Conor O’Shea says Harlequins will relish the challenge of playing two of France’s best teams in next season’s Heineken Cup.
The former English champions were given a tough pool in yesterday’s draw as they were pitted against Clermont Auvergne, this season’s beaten finalists, and a Racing Metro side who have signed a host of players, including Lions Jonathan Sexton and Dan Lydiate.
Welsh team Scarlets complete the pool.
Harlequins director of rugby O’Shea (above) said: “It is incredibly challenging and exciting for us to have to play two superpowers of not just French, but also European rugby. In addition, we have Scarlets, another club with great tradition. We can’t wait to get started.”
Saracens are up against former European champions Toulouse but their pool appears much easier and also includes Italians minnows Zebre and Ireland’s Connacht.
DRAW — Pool 1: Leinster, Northampton, Ospreys, Castres. Pool 2: Toulon, Cardiff Blues, Glasgow, Exeter. Pool 3: Toulouse, Saracens, Connacht, Zebre. Pool 4: Clermont Auvergne, Harlequins, Scarlets, Racing Metro. Pool 5: Ulster, Leicester, Montpellier, Treviso. Pool 6: Munster, Perpignan, Edinburgh, Gloucester.
