Mallinder content with draw

Saints chief confident of European challenge

Last updated: 9th June 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Mallinder content with draw

Mallinder: Euro focus

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Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder has his sights set on a Heineken Cup title assault after his side were handed a "promising" draw on Tuesday.

Full Heineken Cup draw

The 2000 European champions were drawn in the same pool as Amlin Cup champions Cardiff Blues, Edinburgh and Castres in Cardiff.

And, after their quarter-final run last season, Mallinder is confident of a similar showing when the famous competition gets back underway.

"It is a promising draw for us," said Mallinder.

"We have ambitions of becoming one of Europe's top teams that reaches the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup on a regular basis and this group is wide open.

"Cardiff showed how far they have come by winning the Challenge Cup in a hostile atmosphere against Toulon and Edinburgh have improved a great deal over the last few years.

"And any trip to France is tough, especially to a place like Castres. This season they beat both Toulouse and Biarritz, which shows that they have to be taken seriously too."