RUGBY EUROPEAN CUPAS SOON as the Heineken European Cup draw was made yesterday in Dublin's Ballsbridge, the Munster CEO, Garret Fitzgerald, was canvassed for his immediate reaction and could not disguise his disappointment the European champions had yet again failed to land an Italian team at the pool stages after last year's heavyweight assembly of Llanelli, Wasps and Clermont Auvergne.
Munster drew two French sides - Clermont, again, and Montauban - and Sale Sharks.
Then again, have Munster ever had anything close to what could be termed a seamless, carefree campaign?
"I don't think it's a very good reward for winning it. It's a very difficult pool this time," said Fitzgerald. "It's an unusual situation to have two French teams, something we haven't had before."
On reflection, Fitzgerald was more sanguine.
"You can't be disappointed," he added. "Disappointment doesn't come into it. There is going to be no easy pool in this competition. What might look like an easy pool now could change come next September because you don't know what people will sign for what team. If you are going to win the competition you have no divine right over anything.
"Clermont are as good a side as we've seen in this competition. The point we got there (last season) wasn't on the cards at half-time and that point helped get us where we got to. They are an outstanding team and certainly have the ability to win the French Championship.
"There's also a huge French influence in Sale. They're a very good side and have signed new players for next year. Montauban are a side I don't know but I understand they have two young coaches and are an ambitious team."
In the knowledge the best Italian team would certainly not come seventh in the French Championship as Montauban did, there was a shared sense that Munster suffered another miss in not drawing Treviso or Calvisano.
"Only once in recent years we've got an Italian team," added Fitzgerald. "I don't want to reflect on the standard of Italian rugby but that's what people had hoped for. People think they can get try differences and bonus points (against Italian sides)."
Leinster's CEO, Mick Dawson, was sanguine about Leinster's chances of qualifying from their pool. With Wasps also in the group, they face the winners of last season's Premiership as well as the standard nuggety French side Castres Olympique.
"Obviously Wasps will be difficult; they're a very decent side" said Dawson. "Castres we've played in recent times and we were lucky to get an away victory against them. I don't know much about Jeremy Davidson but Mark McCall is a good coach.
"Against Edinburgh, we haven't been that lucky but things change and players come in and leave."
The Edinburgh executive, Nick Cartwright, seemed quietly pleased with the draw. The fact their head coach, Andy Robinson, has introduced standards and players to the side has brought optimism to the Scottish capital. That the final is being stage in Murrayfield is an added incentive.
"Leinster won the Magners League. Wasps won the Guinness Premiership. They are big teams, two tough teams," said Cartwright. "The final in Scotland is 100 per cent an incentive.
"We're determined to improve our organisation. Winning two games last year was a start. Our priority is to get away wins.
"We'll lose the element of surprise this season, to a degree, but the team will be a year older and Andy (Robinson) will have been here for another year.
"Without doubt we'll be stronger. There were 10 (Edinburgh) players in that Scotland team that beat Argentina."
