Saints to square up to Bordeaux again following Champions Cup draw

Phil Dowson's men lost in last season's final to the French giants, who prevailed at the Principality Stadium to claim their first Champions Cup title.

And the two teams will now square up again in next season's pool stages.

Both clubs were placed in Pool 4, alongside Scarlets, Bristol Bears, Section Paloise and Vodacom Bulls.

Saints will not play against Bristol Bears in the pool stages as clubs from the same league do not meet before the knockout rounds.

Had Bordeaux won the Top 14, Saints would have been top seeds for the Champions Cup draw.

But Bordeaux's extra-time defeat to Toulouse in the Top 14 showpiece left the door open for them to face Saints again - and that was how it panned out.

Saints also know plenty about Vodacom Bulls, having beaten them in the Champions Cup in each of the past two seasons.

They won at home to the Bulls at the quarter-final stage two seasons ago before travelling to Pretoria to claim a pool-stage victory last December.

Locations and dates for this season's pool fixtures will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Investec Champions Cup draw

Pool 1: Toulouse, Clermont Auvergne, Hollywoodbets Sharks, Saracens, Glasgow Warriors, Sale Sharks

Pool 2: Bath, Toulon, Munster, Castres Olympique, Edinburgh, Gloucester

Pool 3: Leinster, Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, La Rochelle, Bayonne, DHL Stormers.

Pool 4: Union Bordeaux Bègles, Scarlets, Bristol Bears, Section Paloise, Saints, Vodacom Bulls