| Celtic League winners the Ospreys will have last season’s runners-up Stade Français Paris as their first European guests in what could well be a sell-out, 20,000 crowd at their new all-seater stadium at Morfa, Swansea in Pool 3.
Former Welsh international Phil Davies will take his Powergen Cup holders Leeds Tykes to the Welsh capital in the first round to meet Cardiff Blues, while newly crowned Italian champions Calvisano will meet Perpignan for the fifth time when they host them on the opening day in Pool 2.
European Challenge Cup winners Sale Sharks will have home advantage over Celtic Cup holders Munster in Pool 1, while Newport Gwent Dragons will travel to France to face Castres Olympique.
Leinster will get the chance to make it a quick-fire hat-trick of European victories over Bath in Pool 5 when they entertain the 1998 champions at Lansdowne Road. They were convincing 30-11 victors in Dublin in Pool 2 last season and followed up that triumph with a 27-23 win at the Recreation Ground.
The precise dates and kick-off times for all the Pool matches in the early rounds will be confirmed as soon as possible with the broadcaster partners in the UK, Ireland, France and Italy.
HEINEKEN CUP POOL FIXTURES 2005/06
ROUND 1 – October 21/22/23
Pool 1 Sale Sharks v Munster
Castres Olympique v Newport Gwent Dragons
Pool 2 Cardiff Blues v Leeds Tykes
Rugby Calvisano v Perpignan
Pool 3 Ospreys v Stade Francais Paris
Leicester Tigers v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Benetton Treviso
Saracens v Biarritz Olympique
Pool 5 Bourgoin v Glasgow Warriors
Leinster v Bath Rugby
Pool 6 Toulouse v Llanelli Scarlets
Edinburgh Rugby v London Wasps
ROUND 2 – October 28/29/30
Pool 1 Munster v Castres Olympique
Newport Gwent Dragons v Sale Sharks
Pool 2 Leeds Tykes v Rugby Calvisano
Perpignan v Cardiff Blues
Pool 3 Stade Francais Paris v Leicester Tigers
ASM Clermont Auvergne v Ospreys
Pool 4 Benetton Treviso v Saracens
Biarritz Olympique v Ulster Rugby
Pool 5 Glasgow Warriors v Leinster
Bath Rugby v Bourgoin
Pool 6 Llanelli Scarlets v Edinburgh Rugby
London Wasps v Toulouse
ROUND 3 – December 9/10/11
Pool 1 Castres Olympique v Sale Sharks
Newport Gwent Dragons v Munster
Pool 2 Rugby Calvisano v Cardiff Blues
Leeds Tykes v Perpignan
Pool 3 Leicester Tigers v Ospreys
ASM Clermont Auvergne v Stade Francais Paris
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Saracens
Biarritz Olympique v Benetton Treviso
Pool 5 Leinster v Bourgoin
Bath Rugby v Glasgow Warriors
Pool 6 Edinburgh Rugby v Toulouse
Llanelli Scarlets v London Wasps
ROUND 4 – December 16/17/18
Pool 1 Sale Sharks v Castres Olympique
Munster v Newport Gwent Dragons
Pool 2 Cardiff Blues v Rugby Calvisano
Perpignan v Leeds Tykes
Pool 3 Ospreys v Leicester Tiger
Stade Francais Paris v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 4 Saracens v Ulster Rugby
Benetton Treviso v Biarritz Olympique
Pool 5 Bourgoin v Leinster
Glasgow Warriors v Bath Rugby
Pool 6 Toulouse v Edinburgh Rugby
London Wasps v Llanelli Scarlets
ROUND 5 – January 13/14/15
Pool 1 Sale Sharks v Newport Gwent Dragons
Castres Olympique v Munster
Pool 2 Cardiff Blues v Perpignan
Rugby Calvisano v Leeds Tykes
Pool 3 Ospreys v ASM Clermont Auvergne
Leicester Tigers v Stade Francais Paris
Pool 4 Ulster Rugby v Biarritz Olympique
Saracens v Benetton Treviso
Pool 5 Bourgoin v Bath Rugby
Leinster v Glasgow Warriors
Pool 6 Toulouse v London Wasps
Edinburgh Rugby v Llanelli Scarlets
ROUND 6 – January 20/21/21
Pool 1 Newport Gwent Dragons v Castres Olympique
Munster v Sale Sharks
Pool 2 Perpignan v Rugby Calvisano
Leeds Tykes v Cardiff Blues
Pool 3 ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leicester Tigers
Stade Francais Paris v Ospreys
Pool 4 Biarritz Olympique v Saracens
Benetton Treviso v Ulster Rugby
Pool 5 Bath Rugby v Leinster
Glasgow Warriors v Bourgoin
Pool 6 London Wasps v Edinburgh Rugby
Llanelli Scarlets v Toulouse
Quarter-finals 1 / 2 April
Semi-finals 22/23 April
Final 20/21 May (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
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