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They were very disappointing in Europe last year and didn't deserve to progress - it was very un-Wasps-like. I watched them against Newcastle last Sunday and the first thing they need to do is become more clinical again. They blew numerous chances against the Falcons and they might not get away with that in Europe.
Lawrence Dallaglio's return and the arrival of player of Phil Vickery's calibre has given the club a real lift. There are things happening at Wasps that I think are very encouraging and they will get better and better as the season goes on. Come the end of the competition, if they are still in it, they will be a real force in the knockout stages.
And what of Castres? Often in the Heineken Cup but we rarely see them in the knockout stages, are they the weaker of the two French sides in this pool with Perpignan?
MILES: We haven't really seen the best of Castres in the Heineken Cup. They are often there but never seem to progress and Perpignan have a better record in this competition and one hell of a tough place to play at for a home ground.
It probably is fair to say that Castres are the weaker of the two French sides but the problem they both face could be the same one that Leicester and Wasps experienced two seasons ago when pooled together. It is great for French rugby that they have the extra team but it means these clubs come up against each other and they could end up knocking the stuffing out of each other as Wasps and Tigers did.
People say it is tough for Wasps to have two French teams but if Castres and Perpignan beat each other at home, as tends to happen in French rugby, that could play into Wasps' hands. It has fallen nicely for Wasps that they have Castres at home in the first game, which means they will play them away from home in the last game. If Castres no longer have a chance of qualification by that stage it could make picking up the vital away win that little bit easier, as Munster found last year.
Prediction?
MILES: I can see Wasps winning and I can see them getting out of this pool.
Leicester Tigers v Munster, Sun Oct 22, 1pm SS3
And last but not least! Two Powerhouses, Leicester v Munster. How do Munster react as champions? Will they lack the hunger that drove them to their first title or is the quality there for a repeat?
MILES: Given everything that has been said by a Munster player in the build-up to this game, I cannot see their hunger having taken a dip. They are absolutely determined to be more than just Heineken Cup winners and want to retain the title and move into the category that is reserved for very few - that of great teams.
It was a great occasion and final last season and something I will never forget but as far as Munster are concerned, it does not stop there.
Paul O'Connell made the point that so many times in the past it has been the Munster fans that have driven the players on, because they know what it means to the fans and the region. If the fans show the hunger for more success, the players will respond.
I believe 100 per cent that Munster will show no signs of weakness on the hunger front.
And how about Leicester? They are a strange side at the moment. Strong on paper but not quite so on the pitch. Can they get out of this group?
MILES: They are not in their stride at the moment, no doubt about that. Even though Leicester beat Northampton last weekend, Pat Howard was disappointed with his Tigers and said they are not playing well. That is not the best preparation for a team going into a game against the European champions.
What I will say of Leicester though is that they are at Welford Road. We saw them there on the first day of the Premiership season against England's champions, Sale, and they lifted their game to the point where they won.
I think we will see a different Leicester from the one we have seen recently in the Premiership.
Leicester can get out of this group but it is going to be very, very difficult. It will be difficult for all concerned because as I said in Friday's preview of Agen v Cardiff, I think the Blues will cause some damage along the way in this pool. That makes it tough for all three teams to make the quarter finals.
Prediction?
MILES: Munster can afford to lost this, as they did last year at Sale because they have to be favourites to win their three home games, but I don't think they will.
It really could go either way but I think Munster will win. It will be very, very close. It is so close that I am tempted not to make a prediction, but I just have a feeling that Munster might nick it.
