5:28pm Thursday 14th June 2012
By Stuart Amos
Harlequins’ reward for winning the Premiership title is a place in the weakest Heineken Cup pool, but director of rugby Conor O’Shea will not underestimate the challenge.
Quins failed to reach the knockout stages of the competition last year, but have a gilt-edged opportunity to better that after being drawn in pool three with Amlin Cup holders Biarritz, Connacht and Italian side Zebre.
And O’Shea has already targeted progress.
“We are delighted to have qualified for the Heineken Cup again and know how difficult it is to progress from the pool stage,” he said when the draw was made this week.
“We were disappointed to miss out narrowly on reaching the knockout stages last season and we want to make it out of our pool this time.
“We will not be underestimating the challenge we face.
“Biarritz are the current Amlin Challenge Cup holders and have played in the Heineken Cup final before and, after our experience in Galway, nobody knows better than us what formidable opponents Connacht are.”
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