The reigning RaboDirect PRO12 Champions will be the first Welsh team in action on the opening night of Europe’s biggest club competition, with Ulster versus Castres Olympique the only other Friday night fixture.
The Scarlets face a mouth-watering trip to central France on Saturday, October 13 after being drawn against ASM Clermont Auvergne in Round 1.
Simon Easterby’s men have won in Castres and Brive in recent seasons but will have to be at their best to beat a star-studded Clermont side that features the likes of Wales full back Lee Byrne, French internationals Aurélien Rougerie, Morgan Parra and Wesley Fofana and All Black wing Sitiveni Sivivatu.
Cardiff Blues will have to wait until the Sunday to start their quest for a second successive Heineken Cup quarter-final after being paired against Sale Sharks on the opening weekend of fixtures.
The Blues, who made it through to the knockouts stages with five wins from six games last season, travel to the Sharks’ new home in Salford after the English outfit left Edgeley Park behind them last term.
Round 2 sees the Scarlets again play on Saturday – this time at home to Heineken Cup holders Leinster – while both the Blues and Ospreys will be in action on Sunday, October 22.
All three fixtures involving Welsh sides in Round 2 could be spectacular affairs, with the big boys of Irish, French and English rugby providing stiff opposition.
Leinster will arrive in Llanelli having won three of the last four European crowns, while Leicester Tigers will be looking to get one over on old rivals the Ospreys at Welford Road and big-spending Toulon head to the Welsh capital looking for revenge for their 2010 Amlin Challenge Cup Final defeat to the Blues.
December’s back-to back encounters see the Scarlets face Exeter Chiefs, the Ospreys take on four-times continental champions Toulouse and the Blues pair off with Montpellier.
The dates of the first four rounds of fixtures have been confirmed by ERC but the final two rounds of pool action will be finalised at a later date. Those matches will be played on the weekend of January 11 and 18 and will be the reverse fixtures from rounds 1 and 2.
Heineken Cup fixtures for Rounds 1 to 4
Round One
Friday, 12 October
Ulster v Castres
Ospreys v Treviso
Saturday, 13 October
Racing Metro v Munster
Edinburgh v Saracens
Leinster v Exeter Chiefs
Clermont v Scarlets
Harlequins v Biarritz
Sunday, 14 October
Northampton Saints v Glasgow Warriors
Sale Sharks v Cardiff Blues
Toulouse v Leicester Tigers
Toulon v Montpellier
Round Two
Friday, 19 October
Glasgow Warriors v Ulster
Castres v Northampton Saints
Saturday, 20 October
Scarlets v Leinster
Treviso v Toulouse
Saracens v Racing Metro
Exeter Chiefs v Clermont
Connacht v Harlequins
Sunday, 21 October
Munster v Edinburgh
Cardiff Blues v Toulon
Leicester Tigers v Ospreys
Montpellier v Sale Sharks
Round Three
Friday, 7 December
Northampton Saints v Ulster
Connacht v Biarritz
Saturday, 8 December
Toulouse v Ospreys
Scarlets v Exeter Chiefs
Sale Sharks v Toulon
Leicester Tigers v Treviso
Munster v Saracens
Racing Metro v Edinburgh
Sunday, 9 December
Cardiff Blues v Montpellier
Clermont v Leinster
Round Four
Friday 14 December
Edinburgh v Racing Metro
Biarritz v Connacht
Saturday, 15 December
Ospreys v Toulouse
Treviso v Leicester Tigers
Leinster v Clermont Auvergne
Exeter Chiefs v Scarlets
Ulster v Northampton Saints
Montpellier v Cardiff Blues
