The 55-year-old, who has been in charge at UBB since 2019, was delighted to guide them back into Europe’s top club competition this season for the first time since 2017.

“There’s an element of discovery to it, even if now, when you’re doing it every year, you get to know the teams a little bit,” he said.

“But there’s an element of discovery with regard to those teams you don’t know about – or don’t know much about – and to changing personnel. You often come across the best groups of personnel in Europe and you come across the best teams in Europe with big-name players.

“So, what’s fantastic is that confrontation. Coming up against European rugby players is what really excites us. It gives us a break from the everyday and we’re keen to express ourselves and make a mark too.”

Since he played only one game in the Heineken Cup, for Castres Olympique in 1995 against Swansea, his main memories of the competition are as a coach, also with Castres.

“For me, the memories that come to mind, especially as a coach, because as a player it’s different, are the clashes with Munster,” he said.

“I don’t know why, but when I was at Castres, almost every year we had Munster in the pool stage. Coming up against Munster was a real learning curve.”

Indeed, it was, as in 2002, when he was forwards coach, Castres topped Pool 4 ahead of the Irish province, only for Munster to beat the French club 25-17 at Béziers in the semi-finals. Castres then finished second to Munster in Pool 4 in 2004/05.

“You need to be resilient,” Urios commented.

Bordeaux-Bègles director of rugby Christophe Urios has hailed the Heineken Champions Cup as a voyage of discovery and a welcome break from the day-to-day pressures of the Top 14.