The current advertising campaign for Heineken lager involves a typical stuffy British man embracing idiosyncrasies of the European way of life by getting his ‘continental head’ on.
As rugby’s Heineken Cup kicks off this weekend the weight of expectation suggests we are envisaging a similar full-blooded embrace of the European way of things by our British clubs.
The tournament has seemingly been growing in popularity year on year and this season’s edition - which will feature the likes of Dan Carter, Doug Howlett, Rocky Elsom, Vincent Clerc and Shane Williams - promises to be a very special event.
It is the competition that keeps club rugby commercially viable in days of TV coverage dominated by football and for two-timing fans of both the oval and round ball game like myself, bears comparison with the Champions League.
When I suggest that British clubs put on their ‘continental head’ in this tournament I am not implying English clubs suddenly ditch their defensive tendencies hewn out of fear of relegation or that Irish forward-based teams suddenly start hurling long passes across the pitch.
It is more the intensity and competitiveness that seems to creep up a notch and creates a fascinating spectacle for neutrals.
Without wishing to devalue the Guiness Premiership too much, the league season has been diluted by the play-off system.
With sides hampered by international call ups and ever-increasing injuries in the intense modern game, some teams almost seem to adopt the attitude that they can just need to hang in there for most of the year, make a late play-off surge and then prove their mettle in the knock-out matches when they can field all their big guns.
In the Heineken Cup international fixtures are not an issue and the clubs tend to put their strongest teams out every time, removing any doubt that these are big games.
The likes of Wasps and Leicester, whose league form has been patchy in recent seasons, shine in this tournament, as do Munster, they have entrenched winning mentalities that respond to the big match atmosphere.
This year’s competition has also thrown up some delicious fixtures, this weekend the Tigers take on the Ospreys, Sale visit Clermont Auvergne and England’s form team Bath travel to Toulouse –and that’s just for starters.
The Heineken is a tournament that is very much in vogue and I can’t remember experiencing a greater sense of anticipation before a club rugby tournament.
I hope it lives up to all the hype, remember – get the head right, and the rest will follow!
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