Northampton’s European fate was decided in Lausanne earlier today as the draw for next rounds of Challenge Cup took place, with Saints picked to face Dragons on the road in the first knock-out stage.
Saints headed into the European Challenge Cup Round of 16 draw following EPCR’s revision of the tournament schedule, and after today’s draw Chris Boyd's men will now prepare to head to Rodney Parade on 2/3/4 April as the European tournament gets back underway.
With clubs from the same league unable to be drawn against each other in the Round of 16, Saints headed into the drum in Switzerland set to face off with an opposition from the PRO14. The Club’s ball emerged in the pick for Match 1, pitting them against Dragons, and a subsequent draw saw the home advantage go the way of the Newport side to set up the Round of 16 clash on Welsh soil.
The Round of 16 draw was immediately followed by the pick for the quarter-final match-ups; Saints’ Match 1 clash with Dragons was drawn out against Match 4, meaning should the men in Black, Green and Gold progress, they will face either Harlequins or Ulster Rugby at Franklin’s Gardens on 9/10/11 April.
The date of Saints’ trip to Dragons has yet to be confirmed, with fixture dates and kick-off times for the knock-out clashes to be determined in the coming weeks.
You can find full details of the European Challenge Cup and Heineken Champions Cup draws at epcrugby.com.
🛣 We'll head away from home to take on Dragons in the knockout stages of the @ERChallengeCup. pic.twitter.com/TfFRMbCeQ8
— Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) March 9, 2021
CHALLENGE CUP ROUND OF 16 MATCHES (2/3/4 April)
Match 1: Dragons v Northampton Saints
Match 2: Ospreys v Newcastle Falcons
Match 3: London Irish v Cardiff Blues
Match 4: Harlequins v Ulster Rugby
Match 5: Benetton Rugby v Agen
Match 6: Zebre Rugby Club v Bath Rugby
Match 7: Leicester Tigers v Connacht Rugby
Match 8: Montpellier v Glasgow Warriors
CHALLENGE CUP QUARTER-FINAL MATCHES (9/10/11 April)
Match 1: Winners of Ro16 Match 8 v Winners of Ro16 Match 5
Match 2: Winners of Ro16 Match 1 v Winners of Ro16 Match 4
Match 3: Winners of Ro16 Match 6 v Winners of Ro16 Match 3
Match 4: Winners of Ro16 Match 7 v Winners of Ro16 Match 2
