London Wasps director of rugby Ian McGeechan says they will not give up their title lightly despite being drawn in one of the hardest Pools ever in the Heineken Cup.

The champions of the last two years, Wasps and Munster , are in with second ranked French team and European Challenge Cup holders Clermont Auvergne along with Llanelli Scarlets who reached last season’s semi-finals after a perfect six out of six wins in the group stages. 

“You will always get one group like this, the  seeding does not keep all the top teams apart and any one of that group could win the competition,” said McGeechan.


“We have just got to get on with it, we knew it was likely so we just have to concentrate of qualifying out of the pool.


“When we have got out top team out we have played well and the nice thing is it all came together during the knockout part nearing the end of the season.


“When we get the players back from the World Cup we will have to re-focus pretty quickly.


“We had two French teams in the pool last year which was not easy, so we know we have to front up from the first game.


“We have a reputation for playing better after Christmas and coming to a peak which we have done for the last three or four seasons but we are going to have to compete from October if we want to get through to the later stages.


“It was a great occasion at Twickenham to have the biggest club game in the world with a fantastic atmosphere, it was great to be part of it and it is our aim to be back there and we will not give it up lightly.”