Bayonne trip for Sarries

By Jason Harris
July 2 2004

Saracens have drawn French top flight new boys Bayonne in the first round of the 2004-05 Parker Pen Challenge Cup. The side that lives in the shadow of more illstrious neighbours Biarritz stand in they way of the Men in Black and a second round date with Spaniards El Salvador or Italian seeds Parma.

The first leg will be played in France on the weekend of 22/23/24 October with the return leg the following weekend at Vicarage Road, likely to be on Hallowe'en, the 31st.

Sarries' most stern opponents in the bottom quarter of the draw are former Heineken Cup champions Brive who open their European campaign against Zurich Prmeiership rookies Worcester. Should the current club of former Sarrie Alain Penaud progress through the first two rounds with victory over the Warriors and then over one of the two first round "Lucky Losers", a mouthwatering tie with the Men in Black awaits in the last eight should the Bayonne and Spanish/Italian hurdles be negotiated.

Elsewhere in the bottom half of the draw draw, Sarries' conquerors of 2003-04, Montferrand, are in the same half and could be semi-final opposition if they can get past some strong teams including Pau and London Irish.

The top half of the draw will see some full-blooded encounters with the likes of Beziers and Agen mixing it with last year's semi-finalists Connacht and Sale Sharks.

In a first for the Saracens Supporters Association, there is to be an offer of a package tour for all Sarries supporters wanting to take in the Bayonne game. Details will be available on Monday 5 July and fans are urged to register their interest on thesaracens.co.uk message board.


The First Round Draw in full:

Game 1: Catania v Sale Sharks
Game 2: L’Aquila v Agen
Game 3: UCM Madrid v Viadana
Game 4: Grenoble v Leeds Tykes
Game 5: Petraca Padova v Beziers
Game 6: Rovigo v Montpellier
Game 7: Narbonne v Connacht
Game 8: Auch v London Irish
Game 9: GrAN Parma v Pau
Game 10: Leonessa v Montferrand
Game 11: AA Coimbra v The Borders
Game 12: Bayonne v Saracens
Game 13: El Salvador v Rugby Parma
Game 14: Worcester v Brive