Europe awakens from hibernation

Thursday 07th August 2008

Rory Lamont: Two tries on comeback

Rory Lamont: Two tries on comeback

The Top 14 kicks off on August 26, and the Guinness Premiership and Magners Leagues on the weekend of September 5/6, but none of the clubs will be heading into the season cold.

Glasgow have already gone to Castres and won 26-21, and Sale drew 24-24 with Perpignan on Wednesday, with Rory Lamont dotting down two tries in his first match since a serious injury in this year's Six Nations.

On Friday, the friendly fixtures calendar gets into full swing, as English and Celtic clubs join the French in their warm-ups.

Here's a list of all friendlies involving Guinness Premiership, Top 14, and Magners League clubs over the coming four weeks:

Friday August 8

Toulouse v Colomiers
Dax v Tarbes
Biarritz v Pau
Bayonne v Saracens
Brive v Stade Bordelais
Montauban v Bourgoin
Newcastle v Western Force

Saturday, August 9

Connacht v Leeds
Montpellier v Sale
Beziers v Glasgow
USA v Clermont

Sunday August 10

Perpignan v Castres

Wednesday, August 13

Grenoble v Bourgoin

Thursday, August 14

Toulon v Toulouse
Dax v Wasps
Brive v Montauban

Friday, August 15

Perpignan v Stade Français
Bedford v Dragons
London Irish v Nottingham
Ulster v Bath
Biarritz v Leicester Tigers

Saturday, August 16

Clermont v Northampton
Connacht v Harlequins
Exeter v Bristol

Sunday, August 17

Doncaster v Worcester
Leeds v Newcastle

Tuesday, August 19

Bayonne v Gloucester
Castres v Calvisano

Wednesday, August 20

Bourgoin v Lyon

Friday, August 22

Glasgow v Bristol
Ulster v Queensland Reds
Dragons v Saracens
Sale v Leeds / Sale v Sedgeley Park
Nottingham v Northampton
Connacht v London Welsh

Saturday, August 23

Bath v Scarlets
Edinburgh v Wasps
Harlequins v London Irish
Worcester v Moseley
Northampton v Western Force
Ospreys v Leicester Tigers
USA v Munster

Sunday, August 24

Racing Metro 92 Paris v Newcastle

Tuesday, August 26

Connacht v Queensland Reds

Wednesday, August 27

Ulster v Worcester

Friday, August 29

Sale v Lyon
Bath v Edinburgh
Cardiff Blues v Northampton
Munster v London Irish
Wasps v Scarlets

Saturday, August 30

Gloucester v Glasgow
Cambridge v Worcester
Harlequins v Parma
Leicester Tigers v Western Force
Leinster v Queensland Reds

Sunday, August 31

Northampton v Benetton Treviso

Gallery - Boks save some pride

Victory salute: Adi Jacobs celebrates his touchdown for South Africa Good sports: Mortlock and Matfield embrace after the match Dejected: Wallaby lock James Horwill reflects on his side's record loss