Heineken Cup champions Leinster Rugby will go head-to-head with ASM Clermont Auvergne in the back-to-back Rounds 3 and 4 matches in the unfamiliar position under head coach Joe Schmidt of having to play catch-up.
Schmidt has guided the champions to successive title - and in the process 18 wins from his 20 tournament matches at the helm - but Clermont are the ones in the Pool 5 driving seat.
"We know a fair bit about Clermont following our recent meetings and they know all about us," said Schmidt.
"It's becoming such a regular game in Europe that we virtually pencil it in at the start of the season.
"And being second in the Pool ahead of those back-to-back games is not our favourite position to be in. We will be going there chasing them rather than being in control of the pool.
"Two years ago we went out there with nine points in the Pool to their six. So that meant after they won the game, we were both level on 10 points ahead of the return match back in Dublin.
"We're not in that same position this time.
"We have won two from two but I hope there is more to come from us - and there has to be more because we can't keep surviving these skinny margins."
Clermont were the last team to lower Leinster colours, 20-13 at Stade Marcel Michelin in Round 3 of the 2010/11 competition and since then Leinster have been unbeaten in their next 17 Heineken Cup contests, the last 10 straight wins.
The Scarlets were the latest added to that list in a 20-13 home defeat at Parc y Scarlets, Schmidt adding: "We were very happy with the way the game was going at the start.
"To keep the Scarlets, with all the armoury they can throw you, to nil for 50 minutes was very pleasing. But having done that, we were very frustrated to find ourselves in a position to be fighting for the game. They got a try and a couple of kicks to get to within four points.
"But to chase a game you need to have a good platform and we denied them that at the scrums so we limited their opportunities."
