Llewellyn and Going were team mates at Narbonne last season before moving to the Memorial Ground this summer to link-up with last season's Division One champions in England.

The two clubs met in the Pool stages of the inaugural European Challenge Cup tournament in 1996/97 when the Frenchmen triumphed 18-16 in Bristol. Having missed the last two seasons of European action, the Shoguns will be looking to make a major impact on their return. They have a good record against French opposition in their five seasons in the European Challenge Cup and one stint in the Heineken Cup, having won 10 and drawn once in 20 outings.
They can also point to notable victories at Montferrand, Bourgoin, Biarritz and Dax as they seek inspiration for an opening day victory in Pool 1.

Former All Black outside half Carlos Spencer's first taste of European action for Northampton Saints will be at Franklin's Gardens when they host Viadana in the other Pool 1 fixture in round one. The Saints, Heineken Cup champions in 2000, return to the Challenge Cup for the first time in eight seasons and meet Italian opposition in European competition for only the second time in 54 games in both tournaments.

Last season's beaten finalists, Pau, will have home advantage over old rivals London Irish in the first round of Pool 2 as the two sides clash for the fourth time in the Challenge Cup.
The English side were convincing 38-9 winners at Stade Municipal du Hameau in the 2002 quarter-finals, but were beaten 25-19 on their return visit in last season's second round, first leg. London Irish won their home leg 19-16, but couldn't prevent Pau from marching on in the tournament.
In the other opening game in Pool 2, Agen will face Rugby Parma for the first time.

Bayonne's new French international recruits Richard Dourthe and Stephen Hall will face a testing opener in Pool 3 when Gloucester travel to Stade Jean Dauger. The Basque outfit got their first taste of European action last season and were pipped at the semi-final stages of the European Shield by eventual winners Auch.

Newly promoted Toulon, winners of the Second Division title in France last season, face a trip to Romania on their return to European action after a five season break. Their opening Pool 3 fixture will be against Bucuresti.

Jonny Wilkinson's Newcastle Falcons will host Brive in Pool 4 in the opening round, while L'Aquila will also line-up against new opponents when they entertain The Borders in the same Pool.

Irish stalwarts Connacht will start their 10th European Challenge Cup campaign with a new experience when they host Amatori Catania. The Italians will be the 28th team Connacht have come up against in what will be their 60th match in the tournament on the opening weekend in Pool 5.
The other fixture sees last season's beaten European Shield finalists Worcester host Montpellier.

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP FIXTURES 2005/06

ROUND 1 - October 21/22/23

Pool 1

Narbonne Bristol Shoguns
Northampton Saints Viadana

Pool 2

Rugby Parma SU Agen
Section Paloise London Irish

Pool 3

Aviron Bayonnais Gloucester
Bucuresti RC Toulon

Pool 4

Newcastle Falcons CA Brive-Correze
L'Aquila The Borders

Pool 5

Connacht Amatori Catania
Worcester Montpellier

ROUND 2 - October 28/29/30

Pool 1

Bristol Shoguns Northampton Saints
Viadana Narbonne

Pool 2

SU Agen Section Paloise
London Irish Rugby Parma

Pool 3

Gloucester Bucuresti
RC Toulon Aviron Bayonnais

Pool 4

CA Brive-Correze L'Aquila
The Borders Newcastle Falcons

Pool 5

Amatori Catania Worcester
Montpellier Connacht

ROUND 3 - December 9/10/11

Pool 1

Northampton Saints Narbonne
Viadana Bristol Shoguns

Pool 2

Section Paloise Rugby Parma
London Irish SU Agen

Pool 3

Bucuresti Aviron Bayonnais
RC Toulon Gloucester

Pool 4

L'Aquila Newcastle Falcons
The Borders CA Brive-Correze

Pool 5

Worcester Connacht
Montpellier Amatori Catania

ROUND 4 - December 16/17/18

Pool 1

Narbonne Northampton Saints
Bristol Shoguns Viadana

Pool 2

Rugby Parma Section Paloise
SU Agen London Irish

Pool 3

Aviron Bayonnais Bucuresti
Gloucester RC Toulon

Pool 4

Newcastle Falcons L'Aquila
CA Brive-Correze The Borders

Pool 5

Connacht Worcester
Amatori Catania Montpellier

ROUND 5 - January 13/14/15

Pool 1

Narbonne Viadana
Northampton Saints Bristol Shoguns

Pool 2

Rugby Parma London Irish
Section Paloise SU Agen

Pool 3

Aviron Bayonnais RC Toulon
Bucuresti Gloucester

Pool 4

Newcastle Falcons The Borders
L'Aquila CA Brive-Correze

Pool 5

Connacht Montpellier
Worcester Amatori Catania

ROUND 6 - January 20/21/22

Pool 1

Viadana Northampton Saints
Bristol Shoguns Narbonne

Pool 2

London Irish Section Paloise
SU Agen Rugby Parma

Pool 3

RC Toulon Bucuresti
Gloucester Aviron Bayonnais

Pool 4

The Borders L'Aquila
CA Brive-Correze Newcastle Falcons

Pool 5

Montpellier Worcester
Amatori Catania Connacht

POOL BY POOL GUIDE

Pool 1
October 21/22/23
Narbonne   Bristol Shoguns
Northampton Saints  Viadana
October 28/29/30
Bristol Shoguns  Northampton Saints
Viadana   Narbonne
December 9/10/11
Northampton Saints  Narbonne
Viadana   Bristol Shoguns
December 16/17/18
Narbonne   Northampton Saints
Bristol Shoguns  Viadana
January 13/14/15
Narbonne   Viadana
Northampton Saints  Bristol Shoguns
January 20/21/22
Viadana   Northampton Saints
Bristol Shoguns  Narbonne

Pool 2
October 21/22/23
Rugby Parma  SU Agen
Section Paloise  London Irish
October 28/29/30
SU Agen   Section Paloise
London Irish   Rugby Parma
December 9/10/11
Section Paloise  Rugby Parma
London Irish   SU Agen
December 16/17/18
Rugby Parma  Section Paloise
SU Agen   London Irish
January 13/14/15
Rugby Parma  London Irish
Section Paloise  SU Agen
January 20/21/22
London Irish   Section Paloise
SU Agen   Rugby Parma

Pool 3
October 21/22/23
Aviron Bayonnais  Gloucester
Bucuresti   RC Toulon
October 28/29/30
Gloucester   Bucuresti
RC Toulon   Aviron Bayonnais
December 9/10/11
Bucuresti   Aviron Bayonnais
RC Toulon   Gloucester
December 16/17/18
Aviron Bayonnais  Bucuresti
Gloucester   RC Toulon
January 13/14/15
Aviron Bayonnais  RC Toulon
Bucuresti   Gloucester
January 20/21/22
RC Toulon   Bucuresti
Gloucester    Aviron Bayonnais

Pool 4
October 21/22/23
Newcastle Falcons  CA Brive-Correze
L'Aquila   The Borders
October 28/29/30
CA Brive-Correze  L'Aquila
The Borders   Newcastle Falcons
December 9/10/11
L'Aquila   Newcastle Falcons
The Borders   CA Brive-Correze
December 16/17/18
Newcastle Falcons  L'Aquila
CA Brive-Correze  The Borders
January 13/14/15
Newcastle Falcons  The Borders
L'Aquila   CA Brive-Correze
January 20/21/22
The Borders   L'Aquila
CA Brive-Correze  Newcastle Falcons

Pool 5
October 21/22/23
Connacht   Amatori Catania
Worcester   Montpellier
October 28/29/30
Amatori Catania  Worcester
Montpellier   Connacht
December 9/10/11
Worcester   Connacht
Montpellier   Amatori Catania
December 16/17/18
Connacht   Worcester
Amatori Catania  Montpellier
January 13/14/15
Connacht   Montpellier
Worcester   Amatori Catania
January 20/21/22
Montpellier   Worcester
Amatori Catania  Connacht