 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  | |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  | |  |
"Our second game promises to be even tougher than last Saturday's in the sense that we travel to an English club we know to be highly motivated and, with the final being held at Twickenham Stadium, they are ambitious and will want to qualify for the knock-out stages.
"They have lots of great international players such as Matt Banahan, Lewis Moody, Lee Mears and Simon Taylor, and, as it is an away game, we know it is going to be extremely challenging. They also have a new recruit in All Black Stephen Donald who will add to an already rich group.
"We know the overall quality of their squad and that by taking part in the Heineken Cup we would face the best teams in Europe so with Leinster last Saturday and then Bath to follow, we are certainly doing just that from the very start.
"We are disappointed not to win our first Heineken Cup fixture. It was a big moment for us, we moved to Stade de la Mosson for the occasion, and we were close to a win so it was very frustrating.
"Now we realise the difference between a champion club used to those big games and ourselves, who still need to learn. It comes down to the small details that they master, they have a bigger intensity in the way they play and maintain that pace until the very end. Perhaps we are guilty of having relaxed too early.
"We couldn't convert our actions into points and finish off our phases, which at times were very long. And against a team like Leinster you pay a hefty price for not being thorough. They didn't flinch at any point and played at full speed all the time - they even increased the rate towards the end and it was hard for us to stay with them.
"But our young team managed to stand up to them and measure up to their players and we will have to build on that performance.
"Our ambitions are definitely there and when you are given the opportunity to compete in the Heineken Cup you really want to do well in it. It is a very important tournament for the clubs and when you see the extent of its coverage and how it is seen across Europe and beyond it gives a different dimension to the clubs.
"Nobody wants to let go during this fierce competition, all the points are so precious, and we want our club to develop and enjoy a new boom. For that to happen we must shine on the European stage.
"Everybody tells us that the Heineken Cup is the step just below international level in terms of intensity and quality so that can only benefit us.
"We may not have the depth of players as Toulouse or Clermont but this year our group is very even with a lot of very good players. We can double, if not triple, all our positions. It is a much richer squad than previous years. I think this season we can be competitive and play the Heineken Cup fully and also do the same in our domestic championship."
