau will hope their new All Black pairing of Colin Slade and Conrad Smith can help them in a tough pool.
Drawn against Sale, Dragons and Castres Pool 2 will be tricky for all the teams involved. Two times champions Sale, who just missed out on the Champions Cup spots, will have a point to prove and Castres have some serious work to do.
After being crowned French champions back in 2013, Castres found themselves in 12th at the end of last season. Welsh outfit the Dragons, who topped pool 3 with the highest points from any side on 281 will be hoping they too can push on into the later stages of the competitions.
Pool 3:
The Challenge Cup’s ‘pool of death’ this year pits Harlequins, Cardiff and Calvisano against a new look Montpellier side.
Harlequins have recruited well so far, the likes of James Horwill, Adam Jones and Jamie Roberts adding plenty of experience. But Montpellier have gone the whole hog on signings.
Jake White has been bought in as Head Coach and he has bought with him a plethora of stars from the Southern Hemisphere. Jesse Mogg, Pierre Spies, Demitri Catrakilis, one of Super Rugby’s top three goal kickers, and the du Plessis brothers among others all join the ranks of the French outfit for next season.
Calvisano qualified for the Challenge Cup after seeing off Rovigo Delta 35 – 7 and Cardiff scored the highest number of tires in the competition last time out. Add to that thier signings of Rey Lee-Lo and Blaine Scully and Pool 3 could feature some very high scoring matches.
Pool 4:
Defending champions Gloucester, who missed out on a Champions Cup spot after losing to Bordeux 22 – 23 in the playoffs, will hope to defend their crown this year.
Drawn against Zebre, who bring in the likes of Mils Muliaina and Luke Burgess, La Rochelle who finished 9th in the Top 14 and Aviva Premiership new boys Worcester, Gloucester go into the Pool as favourites, leaving the three others fighting it out for second.
Pool 5:
Pool 5 brings some familiar faces back together. Grenoble and London Irish faced each other in the pool stages last year with the Exiles wining both times, before going on to lose out to Edinburgh in the quarter finals, the Premiership side will hope to get their revenge this year.
With the likes of Ben Franks, Matt Symons and Sean Maitland joining them the Exiles will look to go further and get there own back on the Scottish side who lost out to Gloucester in the final at the Stoop.
Pro D2 Final winners Agen, who secured promotion to the Top 14, also come into Pool 5 but you would imagine the top spot will be fought out between London Irish and Edinburgh.
The 2015/16 Challenge Cup throws up some tasty looking battles. The revamp of the competitions has done wonders, but it is still yet to be seen if the French sides in particular will take it seriously. If they do, then this Challenge Cup could be the best we have seen in years.
