European Champions Cup: Ulster face Saracens and Toulouse
- From the section Irish Rugby
Ulster have been drawn against English champions Saracens and French teams Toulouse and Oyonnax in next season's European Champions Cup pool stage.
The Kingspan Stadium side will hope it's third time lucky against Saracens, who defeated Ulster in the 2013 and 2014 quarter-finals.
Ulster are in Pool 1 while Munster will go up against Stade Francais, Leicester and Treviso in Pool 4.
Leinster face holders Toulon in a difficult Pool 5 with Bath and Wasps.
It will be an early return to Dublin for Ireland captain Paul O'Connell, who completed a two-year deal with the French giants on Monday.
The competition gets under way on the weekend of 14-15 November.
Saracens beat Ulster 27-16 at Twickenham in 2013 and although Ulster were seeded number one seeds when the teams met again last April, Mark McCall's side enjoyed a 17-15 victory in Belfast.
The teams also met in the 2000, 2001 and 2005 tournaments while Ulster have played four-time winners Toulouse seven times in European competition.
Ulster have won three of their encounters, including a 30-3 success at Ravenhill in 2006.
Oyonnax will make their debut in the competition after qualifying for the Champions Cup for the first time.
Meanwhile, Connacht will meet Brive, Newcastle and Russian side Enisei in Pool 1 of the Challenge Cup.
European Rugby Champions Cup draw
POOL ONE: Saracens, Ulster, Toulouse, Oyonnax
POOL TWO: Clermont Auvergne, Ospreys, Exeter, Bordeaux
POOL THREE: Glasgow, Northampton, Racing 92, Scarlets
POOL FOUR: Stade Francais, Munster, Leicester, Treviso
POOL FIVE: Bath, Toulon, Leinster, Wasps