England wing Dan Luger has tipped great rivals Toulouse to clinch a hat-trick of Heineken Cup title but reckons his Perpignan side will push them all the way once again.
Perpignan reached the European final two years ago only to be pipped by Toulouse in Dublin and Luger reckons the two sides could feature in the latter stages of the competition once again.
"By reaching the final two years ago, Perpignan has put itself on the map," said Luger. "Despite the disappointment of last season, there is a growing interest and expectation for the team. We're now probably in the top five teams in France and have every hope of having a successful Heineken season.
"But the favourites for the competition have to be Toulouse. They have been very strong whenever Perpignan have played against them and have a very experienced side with a number of representative players. They play with an exciting style of rugby and a really the best advert for the game."
If Perpignan are to progress they must elbow their way out of Pool 5 past revived Welsh region Newport Gwent Dragons, Jonny Wilkinson's Newcastle Falcons and Edinburgh who they face in the opening game. "We've got a very hard group with some very experienced players in all three of our pool teams," said Luger.
"I'm looking forward to playing against some familiar players, particularly Scott Murray on Friday and obviously the old faces at Newcastle. I just hope that the Perpignan players can cope with the cold in the north of England. "But the more the level of French rugby improves, the more interest there is going to be in the Heineken Cup as we are going to feel more able to compete.
"Although there is more pressure on the clubs through the new French league system, the importance of the Heineken cup has risen at the same time. The new Top 16 and the 14 will ensure that teams are playing high-level matches every week and that can only force us to raise our game."
Perpignan: D Giannantonio; P Bomati, D Marty, J Grandclaude, D Luger; M Edmonds, N Durand; V Debaty, N Grelon, N Mas, C Gaston, R Alvarez Kairelis, O Tonita, B Goutta (capt), S Robertson. Replacements: J van der Heever, S Chobet, C Porcu, M O'Driscoll, S Descons, N Laharrague, G Hume.
Edinburgh Rugby: D Lee; C Paterson, M Di Rollo, C Joiner, S Webster; B Laney, R Lawson; A Jacobsen, D Hall, C Smith, N Hines, A Kellock, T Blackadder (capt), S Cross, A Hogg. Replacements: A Kelly, J Brannigan, F Pringle, A Strokosch, J Blackwood, P Godman, H Southwell.
Referee: Roy Maybank (England)
