RC Toulon v Scarlets – Pool A

2020 European Rugby Challenge Cup finalists and three-time European Cup winners RC Toulon will face familiar foes in Welsh region Scarlets when they clash in Pool A.

The two teams met three times in last season’s Challenge Cup, with the French giants coming out on top on each occasion, including an 11-6 quarter-final win at Stade Mayol, courtesy of Sergio Parisse’s second-half try.

Scarlets have fonder memories of their clashes with Toulon in the Heineken Champions Cup, having secured a famous 30-27 win over them at a sold-out Parc y Scarlets back in 2018 to clinch top spot in Pool 5 and a home quarter-final that they would win against La Rochelle.

Leinster Rugby v Northampton Saints - Pool A

Four-time European Cup winners Leinster Rugby will face Northampton Saints for the second consecutive season in the pool stages, but it is the 2011 final that lives long in the memory when you look back at classic matches between the two sides.

Northampton blitzed Leinster in the opening 40 minutes with three tries to lead 22-6 at the break in Cardiff, but a Johnny Sexton-inspired Irish province responded with 27 unanswered points in the second half to clinch their second European crown in three seasons.

When the two sides met last season, it was again Leinster who came out on top, winning 43-16 at Franklin’s Gardens and 50-21 at the Aviva Stadium.

Exeter Chiefs v Toulouse - Pool B

Four-time European champions Toulouse were handed an immediate chance of revenge when the draw for the 2020/21 Heineken Champions Cup was made today.

One of the teams they will play in Pool A are newly-crowned European champions Exeter Chiefs, who downed the French club 28-18 in a thrilling semi-final at Sandy Park last month.

Toulouse led 6-0 and 11-7 after a fast start, but Exeter belied the fact that it was their first European semi-final by storming back to triumph with two tries from prop Harry Williams and one apiece from No.8 Sam Simmonds and his brother, fly-half and skipper Joe Simmonds, who converted all four.

Connacht Rugby v Bristol Bears - Pool B

Bristol Bears’ return to the Heineken Champions Cup after an absence of 13 years is sure to bring back some happy memories for their director of rugby, Pat Lam, and Connacht Rugby, one of their opponents in Pool B.

One of the four matches Bristol will play is against Connacht, whom the 52-year-old Aucklander guided to their first major trophy in 2016, when they won the PRO12.

Lam spent four years with the Irish province, leaving in 2017 to take up the head coach role at Bristol, whom he led back into the Premiership in his first season in charge, before steering them to their first European trophy earlier this month with their Challenge Cup success against RC Toulon.

The exact dates of the Heineken Champions Cup pool stage fixtures and the Challenge Cup preliminary stage fixtures, including venues, kick-off times and TV coverage, will be announced as soon as possible following consultation with clubs and EPCR’s partner broadcasters.

With the Heineken Champions Cup Pool Stage Draw providing a whole host of mouth-watering clashes for the 2020/21 season, we have picked out four of the best match-ups to look forward ahead of the upcoming campaign.