Saints to face Champions Cup finalists in next season's competition

Saints will square up to both of last season's Champions Cup finalists in next season's competition.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Jun 2017, 15:00 BST
Updated 13th Jun 2017, 15:36 BST
Ahsee Tuala's try helped Saints to beat Stade Franais in the Champions Cup play-off final (picture: Sharon Lucey)Ahsee Tuala's try helped Saints to beat Stade Franais in the Champions Cup play-off final (picture: Sharon Lucey)
Ahsee Tuala's try helped Saints to beat Stade Franais in the Champions Cup play-off final (picture: Sharon Lucey)

Jim Mallinder's men were placed in Pool 2 in Thursday's draw, which took place in Neuchatel in Switzerland.That meant they were drawn alongside Top 14 champions Clermont Auvergne, back-to-back Champions Cup winners Saracens and PRO12 semi-finalists Ospreys.Saints did avoid a swift reunion with Louis Picamoles and Alex King's Montpellier as the French outfit were placed in Pool 3, alongside Exeter, Leinster and Glasgow Warriors.But Mallinder's men, who were among the bottom seeds, will have to claim some big wins if they are to progress from their pool next season.They have regularly squared up to Saracens over the years, with their most recent Champions Cup meeting coming in the 2015/16 quarter-finals.Saracens claimed a 29-20 victory against an injury-hit Saints side at Allianz Park on that occasion.Saints' most recent meeting with Clermont came in the quarter-finals during the 2014/15 season, with the French giants cruising to a 37-5 home win.Mallinder's men met Ospreys in the pool stages during that campaign, winning comfortably home and away against the Welsh side.Champions Cup drawPool 1: Wasps, La Rochelle, Ulster, HarlequinsPool 2: Clermont, Saracens, Ospreys, SaintsPool 3: Exeter, Leinster, Montpellier, GlasgowPool 4: Munster, Racing 92, Leicester, CastresPool 5: Scarlets, Toulon, Bath, Treviso