Coaches Vern Cotter and Joe Schmidt again go head-to-head off the pitch when defending Heineken Cup champions Leinster clash with ASM Clermont Auvergne at Stade Marcel Michelin in a crucial Pool 5 match with the return in Round 4 set for a vibrant Aviva Stadium.
Both teams are two from two but Cotter's Clermont have a two-point advantage thanks to invaluable try bonus point wins gainst the Scarlets and Exeter Chiefs.
"Qualifying from the Pool will depend on this double header," said Cotter as Clermont prepare to defend their unbeaten ground record stretching back over three years.
"They, as we have done, have long marked this date in the calendar.
"My players are very excited, focused and motivated by the idea of playing this match."
Schmidt and Cotter were on the same side when Schmidt was one of the French club's coaches before he moved to Dublin while the clubs are becoming almost annual opponents - including Leinster beating Clermont 19-15 in last season's semi-final - and Cotter knows the threat Schmidt's team will pose both home and away.
"They are a team who control the ball well and play with a lot of speed," he said.
"They're used to big matches and this competition. With a two-point deficit on us, they know that they don't have any other solution than to go away with a result here.
"I know Joe well and I'm sure he'll try to move the ball around. We'll have to be ready to adapt by remaining focused and accurate."
