The opening round of the European Champions Cup in October will feature a match worthy of the final. Toulon, the winners of the tournament for three years from 2013, will meet the holders, Saracens, at Stade Félix Mayol.
Saracens won all their matches in Europe last season, becoming the first side to achieve the feat since Brive in 1996-97 when there were only four pool matches rather than six, and they won in France twice, at Oyonnax and Toulouse, before defeating Racing 92 in the final in Lyon.
While Saracens won the Premiership and European double last season, Toulon, who have a 100% home record in the Champions Cup, finished with nothing after losing to Racing 92 in the Top 14 final. Toulon’s owner, Mourad Boudjellal, is threatening to boycott the start of the new season after the league organisers imposed a fine of €100,000 for a breach of salary cap regulations last season.
Toulon were sanctioned after falling victim to a rule imposed last season that if a player’s bonuses exceeded 10% of his salary, the sum had to be included in the €10m cap. Some of the club’s players received up to 50% of their wages in bonuses and Boudjellal said he would be appealing against the fine.
“I do not see how Toulon can start the championship,” said Boudjellal, who at the end of last season said he would consider ways of getting his club into the Aviva Premiership. He alleged Toulon were the victims of a plot including another club and the league organisers, but if he loses the appeal and fails to pay up, the club would face being expelled from the league and Europe.
Racing 92’s first game will be hosting Munster while Northampton entertain Montpellier, the Top 14 semi-finalists and European Challenge Cup holders. In December, the Saints have back-to-back matches with Leinster, the team that beat them in the 2011 final, with the Ireland leg being played at the Aviva Stadium.
Leicester’s double-header in December will be against Munster, as it was last year when the Tigers won both matches, while Exeter’s opening match is at home to Clermont Auvergne, whom they defeated 31-14 at Sandy Park in December.
Glasgow begin their tournament at home to Leinster and have announced that the coach of Super Rugby’s Chiefs, Dave Rennie, will succeed Gregor Townsend next summer when he replaces Vern Cotter in charge of Scotland.
First round matches
Fri 14 Oct Glasgow Warriors v Leicester Saturday Wasps v Zebre, Leinster v Castres, Toulon v Saracens, Connacht v Toulouse, Northampton v Montpellier, Scarlets v Sale Sunday Bordeaux-Bègles v Ulster, Racing 92 v Munster, Exeter v Clermont Auvergne
