His side face Ulster Rugby and Sale Sharks in the pool stage – and the 27-year-old thinks the away trips could go some way towards building team spirit.

“You can’t just escape at 3pm when training is done!” he said. “You have to be there and it’s true that it can add to the togetherness amongst us. That works even better when you win.

“Impactful victories away from home like that can transform a group. You feel it on Monday, Tuesday, that you’ve done something great away from home, especially in the Champions Cup. This creates even more team spirit.”

With a new head coach in Jono Gibbes, Iturria knows that Clermont will have to hit the ground running to progress.

“You have to start winning straightaway against some big European teams,” said the French international. “We’ll get into the swing of things straightaway and we’ll see whether or not that’s good for us later on, but we don’t really have a choice.”

Gibbes has spent the close season getting to know his squad, but Iturria believes a lot of responsibility weighs on the players’ shoulders.

“He knows some players but not others and I don’t think it’s ever easy to come into that as a manager,” the second-row forward remarked.

“So, he’s gradually trying to create something and you can see that it’s working pretty well each weekend. That also creates competition within the squad, which I think is important for the future.

“When we go into must-win games, it’s up to us to stand up and be counted, and the more experienced players have to take charge in those games. So, obviously, those are the games where we’ll have to be at our best.”

Iturria is also aware that Clermont’s fans are expecting a prosperous season, with the TOP 14 club having regularly featured in the knockout stages of European rugby’s top club competition recently.

“They’re demanding, because they’ve got used to it,” he commented. “We’ve qualified for and even got to the final of the [Heineken] Champions Cup in the last few years.

“That hasn’t been the case in the last two or three years, but they certainly have high expectations, so it’s up to us to go as far as possible.

“We don’t ever play badly on purpose, but the main thing is that we give 100 per cent for the club and for ourselves. That would be a good start.”

Every year is a tough one when it comes to European competition, but this season in the Heineken Champions Cup will be more challenging than ever, according to ASM Clermont Auvergne lock Arthur Iturria.