Familiar foes lie in wait as Saints discover their Investec Champions Cup fate

Phil Dowson's men will take on two of the teams they beat in the knockout stages of the previous campaign's competition as they have been placed in Pool 3 alongside Munster and Vodacom Bulls.

Saints beat Munster during the pool stages and in the last 16 before defeating a rotated Bulls team in the quarter-final at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens.

Also on the agenda for the black, green and gold during the 2024/25 campaign will be two French teams as they have been handed clashes with Stade Francais and Castres Olympique.

Saracens are also in Pool 3, but Saints will not face them due to the competition regulations of Premiership sides not meeting before the knockout rounds.

Saints will face two of their pool stage opponents away and two at home with exact fixtures to be decided in due course.

Last season, Dowson’s side won every European game they played before suffering an agonising semi-final defeat to Leinster at Croke Park.

Leinster went on to lose to Toulouse in the showpiece at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Investec Champions Cup draw 2024/25

Pool 1: Toulouse, Bordeaux-Begles, Hollywoodbets Sharks, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers, Ulster.

Pool 2: Leinster, Clermont Auvergne, La Rochelle, Bristol Bears, Benetton, Bath.

Pool 3: Saints, Munster, Vodacom Bulls, Stade Francais, Saracens, Castres Olympique

Pool 4: Glasgow Warriors, Racing 92, Sale Sharks, DHL Stormers, Toulon, Harlequins.

2024/25 weekends

Round 1 – December 6/7/8

Round 2 – December 13/14/15

Round 3 – January 10/11/12

Round 4 – January 17/18/19

Round of 16 – April 4/5/6

Quarter-finals – April 11/12/13

Semi-finals – May 2/3/4

2025 Investec Champions Cup final – Principality Stadium, Cardiff; Saturday, May 24