Saracens meet Toulon in Euro 'pool of death'

They have been drawn alongside French heavyweights Toulon in the pool stages of the 2016/17 tournament.

Scarlets, the sole Welsh team in the Champions draw, and Saracens' English Premiership rivals Sale make up Pool Three.

Only the winners of each of the five pools are guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals, along with the three best second-placed finishers.

Last season's beaten finalists and French champions, Dan Carter's Racing 92, are drawn in a tough Pool One alongside Glasgow, Leicester and Munster.

Pool Two features Connacht, last season's semifinalists Wasps, Toulouse and Italian outfit Zebre, traditionally the whipping boys of the continent's showpiece club competition.

Reigning Challenge Cup champions Montpellier are drawn in what looks like to be a testing Pool Four with Leinster, Northampton and Top 14 rivals Castres.

Clermont, finalists in 2013 and 2015, are also handed a tough draw in Pool Five, aligned with Exeter, Ulster and Bordeaux-Begles.

The first round of matches takes place on the weekend of October 15, with the Final scheduled for Edinburgh on May 13.

Agence France-Presse