Pool 1

European Form

Dragons / Newport

This is Dragons first season in the ECC.  For the past three years they have been in the Heineken Cup where, frankly, their form has been less than sparkling.  They have failed to get out of the pool stages each time (just 6 wins in 18 games). 

Dragons predecessor, Newport (notwithstanding the nominal merger with Ebbw Vale) were just as poor: just 7 of 18 games won in three years in the HC and 9 of 23 wins in four years in the ECC and, again, never progressing beyond the pool stage.

Bayonne

This is just the third year that Bayonne have appeared in ERC competitions. Last year (like Connacht) they were runners-up in Pool 3 before (again, like Connacht) being overpowered away from home by English opposition in the quarter-finals (48-5 by London Irish). 

The year before that, they were put out in the first round of the Challenge Cup by Saracens and were put into the Shield.  Once there they overpowered Catania and Madrid (by over 200 points!) before being edged out by a single point in the semi-finals by the eventual winners Auch.

Bristol

Bristol have probably got the best pedigree of the teams in this pool, culminating in a ECC semi-final appearance in the 1999/0 season, beating Biarritz (now, where have I heard that name before?) before falling to Pau (who won the ECC that year). They also got to the quarter-finals in 2001/2 where Sale Sharks beat them 25-20 on their way to winning the ECC as well.

Other than those two shining lights, the rest has been pretty mediocre.  Average performances each year has seen them win 20 of 38 games in the ECC (plus one drawn game).  Their one foray into the HC in 2002/3 saw them win three out of six games. 

Last season, Bristol had the rather dubious honour of being the only English team in the competition not to make it to the quarter-finals.  That said, newly promoted back into the Guinness Premiership after two years in National 1, their attentions might have been more on survival than on silverware.

Bucuresti

Not to be confused with Dinamo-Bucuresti or Steaua Bucharest (who are Club teams), Bucuresti

appear to be an amalgam of domestic players specifically for the ECC.  Note that their Club badge is identical to that of the Romanian Rugby Federation (FRR - the “Oaks”). Note also that a large number of Romanian International players ply their trade in France. This is also their third year in ERC competitions.

Last season, they were a bit of a “whipping boy” winning just 1 of 6 games (which did not actually make them the worst team in the competition!).  They finished third in their pool behind eventual winners Gloucester and quarter-finalists Bayonne. 

The year before that they went straight in to the Shield and were promptly knocked out by Italian team Leonessa.

Head to Head

Bayonne and Bucuresti met in the pool stages of last year’s competition.  Bayonne won both games (10-38 away from home and 45-6 at home).

There have been no other meetings between these four teams in ERC competitions.

Summary

Conclusion

At first glance, Dragons look to have the easiest passage to the knockout stages, being drawn with weak teams from England and France and possibly one of the weakest team in the competition, Bucuresti.  Bayonne finished last season in 12^th place in the French Top14 and narrowly avoided relegation.  The fight went down to the last match of the season with Pau and Toulon condemned.  Similarly, Bristol finished in 11^th of 12 places in the Guinness Premiership, though in this case Leeds Tykes were demoted with a number of weeks to go. 

Bayonne and Bristol may well be distracted by domestic matters next season: survival in the top flight.  That said, year-to-year form in the Guinness Premiership, in particular, is notoriously fickle.  London Irish were everyone’s favourite for the drop at the start of last season but finished third.  Is a similar change in form on the cards for Bristol?

I cannot see Bucuresti progressing but I would be delighted if they continue to improve. 

This pool is there for the taking by Dragons as long as they want it enough.  That said, they could not win a one-off game at home against Overmach Parma to qualify for the Heineken Cup.

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