IT

was another weekend of european club fixtures serving as wall-to-wall television schedulefillers, leading to the familiar issue of anti- social kick- off times in the Challenge Cup. Worcester v harlequins took the graveyard slot at 8.15pm on Saturday night, but worst of all was Clermont hosting Northampton yesterday from 7pm local time. Stade Marcel Michelin is one of the continent’s iconic venues, but many Saints fans will have been denied the chance to pay a visit as a result of the ludicrous scheduling.