Favourable draw for Chiefs

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Teams

• Bayonne
• Brive

• More teams +

  • Connacht
  • Gloucester
  • Harlequins
  • Montpellier
  • Newcastle
  • Sale
  • Stade Francais

Premiership new-boys Exeter Chiefs have been handed an encouraging draw for their Amlin Challenge Cup debut.

The Chiefs, who gained promotion to the top-flight after their two-legged Championship play-off victory over Bristol, have avoid all five of the side's who took part in last season's Heineken Cup - Stade Français, Gloucester, Sale, Brive and Harlequins.

And although they will take on tier one side Bourgoin - the 2009 runners-up - they have also been grouped with Montpellier and Newcastle in Pool Three.

Double tournament winners Sale Sharks, who claimed the title in 2002 and 2005, have been drawn in Pool Two alongside 1997 Heineken Cup winners Brive, Petrarca Rugby and Spaniards Cetransa El Salvador.

Harlequins will take on Connacht, last year's semi-finalists, Bayonne and Cavalieri Prato from Italy in Pool One, while Gloucester will fancy their chances of progressing after the draw in Dublin grouped them with Agen, Rugby Rovigo and La Rochelle in Pool Five.

Leeds will have been happy to have been drawn in the same group as Rugby Parma and Bucuresti Oaks however Carnegie have the daunting prospect of taking on French giants Stade Francais.

Amlin Challenge Cup draw - Pool One: Harlequins, Connacht, Bayonne, Cavalieri Prato
Pool Two: Sale Sharks, Brive, Petrarca Rugby, Cetransa El Salvador
Pool Three: Bourgoin, Newcastle Falcons, Montpellier, Exeter Chiefs
Pool Four: Stade Francais, Rugby Parma, Leeds Carnegie, Bucuresti Oaks
Pool Five: Gloucester, Agen, Rugby Rovigo, La Rochelle