In terms of club or provincial rugby, the Heineken European Cup is the pinnacle. There's added pressure because you're conscious it's going to be a step up. There's more variety. Every year you're stepping into the unknown. And it's a really, really hard competition to win, writes Brian O'Driscoll

With all new competitions there's a fresh beginning for everyone. Whatever's gone before doesn't matter. In some games the European Cup is only a minor step below internationals, and playing French sides in France is an extra dimension in itself.

Interestingly, I was doing a video analysis with Matt Williams one-on-one the other day and we were looking at the Biarritz game two years ago in Donnybrook. It looked as though it was being played at snail's pace compared to what we're playing now. I was saying to him 'is this on slo-mo?' I really was. And Matt said he remembered it being an unbelievably quick game at the time.

It's fascinating what two years can do to the game. Everything seems to have changed. Looking at that video you wouldn't have believed it was a provincial side against a big club side.

Yet I remember playing in Northampton, over in Franklin's Garden, two years ago and being physicality shattered the next day. It really felt like it had been an international. That was a great win. Really hard fought. They were defending European champions at the time, so we were up against it.

We hung on with 13 men at the end. They played it very badly by not taking a scrum. Bodies on the line stuff. We scored one cracking try. Shaggy (Shane Horgan) dummied for a miss two and he sold it beautifully. Matt Allan stood off and I went through the middle and then I put Den (Denis Hickie) over in the corner. It was a good try. Everything was bang on. That Northampton win stands out.

My first game in the Heineken Cup was the 27-20 win over Leicester in Donnybrook three seasons ago. Mark McHugh booted seven penalties and two drop goals but actually, it wasn't the most exciting of games. They weren't quite the Leicester they are now. They weren't double European champions. Leicester were difficult to break down, and when they started to flash the ball around, we struggled to hold on. But McHugh was kicking really well and Donnybrook went crazy.

Friday nights in Donnybrook are brilliant. I look forward to them every game, every season. Coming back from the internationals, having two back-to-back Fridays in Donnybrook is an exciting prospect for everyone. There's always a huge buzz about it.

I have to say I like Friday night games. It's something different. It helps when you're on a winning run.

It's a different entity from Ireland. It's a chance for new beginnings and we know that this Leinster team can be a good side. Confidence, I'm sure, isn't as high as it was a year ago when we went into the competition on the back of seven wins. Some players were missing last season as well in the Celtic League but we had the bounce of the ball last year and the bit of luck you need. We haven't had that at all so far this year. That's how rugby goes.

In some respects, too, it's good that we've put ourselves under pressure, because now we're forced to perform. We needed a performance last night to give us confidence going into Europe and to create that bit of a snowball effect.

I haven't seen Bristol but after losing four in a row they beat Leicester last week and Daryl Gibson is a big buy for them. They had big forwards and good halves, but seemed to be lacking something else in the middle until he signed. And he is a big unit. When Pichot is on his game, he's a great player, and he's so cheeky.

And with Contepomi around you won't be throwing any 50-50 passes. He really is the intercept king. He scores so many intercept tries. You don't ever see the missed tackles, but he scored something like eight intercept tries last season. He got one in the summer against France, literally sprinting in off the wing because he saw this pass coming.

He times it very well, but I'm never a fan of the one who constantly goes for the intercept.

Swansea, our second opponents, were poor by all accounts in their opening Celtic League game against Edinburgh. I was talking to Simon Taylor about it, but then they came over to Ravenhill and beat Ulster in what seemed like a battle royale with the amount of bloodshed.

Swansea have a great team on paper, and John Connolly is coaching them, so I'm sure they won't be too far off the pace.

I don't know a lot about Montferrand, to be honest, but their home record is incredible. And with these French sides they've the potential to be devastating on any given day. Leinster have never won in France and we really have to get rid of that monkey. It should be easy this year! Joke. But it's the same for the French when they go away. It's just tough to win away from home, for everybody. Even the weaker teams in each group tend to pick up home wins. That's why so many of the groups go down to the last day.

Munster have a tough French side to play away as well in Perpignan, and Gloucester away first up are just as difficult to beat at home and are in form. They're not just forwards any more. They have some backs that are throwing it around and scoring tries. This guy Garvey on the wing seems to be scoring for fun.

If Munster win that one, hats off. I think Gloucester need to be shown they're not the be-all and end-all. They're thinking very highly of themselves at the moment and English rugby is thinking very highly of them at the moment, so it would be nice if they were brought down a peg or two by an Irish team.

I certainly wouldn't be betting against Munster getting through that pool.

Likewise for Ulster, Northampton is a hard place to go to. Northampton have had some really mixed results. But Ulster have had a good win against Munster and they'll go into that game with some confidence. It depends as well on how key players play.

If Humphs plays as well as he usually does and kicks well, they'll be in it until the end. I think they'll beat Biarritz in Ravenhill and I think they could beat Cardiff home and away. If they can do that and get their other two home wins they've got a chance.

I'd expect Leicester to come through Pool One, though I wouldn't be surprised if Neath turn them over in the Gnoll. Llanelli are a hard side to beat in Stradey and I'd probably have my money on them in Pool Three. Toulouse to win Pool Five by a street. I would say I've never come across a performance like their 43-7 win over us last season. Ever.

They were just so French. The way they were running, their lines of running, their offloading in the tackle. They were like free spirits and were coming from so many angles. It kind of reminded me of when Australia beat England 76-0. There weren't a lot of moves involved in it. Just guys making angles and popping the ball to an array of support runners. And I'm sure me playing at 10 helped them somewhat! We still made plenty of last-ditch tackles to save some more scores.

Now we need to get some cohesion into our play again. That's what has been lacking. It's been difficult with two separate teams and we don't have a lot of time to get it right. We need to get our heads around the fact that we don't get second chances. You can't even contemplate losing your first game at home in Europe. So the pressure is on from day one. It's hard, but still very do-able.

(In an interview with Gerry Thornley).