Lure of Heineken Cup adds further incentive for Leeds

THE magnitude of Leeds Carnegie's achievement in staying up last season was brought into sharp focus this week when they were paired with European luminaries Stade Francais in the Amlin Challenge Cup.

Leeds were considered certainties to be relegated for much of the opening half of the season, and were still bottom when they were knocked out of Europe's second-tier competition by Bourgoin in January. But a dramatic turnaround saw them avoid relegation and finish 10th, booking a second successive season of continental competition.

Their reward is to be paired with Parisian side Stade for the 2010-11 cup campaign which begins in October, and with the Headingley club harbouring ambitions of finishing in the Premiership's top six next season and thus qualifying for the Heinken Cup the following year, playing home and away against opponents of such high regard will stand them in good stead.

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Stade Francais have twice reached the final of Europe's premier competition, losing to Leicester in 2001 and Toulouse four years later.

They were pooled with Bath last season, and came up against winger Michael Stephenson, who reports for pre-season training with his fellow Leeds players on Monday after signing a two-year contract with the Yorkshire club.

"It will be good to go back to Paris but hopefully it will be a better game than my last visit," said the 29-year-old.

"I went their with Bath last season but the game was played in horrendous conditions and the pitch was terrible so it turned into a kicking battle.

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"But it is a great draw for the club and for the fans. Stade Francais are one of the best-known teams in world rugby."

While Stade are new opponents for Leeds, the rest of pool four consists of familiar faces in Bucaresti Oaks and Rugby Parma, sides Leeds beat home and away last season. As a result, Leeds have avoided trickier tier-two clubs with Brive, Newcastle and Connacht all having been avoided.

The dates for the group matches are the second and third weekends of October, December and January, with the final scheduled for the weekend of May 20-22 next year.

Leeds could achieve their ambition of Heineken Cup qualification by winning the competition and Stephenson believes that has strengthened the second-string tournament.

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He said: "Because of the competition for the limited Heineken Cup spots in the Guinness Premiership and the French Top 14, the fact that you can get into the top tier by winning the Amlin Cup is a massive motivator."

All three home games in the Amlin Cup will be part of Leeds's season-ticket package.

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