Home Start For Connacht

…Connacht reached the Challenge Cup quarter-finals last season before bowing out to Newcastle Falcons…

Connacht will open their 2006/07 European Challenge Cup campaign at home to Harlequins in October, with a trip to Bath the following week.

Michael Bradley’s men have been drawn in a strong Pool 4 that also includes their old French rivals Montpelier. Harlequins have won the competition twice, while Bath are former Heineken Cup winners.

Pool 1: Newport Gwent Dragons, Bayonne, Bristol Rugby, Bucuresti
Pool 2: Glasgow Warriors, Narbonne, Saracens, SKG Gran Parma
Pool 3: Newcastle Falcons, Brive, Petrarca Padova, Montauban
Pool 4: Connacht Rugby, Montpellier, Bath Rugby, NEC Harlequins
Pool 5: ASM Clermont Auvergne, Worcester Warriors, Arix Viadana, Albi

THE FIXTURES:

ROUND 1 – October 20/21/22
Pool 1 Bucuresti v Bristol Rugby
Pool 1 Newport Gwent Dragons v Bayonne
Pool 2 SKG Gran Parma v Narbonne
Pool 2 Saracens v Glasgow Warriors
Pool 3 Newcastle Falcons v Petrarca Padova
Pool 3 Montauban v Brive
Pool 4 Montpellier v Bath Rugby
Pool 4 Connacht Rugby v NEC Harlequins
Pool 5 Albi v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 5 Worcester Warriors v Arix Viadana

ROUND 2 – October 27/28/29
Pool 1 Bristol Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons
Pool 1 Bayonne v Bucuresti
Pool 2 Narbonne v Saracens
Pool 2 Glasgow Warriors v SKG Gran Parma
Pool 3 Petrarca Padova v Montauban
Pool 3 Brive v Newcastle Falcons
Pool 4 Bath Rugby v Connacht Rugby
Pool 4 NEC Harlequins v Montpellier
Pool 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Worcester Warriors
Pool 5 Arix Viadana v Albi

ROUND 3 – December 8/9/10
Pool 1 Newport Gwent Dragons v Bucuresti
Pool 1 Bayonne v Bristol Rugby
Pool 2 Saracens v SKG Gran Parma
Pool 2 Glasgow Warriors v Narbonne
Pool 3 Montauban v Newcastle Falcons
Pool 3 Brive v Petrarca Padova
Pool 4 Connacht Rugby v Montpellier
Pool 4 NEC Harlequins v Bath Rugby
Pool 5 Worcester Warriors v Albi
Pool 5 Arix Viadana v ASM Clermont Auvergne

ROUND 4 – December 15/16/17
Pool 1 Bucuresti v Newport Gwent Dragons
Pool 1 Bristol Rugby v Bayonne
Pool 2 SKG Gran Parma v Saracens
Pool 2 Narbonne v Glasgow Warriors
Pool 3 Newcastle Falcons v Montauban
Pool 3 Petrarca Padova v Brive
Pool 4 Montpellier v Connacht Rugby
Pool 4 Bath Rugby v NEC Harlequins
Pool 5 Albi v Worcester Warriors
Pool 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Arix Viadana

ROUND 5 – January 12/13/14, 2007
Pool 1 Newport Gwent Dragons v Bristol Rugby
Pool 1 Bucuresti v Bayonne
Pool 2 SKG Gran Parma v Glasgow Warriors
Pool 2 Saracens v Narbonne
Pool 3 Montauban v Petracra Padova
Pool 3 Newcastle Falcons v Brive
Pool 4 Connacht Rugby v Bath Rugby
Pool 4 Montpellier v NEC Harlequins
Pool 5 Worcester Warriors v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 5 Albi v Arix Viadana

ROUND 6 – January 19/20/21
Pool 1 Bristol Rugby v Bucuresti
Pool 1 Bayonne v Newport Gwent Dragons
Pool 2 Glasgow Warriors v Saracens
Pool 2 Narbonne v SKG Gran Parma
Pool 3 Petrarca Padova v Newcastle Falcons
Pool 3 Brive v Montauban
Pool 4 Bath Rugby v Montpellier
Pool 4 NEC Harlequins v Connacht Rugby
Pool 5 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Albi
Pool 5 Arix Viadana v Worcester Warriors

QUARTER-FINALS – March 30/31/April 1

SEMI-FINALS – April 20/21/22

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP FINAL – May 18/19/20

For more information on Connacht Rugby – click here