David Humphreys has a unique place in Heineken Cup history - he is the only player to captain a tournament winning side and also contribute over 500 points.
The former Ireland outside half led Ulster Rugby to glory against Colomiers at the old Lansdowne Road back in 1999 and ended up scoring 564 points for the first Irish province to win the title.
Now the Operations Director at Ravenhill, Humphreys accepts that the tournament gets harder and harder to win year by year - and believes Ulster are on the right track back after failing to win more than half their tournament matches during any of the last six seasons.
"The big change in the 14 years the Heineken Cup has been going is that at the outset you did get some easy games but now you don't get anything like that - there are no easy Pools," he said.
"We have been drawn in a difficult group but we are really looking forward to the tournament and playing Stade Français Paris - who we have already played nine times and seem to draw virtually every year - Edinburgh and Bath.
"Every game offers something different and different challenges and, although we know Edinburgh really well from playing them in the Magners League, Bath are the one unknown quantity as we haven't played them before in a competitive game in Europe."
With just 14 wins and a draw from their last 36 Heineken Cup contests, Ulster will be keen to make home advantage count when they clash with Bath Rugby at Ravenhill on Friday night - with Humphreys also out for the team to turn the intimidating ground back into the European fortress of old.
"We know teams don't like coming to Ravenhill on a wet and windy Friday night and playing in front of a full house," said Humphreys.
"It is a difficult place to play and we have to try and make Ravenhill what it was when we didn't lose at home for a number of seasons but at the same time we also have to try and produce performances away from home and come up with the results when the pressure comes on.
"Sometimes in the last few years the criticism that has been levelled at us is that we have lost some of the values that, for as long as I can remember, have made playing for Ulster so special - being hugely competitive and proud to represent Ulster.
"We have tried to restore those values and instil them in the players but those values are only any good if the training is right and the quality of player is there.
"But, although we have to be realistic from where we have been and not look to far ahead, we are quietly confident and I believe we have got the players capable of performing at the highest level.
"Because it is fair to say we are in a very different place to where we have been in last few seasons - there have been big changes in management and huge changes in emphasis on the way we train and play.
"It is an extremely well used phrase in rugby but it really is all about momentum while we have got Bath at home first - and it is always nice to get a home game to start and the opportunity to perform - the opposition are so tough, whether home or away, that it is going to be hugely difficult and a huge challenge."
