Saracens and Blue Bulls Opener in Champions Cup Pool One
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Gallagher Premiership winners, Saracens, are heading to Pretoria in Round 1 to take on the Vodacom Bulls on Saturday 9 December. Their Pool 1 campaign will see the 2019 EPCR Champion at home in Rounds 2 and 4 against Connacht Rugby and Lyon respectively, and in between they will go toe-to-toe with Union Bordeaux-Begles at Stade Chaban Delmas in Round 3.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls will be looking to turn around a sub-par performance last seasno, that saw them manage to just scrape into a round of 16 play-off, as the finished 7th in pool A.
The Bulls will be sharing a pool with last season's quarterfinalists Sacracens, who were knocked out by then and current defending champions, Stade Rochelais.
Union Bordeaux-Begles will have it all to do as well, as they hope to put last seasons second-last place finish behind them, with a round of 16 qualification this time around. Lyon will also be looking to go one step further for round of 16 contention, after a heartdreaking one point diffence between 8th placed Gloucester who finished in eith place.
Pool 1:
1. Sacracens
2. Union Bordeaux-Bègles
3.Vodacom Bulls
4. Bristol Bears
CHAMPIONS CUP
24 elite clubs, 11 previous tournament winners, 40 EPCR titles
Four pools of six
Four pool stage rounds, four knockout stage rounds
Four highest-ranked clubs from each pool qualify for the knockout stage
Fifth-ranked club in each pool qualifies for the EPCR Challenge Cup
5.Connacht Rugby
6. Lyon