 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  | |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  | |  |
"We are used to doing it the hard way and if we go all the way this time then it will have been well deserved," said Munster lock Paul O'Connell. "But to look beyond the quarter-finals is a bit ridiculous.
"However, anything can happen. Three years ago we went to Bordeaux to play a star-studded Toulouse team and beat them - if your mental strength is there it's possible."
Another team seemingly destined to always travel in the last four are Llanelli, who, if they beat Perpignan at Stradey Park in the quarter-finals, will go to meet either Leinster Lions or Biarritz Olympique.
"I would have thought that under the law of averages that would have tipped it for us, but a potential home draw has eluded us again," said Llanelli No 8 Scott Quinnell.
"Obviously we have got to get through the quarter-finals, but, if we do progress, it doesn't get much tougher than travelling to Ireland or France."
Meanwhile, although Leicester Tigers have been handed a potential away draw in the last four, they could still end up playing in England - if Northampton win away to Toulouse.
"Obviously we want Northampton to win - which is a big turnaround coming from someone at Leicester," said Leicester star Austin Healey. An all-England semi-final somewhere in England would be fantastic, it wouldn't be far from filling Twickenham."
Marc Lià¨vremont, the Biarritz team manager, declared: "It's good news for us - and will provide us with extra motivation when it comes to our Leinster quarter-final.
"Our hopes of qualifying had almost disappeared before Round 6 so we are delighted to even figure in the last eight. In a sense, we have nothing to lose so maybe that will help the BO against one of the best teams in Europe. This draw is exciting because it gives us the prospect of playing a semi-final in France if we were to win in Dublin so that is extra motivation for us. What is important is that we are still in the European adventure so everything now is a bonus. We will go to Ireland and be as relaxed as possible and take a huge amount of pleasure from playing a great game of rugby."
