A preview of the Champions Cup pools

By Brendan Gallagher
Pool 1: Saracens, Ulster Toulouse and Oyonnax 
Overview: Saracens had 15 players involved in the World Cup but have regrouped quickly and have shown good form in the Aviva Premiership this season. With a final and two semi-finals in the last three seasons they are one of Europe's best and most consistent clubs but still searching for that elusive X-factor to clear the final hurdle. No huge signings in the summer, their strength is their continuity and a squad that is gathering experience and confidence.
For Toulouse, who haven't won the tournament they use to dominate since 2010, it is new territory, beginning a European campaign without Guy Noves at the helm. Attacking ace Yoann Huget is out for the season for a Toulouse side looking to get one last big season out of Louis Picamoles before his departure to Saints.
Ulster are never to be dismissed lightly because of their home record at Ravenhill but they will miss the injured Tommy Bowe for sure. Oyonnax have a wonderfully ancient squad of old warriors designed to keep the club in the T14 – Soane Tonga'uhia, George Robson, Mo Fa'asavalu, Horatiu Pungea, Pedrie Wannenburg, Piri Weepu, Nicky Robinson – but they will throw everything into their home games and look to take a couple of scalps
Look out for: Billy Vunipola, left, should be fit ahead of time and could have a big tournament for Saracens, ditto Jacques Burger in his swansong season. Ruan Pienaar, as ever, is the linchpin for Ulster while Toby Flood has been on fire for Toulouse at 12, England please note. Romania flanker Valentin Ursache made a big impression at the World Cup and will again relish the big stage.
Prediction: 1 Saracens; 2 Toulouse; 3 Ulster; 4 Oyonnax
Pool 2: Clermont, Ospreys, Exeter Chiefs, Bordeaux Begles 
Overview: Clermont have been ripping it up in the early stages of the T14 and will not rest until they finally land the European Cup. Still formidable at home, they have another level when they want to break sweat and engage it and will be nothing less than formidable in the early rounds.
Their problem has always been stage fright when the competition enters the sharp end. Ospreys, beset with injuries and hindered like many by the staggered return of World Cup players, have made a patchy start to the Pro12, to say the least, but are beginning to find their game and clearly have the potential to cause some damage on their day.
Exeter learned a stack of lessons tangling with the big boys last season and are targeting all their home games and looking to pick up a win on the road. Bordeaux-Begles, under the coaching of Raphael Ibanez and Joe Worsley, are very like Exeter in that they aim for a good brand of rugby and they have strengthened considerably this season by signing class operators like Sekope Kepu, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Luke Braid.
Look out for: Nick Abendanon, left, was superb last season for Clermont and will want to shine again although quite how they give game-time to him and Scott Spedding in a conundrum. David Strettle is also in sparkling form and is another with points to prove. For Ospreys much will depend of whether Alun Wyn Jones can get his pack cranked up while, at Exeter, Henry Slade will be pulling the strings and the arrival of Julian Salvi from Leicester has added to an already potent backrow. Ashley-Cooper could be an inspired signing for Bordeaux-Begles.
Prediction: 1 Clermont; 2 Exeter; 3 Bordeaux-Begles; 4 Ospreys.
Pool 3: Glasgow Warriors, Northampton Saints, Racing 92, Scarlets 
Overview: An intriguing pool that should produce a host of great rugby. Warriors, under inventive coach Gregor Townsend, play an exciting and increasingly effective brand and their Pro12 title could be the launching pad to greater things. Crucially they have the kind of high-octane game which, if it ignites, can result in away wins against the very best and such victories on the road are vital in Europe.
Saints are doughty Euro campaigners and with Dylan Hartley returning and the addition of Victor Matfield they will be looking to reassert themselves up front. Racing produced some fine rugby on occasions last season and with Dan Carter installed from R3 onwards could really hit the heights. They have also strengthened an already powerful squad with Yannick Nyanga, Remi Tales, Chris Masoe and the ageless Joe Rokocoko who has reinvented himself as a class act at centre. Scarlets often punch above their weight in Europe and with former fly-half Stephen Jones now coaching their backs they have made a cracking start to the Pro12 seasons.
Look out for: This pool is absolutely stacked with outstanding talent headed by World Player of the Year Dan Carter. For Glasgow few forwards made a bigger impression at the World Cup than lock Leone Nakarawa, below, while I am predicting great things for another Fijian, Taqele Naiyaravoro, who plays for Australia. Victor Matfield should bolster Northampton's forward effort while Scarlets have DTH van der Merwe, the Canadian who couldn't stop scoring quality World Cup tries.
Prediction: 1 Racing; 2 Glasgow; 3 Northampton; 4 Scarlets
Pool 4: Stade Francais. Munster Leicester Tigers, Benetton Treviso 
Overview: Tough to call. Former European giants Munster and Leicester Tigers aren't quite the force they were but, driven by ambition and their support, are anxious to re-live former glories.
Munster must first get used to taking the field in Europe without Paul O'Connell who has featured in all their great games for well over a decade.
Leicester have signed Jean de Villiers after the World Cup which should bolster their midfield and still have the option of signing one more marquee player so they might yet plunge in to the transfer market.
Stade, led by the incomparable Sergio Parisse, are also grizzled European veterans but their efforts recently have been more directed to re-establishing themselves as a force in the T14 which they did back in June by winning the French Championship.
For the second summer in a row there have been a lot of changes at Benetton but they have not brought in anybody of major repute and have been struggling in the Pro 12.
Skipper Alessandro Zanni, however, believes they have their best crop of younger players in a long while.
Look out for: New Stade scrum-half Will Genia looked back to his best at the World Cup and a fit-again Wilhelm Alberts alongside Sergio Parisse in the backrow is a prospect to conjure with.
Conor Murray, left, is usually at the centre of all things good for Munster, CJ Stander is another increasingly influential player and exciting Pumas full-back Lucas González Amorosino should make an impact in his three-month stay. Versatile Australia back-three player Peter Betham could go well for Tigers.
Predication: 1 Stade Francais; 2 Leicester Tigers; 3 Munster; 4 Benetton Treviso
Pool 5: Bath, Toulon, Leinster Wasps 
Overview: Such is Toulon's record, talent and consistency that it is difficult to predict anything other than a pool win with a home draw at Felix Mayol for the quarter-finals. Yes, they occasionally look slightly uninterested away from home and they might lose maybe one game on the road but they will nail the other games in the appropriate fashion.
Their influx of new stars has been staggering even if the exit of Bakkies Botha and injury to Paul O'Connell possibly leaves them a little vulnerable at lock.
Bath have made a slowish start to the season but coach Mike Ford insists they are delighted to be tackling Toulon first up when they could be a bit rusty. Leinster were the Euro giants before Toulon and although they have fallen a little they remain well capable of progressing, especially given how rarely they lose at the RDS.
Which leaves Wasps. Their three games at the Ricoh will be showpiece occasions and given that atmosphere and their ability to raise their game it would be no surprise if they won at least two of those. Do they have the big hitters and nous though to secure points away from home? Dai Young believes they may still be too young to go all the way – by his calculations Euro champs tend to always have 650-plus caps – but Wasps could be interesting mavericks.
Look out for: George Ford, left, is still the player who makes Bath tick and with Jonathan Joseph injured expect to see even more of Anthony Watson. Almost anybody can seize the game for Toulon but in particular they will look to new boys Quade Cooper, Samu Manoa, Ma'a Nonu and Duane Vermeulen. The return of Isa Nacewa and Jonny Sexton should galvanise Leinster while Wasps' Christian Wade has the habit of scoring special tries against the best and a fully-fit Joe Launchbury is a huge player for them, too.
Prediction: 1 Toulon; 2 Leinster; 3 Bath; 4 Wasps