I woke up Monday morning with the nearest thing I have left to a spring in my step, honestly. That's the effect the Heineken Cup has on me.
Half way between the passion of the Premiership, the free flow of the Magners League and the extra pressure of an international, this is just about the best place for a rugby tournament to be positioned.
Take New Zealand and Ireland out of the equation and the best of the Heineken would fear few of the international sides. Australia may have hammered Scotland but would you fancy their test team at Thomond Park. I certainly would not.
A few fixtures stand out this forthcoming weekend. The Scarlets and Toulouse is one of them. The West Wales side have an extra edge to their back play and a competitive pack. Toulouse might need to find their best to beat them otherwise they could be making an unusually early exit. I fancy the Scarlets to keep up their momentum and scupper them.
Another French team has a tough away fixture with a Magners league team Saturday as unbeaten Agen travel to Leinster. In this game the pressure is firmly on the Irish team. Agen already have a precious away win at Gloucester while O' Driscoll's team lost - perhaps complacently - in Edinburgh. Defeat will be a hammer blow to one of the tournament's most attractive and not unfancied sides.
Twenty four hours later and Munster face Cardiff Blues away while England's champions, Sale, have to lift themselves from their woeful tale of injuries and somehow beat Stade Francais. If they manage this it will most probably not be pretty but it would be a memorable effort.
The tournament is a reminder that there is more to rugby than developing players for international rugby. It is one of the most successful recent additions to the European sporting calendar. This weekend may see a few further additions to the growing list of unforgettable games.
If I had to choose one match that might just ignite, it is Friday at Stradey Park, Llanelli Scarlets versus Toulouse. Dwayne Peel face to face with Elissalde, Regan King out to show the international stage that he can produce against the elite when he meets Yannick Jauzion; should be great.
