Tom Palmer, the Leeds Tykes captain and international lock, will lead his side out against Petrarca Rugby at Headingley Stadium on Sunday accepting he is somewhat in the dark about their European Shield quarter-final opponents.
"We know very little about them, although we will do some homework on them before the First Leg match," said Palmer.
"We are quite a young side and, as Leeds Tykes have never won anything, it would be great to go all the way and win the European Shield. If you are in any tournament you should always take it seriously and that is what we are doing.
"It was really tough to take being knocked out of the European Challenge Cup in Round 1, particularly the manner of going out to a late Grenoble try. It was a major disappointment but now we are concentrating on Petrarca.
"It is always good to have the squad together for these games, with the chance to test new combinations and give some of the younger players a taste of European rugby.
"You are playing against sides who you would not otherwise meet so there are the experiences of new styles, cultures and challenges.
"For example, the guys who went to Spain for the away leg against VRAC said how much they had enjoyed the occasion, the fabulous reception they were given and how different it all was. That is the beauty of the European tournaments and we are looking forward to going to Italy in the second leg."
