Falcons in Europe 2004/2005
By Mark H
June 29 2004
Falcons return to Heineken Cup action for the first time in three seasons and look to have one of the trickier groups to contest in the bid to bring the trophy north (or as the final's at Murrayfield, south...)
At last, it's the long-awaited Heineken Cup draw 2004/2005.
Falcons return to Heineken Cup action for the first time in three seasons and look to have one of the trickier groups to contest in the bid to bring the trophy north (or as the final's at Murrayfield, south...)
Falcons, who qualified by winning the Powergen Cup back in April, have been drawn against French Championship runners-up Perpignan (who incidentally sacked their coach on Sunday, the day after losing to Stade Francais in that final 38-20), Edinburgh (last year's quarter finalists and the highest
ranked Scottish team), and Newport Gwent Dragons (second ranked in Wales and third in the Celtic League last season, finishing level on points with Ulster, and just four behind champions Llanelli).
The draw in full:-
Pool One: London Wasps, Calvisano, Biarritz, Leicester Tigers
Pool Two: Benetton Treviso, Leinster, Bath, Bourgoin
Pool Three: Llanelli, Glasgow, Northampton Saints, Toulouse
Pool Four: Munster, Neath/Swansea Ospreys, Castres, NEC Harlequins
Pool Five: Edinburgh, Newport/Gwent Dragons, Perpignan, Newcastle Falcons
Pool Six: Stade Francais, Ulster, Cardiff Blues, Gloucester.
Fixtures weekends are:-
ROUND 1 (22/23/24 October 2004)
Pool 1 - Leicester Tigers v Rugby Calvisano
London Wasps v Biarritz Olympique Pays-Basque
Pool 2 - Bath Rugby v CSBJ Bourgoin Jallieu
Benetton Treviso v Leinster
Pool 3 - Llanelli Scarlets v Stade Toulousain
Glasgow Rugby v Northampton Saints
Pool 4 - Munster v NEC Harlequins
Castres Olympique v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Pool 5 - USA Perpignan v Edinburgh Rugby
Newport Gwent Dragons v Newcastle Falcons
Pool 6 - Ulster Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Stade Français Paris v Gloucester RFC
ROUND 2 (29/30/31 October 2004)
Pool 1 - Rugby Calvisano v London Wasps
Biarritz Olympique Pays-Basque v Leicester Tigers
Pool 2 - CSBJ Bourgoin Jallieu v Benetton Treviso
Leinster v Bath Rugby
Pool 3 - Stade Toulousain v Glasgow Rugby
Northampton Saints v Llanelli Scarlets
Pool 4 - NEC Harlequins v Castres Olympique
Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Munster
Pool 5 - Edinburgh Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons
Newcastle Falcons v USA Perpignan
Pool 6 - Cardiff Blues v Stade Français Paris
Gloucester RFC v Ulster Rugby
ROUND 3 (3/4/5 December 2004)
Pool 1 - London Wasps v Leicester Tigers
Biarritz Olympique Pays-Basque v Rugby Calvisano
Pool 2 - Benetton Treviso v Bath Rugby
Leinster v CSBJ Bourgoin Jallieu
Pool 3 - Glasgow Rugby v Llanelli Scarlets
Northampton Saints v Stade Toulousain
Pool 4 - Castres Olympique v Munster
Neath-Swansea Ospreys v NEC Harlequins
Pool 5 - Newport Gwent Dragons v USA Perpignan
Newcastle Falcons v Edinburgh Rugby
Pool 6 - Stade Français Paris v Ulster Rugby
Gloucester RFC v Cardiff Blues
ROUND 4 (10/11/12 December 2004)
Pool 1 - Leicester Tigers v London Wasps
Rugby Calvisano v Biarritz Olympique Pays-Basque
Pool 2 - Bath Rugby v Benetton Treviso
CSBJ Bourgoin Jallieu v Leinster
Pool 3 - Llanelli Scarlets v Glasgow Rugby
Stade Toulousain v Northampton Saints
Pool 4 - Munster v Castres Olympique
NEC Harlequins v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Pool 5 - USA Perpignan v Newport Gwent Dragons
Edinburgh Rugby v Newcastle Falcons
Pool 6 - Ulster Rugby v Stade Français Paris
Cardiff Blues v Gloucester RFC
ROUND 5 (7/8/9 January 2005)
Pool 1
Leicester Tigers v Biarritz Olympique Pays-Basque
London Wasps v Rugby Calvisano
Pool 2 - Bath Rugby v Leinster
Benetton Treviso v CSBJ Bourgoin Jallieu
Pool 3 - Llanelli Scarlets v Northampton Saints
Glasgow Rugby v Stade Toulousain
Pool 4 - Munster v Neath-Swansea Ospreys
Castres Olympique v NEC Harlequins
Pool 5 - USA Perpignan v Newcastle Falcons
Newport Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh Rugby
Pool 6 - Ulster Rugby v Gloucester RFC
Stade Français Paris v Cardiff Blues
ROUND 6 (14/15/16 January 2005)
Pool 1 - Biarritz Olympique Pays-Basque v London Wasps
Rugby Calvisano v Leicester Tigers
Pool 2 - Leinster v Benetton Treviso
CSBJ Bourgoin Jallieu v Bath Rugby
Pool 3 - Northampton Saints v Glasgow Rugby
Stade Toulousain v Llanelli Scarlets
Pool 4 - Neath-Swansea Ospreys v Castres Olympique
NEC Harlequins v Munster
Pool 5 - Newcastle Falcons v Newport Gwent Dragons
Edinburgh Rugby v USA Perpignan
Pool 6 - Gloucester RFC v Stade Français Paris
Cardiff Blues v Ulster Rugby
Full dates to be confirmed in August. Further details on Falcons' opponents
will appear here later.