The TOP 14 team were beaten 29-23 by Ulster Rugby at Stade Marcel-Michelin in Round 1 on Saturday and Gibbes knows they will need to improve if they are to progress to the knockout stage.

The 44-year-old New Zealander, who has returned to the club where he was forwards coach from 2014 until 2017, has warned his players that there is no magic formula to winning the competition – but admits that his track record may help his new team.

“The objective is to achieve new things, to approach things positively and use such experiences for the next situations,” he said.

“It’s quite difficult to make it to the knockout stage and once you're there, each match is against a top-quality opponent.

“After all, when it comes to the quality [of the teams], the margin is very, very small and you only have 80 minutes to either write a little bit of history or to suffer great disappointment. But the reward is great and that’s why it’s special.”

Gibbes, who left Stade Rochelais to take over at Clermont ahead of this season, doesn’t feel like he is in charge of a team needing total reconstruction – but he admits that with such high expectations surrounding the club, there will always be pressure on him.

“For me, personally, that’s how it is,” he said. “When a coach like Frank [Azéma] leaves after such a long time, things change. It’s always going to be different, but it’s neither positive nor negative. It’s just a different way of working. There’s a different style of training and so on.

“So, to answer your question, this Clermont team is just starting to work in a new way with a new head coach. That’s all.”

The former Ulster boss reports that morale is high in the camp – with players stepping up to lead the squad in different ways.

“Obviously, Wesley [Fofana], Morgan [Parra] and Camille [Lopez] are the natural leaders in the backline, as well as the others, who have come on a lot since I’ve arrived,” he added.

“I think that leadership is a shared responsibility; the leadership of carrying out the duties of your role, of doing your job well for your teammates, is everyone’s responsibility.”

ASM Clermont Auvergne head coach Jono Gibbes has pledged to use his experience to guide his side through this season’s challenges in the Heineken Champions Cup.