Halfpenny swapped the Stade Felix Mayol for Llanelli this summer, but Wayne Pivac’s Scarlets will travel to the TOP14 side on Sunday October 15.
It’s a tough start in Europe’s premier competition for last season’s Guinness PRO12 winners who are in Pool 5 of the Champions Cup alongside Benetton Treviso and Bath.
After facing Toulon on the road – who they famously downed at home last season – the Scarlets will return to Welsh soil as they host Bath in round two.
A double header of fixtures with Treviso then completes the 2017 matches for the west Wales outfit before the tournament reconvenes in 2018.
Pivac’s Scarlets haven’t got an easy run of games, and their fellow Welsh region the Ospreys aren’t much luckier either.
Steve Tandy’s men – who qualified from the European Challenge Cup pool stages last season with a perfect record – are joined in Pool 2 of this year’s Champions Cup by ASM Clermont Auvergne, Northampton Saints and the small matter of defending champions Saracens.
It really couldn’t get much tougher for the Liberty Stadium outfit, who will begin their tilt for a place in the latter stages by hosting Clermont in Swansea also on October 15.
A trip to Sarries – who have won the Champions Cup in each of the last two years – is next up and another away journey follows at the start of December with Northampton the destination.
The Scarlets and Ospreys are the two Welsh outfits in this season’s Champions Cup, with Cardiff Blues and Dragons competing in the Challenge Cup.
Danny Wilson’s Blues, who were knocked out of the 2016-17 tournament by Gloucester – will face Lyon, Sale and notorious European giants Toulouse in Pool 2 this time around.
Wales’ capital region host Lyon on the opening weekend at Cardiff Arms Park before their toughest pool clash – a trip to Toulouse – follows a week later on Friday, October 20.
Two meetings with Aviva Premiership outfit Sale complete the Blues’ pre-Christmas European workout.
For Bernard Jackman’s Dragons, it’s a case of preparing to take on Russian side Enisei-STM for the second consecutive season.
The Rodney Parade outfit will compete in Pool 1 of the Challenge Cup alongside Enisei, Newcastle Falcons and Bordeaux Begles.
A trip to the Falcons is first up in round one on Saturday October 14 with the long journey to Russia and Enisei next up for a game which will see the Newport-based outfit set to battle freezing temperatures and snow.
FOR THE FULL LIST OF EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP FIXTURES, CLICK HERE
FOR THE FULL LIST OF EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP FIXTURES, CLICK HERE
