English clubs react to European Cups draw

Jim Mallinder – Northampton Director of Rugby
“We haven’t played Racing Metro before, and going to Paris will be an exciting challenge.
“Racing are an ambitious club and showed in their recent Top 14 quarter-final win away at Toulouse just how dangerous they can be. They have a squad packed with quality players and are strengthening even further over the summer.
“While Racing are a new opponent for us we know what to expect from the Ospreys. We had to work extremely hard for our results against them last season and it will be no different in 2014/15. Dan Biggar is a top goal kicker and Alun-Wyn Jones is an outstanding captain and any side that has that number of internationals deserves to be respected.
“We haven’t played Treviso for a few years, and it will be good to go back to Italy. But while that will be a good trip for the supporters we will have to make sure we keep our focus on the job in hand, which is to get a win over a team that beat Munster and ran Leinster and Ulster close on home turf in the Pro12 last season.
“We know that as Aviva Premiership champions other teams are going to raise their game against us, which means we are going to have to raise our own standards as well.”
Alex Sanderson – Saracens Forwards Coach
“I am sure Clermont will want some sort of retribution for that when we meet them next season.
“They are one of the genuine European superpowers, always there or thereabouts when it comes to the semi-finals and final, and it will be interesting to see how they handle the departure of Vern Cotter to Scotland.
“Their supporters will certainly be demanding some sort of silverware after going close in the last couple of years, but then so will Munster’s fans.
“We went there in the pool stage two seasons ago and it was unbelievably tough, the support they have is indescribable and probably reflects on the number of points they score at Thomond Park.
“It is one hell of a place to come away from with anything but the losing bonus point we took away in 2013 was ultimately the clincher for us qualifying for the quarter-finals.
“Sale have a great defence and are always competitive around the breakdown and under Steve Diamond are building up their traditional resilient underdog culture.
“We had nothing to show for all those efforts but once the dust settled we accepted we had enjoyed a really good season and that we had improved as a side.
“With the signings we are making we are really looking forward to meeting the likes of Clermont, Munster and Sale it was promises to be a hugely competitive tournament.”
Geordan Murphy – Leicester Coach
“It will be good to see Castro back at Welford Road. And I know that the crowd will be pleased and excited about seeing him back.
“I am sure our fans will be excited about the prospect of seeing world-class players from across the world coming to play at Welford Road with Toulon, Ulster and Scarlets. And the fans will be licking their lips at the away trips as well.
“It’s a tough group but an exciting group as well. You want to be playing and testing yourself against the biggest and best teams.
“Toulon won Europe and the Top 14, Ulster and Scarlets have a strong pedigree in Europe and have been building over the last few years with some exciting players.
“It’s going to be a strong competition.”
John Kingston – Harlequins Head Coach
“The tournament has always been competitive but the new reduced format not only makes every game but every single match point crucial. On the flip side, the reduction to 20 teams means everyone has a 40 per cent chance of progressing,” said Kingston.
“The new structure of the competition, which has reduced the number of clubs involved from 24 to 20, will mean even more that every point is going to be vital and that each match is going to be massively competitive. All in all it’s a really exciting draw and we’re looking forward to it kicking off in earnest in October.
“Unlike the tournament’s football equivalent [Champions League] which is often accused of being very predictable at the pool stage and doesn’t heat up until the quarter-finals, this Champions Cup will be red hot from the opening weekend.
“There’s great European pedigree in our pool and from our perspective, it’s a great draw for our fans. We have what many would regard as a derby against London Wasps.
“Professional rugby has changed many things but our rivalry with Wasps goes back years and now even more will be riding on our matches. We also have new ground because we haven’t played Castres for some years and we have never played Leinster in the pool stage in Europe before.
“However, I’m sure they will all be looking forward to taking on Harlequins, English champions two years ago, semi-finalists in the Premiership and Amlin Challenge Cup this year, and winners of three trophies in the last four years – more than any other English team.
“A draw like this has given everyone at the club a spring in their step during the summer ahead of next season.
“Hopefully, our supporters are happy with it too! Harlequins supporters like nothing better than a trip into Europe and I am sure they’re massively excited about the idea of a venture to the south of France again and also to Dublin.
“Their support for our away European matches was quite extraordinary this last season and I am sure they will replicate that this coming season given the fixtures we have ahead. I’m sure they, like me, can’t wait for the summer to be over so we can get back on the pitch again!”
Mike Ford – Bath Head Coach
“We’re really excited to be back playing against the top teams in Europe. We want to challenge ourselves against the best, and playing the likes of these teams will give us the chance to do that.
“Glasgow, Montpellier and Toulouse have all had very good seasons and will pose different threats for us to overcome. We made a lot of progress last season, and we’re looking to push on again and develop further as a squad, both in the Aviva Premiership and in Europe.”
Dai Young – London Wasps Director of Rugby
“This is where we, the club and our supporters, want to be – playing in the top competition against the best teams in Europe.
“We always knew it would be a tough pool after qualifying as bottom seed, but my initial reaction is one of excitement. We know it will be a massive challenge for us as a squad and rugby department, but it’s the kind of challenge we are all really looking forward to.
“Leinster speak for themselves in terms of quality. They have been one of the best teams in Europe over the last five or six years, while Castres are the second best team in France, with a big budget.
“We also know that our near neighbours, Harlequins, are a quality outfit. so it will be a challenge, but if you want to improve and get better, you have to challenge yourself against the best. I am excited for the players, the coaches and Wasps supporters.
“Our performances against Stade Français showed what we are capable of on our day, even against the bigger squads in Europe, and those performances will give us plenty of self-belief going into the new season.”
Captain Chris Bell added: “I was watching the draw at Twyford Avenue with the backroom team and it was really exciting waiting for our name to be drawn. There are 20 incredibly strong teams, so we knew it would be a tough pool whichever teams we were drawn against, but it’s a hugely exciting challenge.
“Leinster are very strong, they won the Pro12 and have a great European heritage, while Castres have really been pulling up trees in the French league and just got pipped in the Top 14 final. We obviously know Quins very well and have a lot of respect for them. That will be a very short away trip!
“Without a doubt this is where we all want to be and we’re really happy that our supporters will be able to watch Wasps back in the top tier of Europe after showing us fantastic support over the last few years. It will be a big step up from the Challenge Cup, but we will prepare well. It’s an opportunity we’ve worked hard for and we will try to grab it with both hands.”
Mark Cueto – Sale wing
“The first thing I asked when I heard our draw was: ‘Are there any other Pools of Death’? Then I heard there are at least two more.
“It really is the best of the best this season and we have been drawn in a hell of a pool. But every team in the Premiership targets playing in the Champions Cup at the start of the season and this is our reward.
“To be able to bring teams like Munster and Clermont, with their massive European pedigree, to Salford is going to be wonderful for our fans and all these European matches will be great tests for our younger, up and coming players.
“In recent years, playing in the European Cup has been a real step up from the Premiership and, for those who have international ambitions, going to Munster and Clermont and performing well will do their cap chances a power of good.
“Even though we’ve been in the Challenge Cup in the past few years, we are the last team to beat Clermont at their home ground and we also beat Munster at Edgeley Park in 2005. It wasn’t quite the same result when we played in Limerick.
“We had two heavy defeats in the return games, but I just loved every minute of playing at Thomond Park. It is probably the best stadium to play at in Europe in terms of atmosphere.”
James Simpson-Daniel – Gloucester
“I’m reasonably happy with our pool but, at the same time, you know that each of those teams has the ability to beat whoever they play on the day. You know that from looking at the Top 14 and the Pro12.
“You have got your guard up because on their day you know those sides can be a real force. You were looking at the French league last season and thinking ‘Oynonnax will be the whipping boys’, but then they went out and produced some great shocks last season.
“You know that, certainly away from home, the two French sides will be very, very tough, and Zebre have shown that they have the ability to beat top sides in the Pro12.
“If you win your home matches and nick a few points on the road, you’ll be there or thereabouts in whatever competition you’re in. Oyonnax have shown what you can do if you get your home record flying early on in the season.
“That’s what Gloucester used to be like years ago – we had such a strong home record and that put us in a great place. Maybe we took that for granted because we’d do anything now to win all our home games.
“If you win everything at home, sides become aware of what you are. Sides going to Oyonnax know that they have such a strong home record – they’re going to be very, very tough and very proud.
“Kingsholm expects big results, and it’s been embarrassing that we haven’t been able to get those results. It almost looked as though we had a bit of fear about playing there.
“People seemed a little bit afraid of losing. It’s got to be the other way because the supporters will do everything they can to help. You’ve got to give it everything you’ve got inside you because we’re very proud of the home record we’ve had traditionally. That’s what Kingsholm is about and we’re desperate to get that back.
“If we can get a winning run going at home again, if we can get 10 or 15 games behind us, that would be incredible. Suddenly the crowds would get bigger and bigger and everyone wants to be there.
“You’d then be nearly at the Munster kind of atmosphere every week if we can produce a run of wins. There’s plenty of excitement.”
Henry Slade – Exeter fly-half
“It’s a tough group, as always. We’ve played Connacht a couple of times in pre-season and that’s always been a difficult game for us. Bayonne have got some big-name players so they’ll be a big test, and La Rochelle will be a great way to break up the domestic season.
“It will be good to mix things up with some good trips away and tough matches against some top sides. There’s definitely a different buzz about mixing it up and coming up against boys that you’re not used to playing against.
“Galway is definitely a difficult place to play. As well as Connacht being a good side, going out to Galway is going to be tough. We’ve played them before but this time it will be completely different as there will be something on the line.
“As a squad we’re pretty close so playing in tough environments like that will bring the best out of us. Because we’ve only recently been involved in European competitions, the fans get really excited by it and so do the boys. We relish every time we get to play European rugby at Sandy Park.
“We’ve had a few games away in France before and we’ve had great support. When we played Toulon away last year I think we had over 1,000 supporters come out.
“For them as much as us, going to France is a great thing. They love to come out and follow us and we love having them do that as their support spurs us on.”
Dean Richards – Newcastle Director of Rugby
“It’s a great pool but not an easy one for us. Stade Francais are a quality side full of stars. There’s a lot of experience there and up until the last six weeks of the season Stade were right in the mix for the French championship.
“Newport Gwent Dragons have recruited well under Lyn Jones and again, are a great side that we’re looking forward to playing against.”
Brian Smith – London Irish Director of Rugby
“It is a challenging pool and will mean and will mean no drop in intensity from Premiership matches to European matches. We will be taking the tournament very seriously and we are excited about the challenges ahead.”
Justin Burnell – London Welsh head coach
“It doesn’t get any easier, but it’s great to be part of it. There will be no easy games for us next season.
“We’re back in European competition and we are playing against Top 14 sides Bordeaux Begles and Lyon, and Edinburgh, who have top Scotland internationals playing for them.
“It’s exciting times for the club and it’s great that we’ll have three top tier teams playing at the Kassam Stadium next season in the European Rugby Challenge Cup.”