Bradley is confident Connacht can advance

CONNACHT coach Michael Bradley is confident they can make it through to the knockout stages of the European Challenge Cup despite being drawn in a tough pool.

Connacht will have to overcome former Heineken Cup champions Brive and Jonny Wilkinson’s Newcastle Falcons (who recently added All Blacks prop Carl Haymans to their ranks) if they are to make the quarter-finals having missed out this year for the first time in five seasons.

The pool is completed by Spanish champions Cetransa El Salvador, who are based in Valladolid, a few hours north of Madrid. Each of the five pool winners will advance along with the three best runners-up.