Following the conclusion of the Guinness Pro14 Conference stage and the penultimate weeks of the regular season fixtures in the Aviva Premiership and Top 14, the make up of next year's European qualifiers are starting to take shape.
Starting with the Champions Cup, 19 clubs qualify through the Pro 14 (7), Top 14 (6) and Aviva Premiership (6). With the two South African teams in this year's Pro 14 excluded, Cardiff Blues qualify in fourth spot and the final Pro 14 place will go to play-off winner between Ulster and Ospreys, with the defeated team playing in the Challenge Cup.
With Cardiff Blues already qualified, Gloucester will also play Champions Cup rugby next year either from finishing sixth in the league or as finalists of this year's Challenge Cup to be played in Bilbao. Currently sixth, Gloucester face a tricky match against Saracens away in the final round of Premiership games and could be pipped into the sixth and final qualifying spot via the league by Sale Sharks who play Leicester Tigers at the AJ Bell. In this scenario the tournament line-up would be completed, but if Gloucester stay sixth it gets more complex. Indeed French side Pau may be beneficiaries as beaten Challenge Cup semi-finalists but could yet qualify through their league position, whilst Benetton remain on standby for a play off spot against the Ospreys for a chance to qualify if results for other teams go their way.
Meanwhile in the Challenge Cup there will be some surprising names as potential opponents for the Dragons. Firstly, although they wouldn't meet in the group stages, either Ospreys or Ulster are likely to enter the competition, with the Ospreys only once before playing Challenge Cup rugby (2016/17) and play-off defeat for Ulster would see them debut in the competition next season after finishing behind Edinburgh in their Pro14 Conference.
From the Premiership big-spending Championship champions Bristol and their West of England rivals Worcester Warriors will be joined by regular Champions Cup competitors Bath, Northampton Saints and Harlequins who have all had disappointing campaigns and seem destined for the second tier European tournament, with only Bath having the faintest hopes of leapfrogging Sale and Gloucester on the final weekend.
From France one of this year's Champions Cup quarter-finalists La Rochelle or ASM Clermont could face a trip to Rodney Parade along with Challenge Cup semi-finalists Pau if they don't benefit from promotion to the top competition.
Bordeaux-Begles could again be opponents for the Dragons or Agen or Stade Francais, so long as the Parisians avoid the drop ahead of Oyonnax. Brive are relegated, whilst Perpignan and Grenoble are battling for promotion to Top 14 with the defeated finalist likely to play Oyonnax in a promotion/relegation play off, unless they can win away at Castres in the final round of Top 14 league fixtures to overhaul Stade.
The final two places go to the Continental Shield finalists which features representatives from emerging rugby nations and Italian Eccellenza. After defeating Krasny Yar and Timisoara Saracens respectively, familar foes for the Dragons, Enisei-STM and tournament debutants Heidelberger RK will contest the Shield final in May and enter the 2018/19 Challenge Cup.
The Germans finished ahead of Rovigo and Viadana, then defeated Calvisano before overcoming a six point deficit from the away fixture in Romania against Timisoara Saracens to win the two legged clash 47-41 the weekend before last as Enisei won back to back games against their Russian rivals Krasny Yar.
Heidelberger are only one of two pro teams in Rugby Bundesliga, with SC 1880 Frankfurt, but the University city in south-west Germany has dominated the Germany league in recent seasons winning the title in seven out of the last eight campaigns
Surely after two seasons of drawing the Russians, Enisei-STM wont be Dragons opponents for a third year running, so before seeding takes effect possible Challenge Cup group pairings for the Dragons could include Harlequins, Clermont, Heidelberger RK or Perpignan, Bristol, La Rochelle.
Starting with the Champions Cup, 19 clubs qualify through the Pro 14 (7), Top 14 (6) and Aviva Premiership (6). With the two South African teams in this year's Pro 14 excluded, Cardiff Blues qualify in fourth spot and the final Pro 14 place will go to play-off winner between Ulster and Ospreys, with the defeated team playing in the Challenge Cup.
With Cardiff Blues already qualified, Gloucester will also play Champions Cup rugby next year either from finishing sixth in the league or as finalists of this year's Challenge Cup to be played in Bilbao. Currently sixth, Gloucester face a tricky match against Saracens away in the final round of Premiership games and could be pipped into the sixth and final qualifying spot via the league by Sale Sharks who play Leicester Tigers at the AJ Bell. In this scenario the tournament line-up would be completed, but if Gloucester stay sixth it gets more complex. Indeed French side Pau may be beneficiaries as beaten Challenge Cup semi-finalists but could yet qualify through their league position, whilst Benetton remain on standby for a play off spot against the Ospreys for a chance to qualify if results for other teams go their way.
Meanwhile in the Challenge Cup there will be some surprising names as potential opponents for the Dragons. Firstly, although they wouldn't meet in the group stages, either Ospreys or Ulster are likely to enter the competition, with the Ospreys only once before playing Challenge Cup rugby (2016/17) and play-off defeat for Ulster would see them debut in the competition next season after finishing behind Edinburgh in their Pro14 Conference.
From the Premiership big-spending Championship champions Bristol and their West of England rivals Worcester Warriors will be joined by regular Champions Cup competitors Bath, Northampton Saints and Harlequins who have all had disappointing campaigns and seem destined for the second tier European tournament, with only Bath having the faintest hopes of leapfrogging Sale and Gloucester on the final weekend.
From France one of this year's Champions Cup quarter-finalists La Rochelle or ASM Clermont could face a trip to Rodney Parade along with Challenge Cup semi-finalists Pau if they don't benefit from promotion to the top competition.
Bordeaux-Begles could again be opponents for the Dragons or Agen or Stade Francais, so long as the Parisians avoid the drop ahead of Oyonnax. Brive are relegated, whilst Perpignan and Grenoble are battling for promotion to Top 14 with the defeated finalist likely to play Oyonnax in a promotion/relegation play off, unless they can win away at Castres in the final round of Top 14 league fixtures to overhaul Stade.
The final two places go to the Continental Shield finalists which features representatives from emerging rugby nations and Italian Eccellenza. After defeating Krasny Yar and Timisoara Saracens respectively, familar foes for the Dragons, Enisei-STM and tournament debutants Heidelberger RK will contest the Shield final in May and enter the 2018/19 Challenge Cup.
The Germans finished ahead of Rovigo and Viadana, then defeated Calvisano before overcoming a six point deficit from the away fixture in Romania against Timisoara Saracens to win the two legged clash 47-41 the weekend before last as Enisei won back to back games against their Russian rivals Krasny Yar.
Heidelberger are only one of two pro teams in Rugby Bundesliga, with SC 1880 Frankfurt, but the University city in south-west Germany has dominated the Germany league in recent seasons winning the title in seven out of the last eight campaigns
Surely after two seasons of drawing the Russians, Enisei-STM wont be Dragons opponents for a third year running, so before seeding takes effect possible Challenge Cup group pairings for the Dragons could include Harlequins, Clermont, Heidelberger RK or Perpignan, Bristol, La Rochelle.
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