By Jason Harris
August 1 2006

ERC has announced the fixtures for the 2006-07 European Challenge Cup and Saracens will play their first match in the competition at home to Glasgow Warriors on the weekend of 20/21/22 October. Round 2 will see Sarries travel to Narbonne and GrAN Parma will be the opposition in Rounds 3 and 4. The last time Saracens played Glasgow Warriors back in 2003-04, the tournament had a two-legged knock-out format, and following a comfortable 37-6 win at Vicarage Road in the first leg of their Second Round Parker Pen Challenge Cup clash, Sarries, wearing their European red, headed up to Scotland the following Friday night for what seemed a formality. Kyran Bracken was a try scorer in the home leg, along with Thomas Castaignede (2) and the Russell Boys; Ben T. and Robbie.

That so-called formality turned into a nail-biter as the Warriors, with nothing to lose, threw caution to the wind and very nearly pulled off a shock win as Sarries froze on the frosty pitch. A Morgan Williams try was to be the difference between the two sides at the end of the two legs as the home team’s 33-5 victory left them just four points short of a remarkable turn-around of a huge first leg deficit. For the record, Sarries’ European fate that season was sealed in Clermont-Ferrand just nine days later as AS Montferrand (now ASM Clermont-Auvergne) built an unassailable first leg lead in the Quarter Finals.

Sarries last played Narbonne way back in their first European tournament; the then-named European Conference back in the 1997-98 season. Six Andy Lee penalties ensured a tight 18-16 win for the Men in Black at Parc des Sports et de l'Amitie in Round 1.

The return Pool 8 match in Round 6 saw Sarries finish their tournament with a comprehensive 40-17 win at Vicarage Road. Saracens Hall of Fame members Michael Lynagh (2) and Philippe Sella (1) both scored tries that day, along with Kyran Bracken, Adrian Olver and Matt Singer. However, despite doing the double over their French rivals and Neath, Castres was the team to go through to the quarter finals that year.

Narbonne will host Sarries in Round 2 on the weekend of 27/28/29 October with the return match in Round 5 being played in Watford on the weekend of 12/13/14 January.

Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma is familiar territory to the travelling Fez as Sarries played against GrAN’s neighbours and rivals Overmach Rugby Parma in December 2004. The game, played in monsoon conditions, was one to be forgotten as tries from Matt Cairns and Thomas Castaignede saved some – but not all – of the team’s blushes as they lost 19-18 to this year’s Heineken Cup new boys. GRaN finished fourth, just one point behind Overmach, in last season’s Super 10 competiton.

This latest Italian double-header starts at Vicarage Road on the weekend of 8/9/10 December with the return the following weekend; 15/16/17 December.

The final Pool 2 game will see a return trip to Glasgow on the weekend of 19/20/21 January with the knock-out stages starting at the end of March with the quarter finals.

The Fixture List in full

THE FIXTURES

ROUND 1 – 20 / 21 / 22 October
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 – 27 / 28 / 29 October
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 – 8 / 9 / 10 December
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 – 15 / 16 / 17 December
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 – 12 / 13 / 14 January, 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 – 19 / 20 / 21 January
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 – 30 / 31 March / 1 April

SEMI-FINALS – 20 / 21 / 22 April

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP FINAL – 18 / 19 / 20 May