SARACENS gladiator George Kruis can’t wait for their mammoth Champions Cup opener away to galacticos Toulon.
The holders and Premiership champs kick off their Euro defence with a mouth-watering clash in the bear pit of the Stade Mayol, against the three-times winners on Saturday, October 15.
Even though last season’s Top 14 runners-up have NEVER lost a big-game Euro tie at home, England lock Kruis is not afraid of taking on the the mega-rich south of France superstars.
After missing the 2014 final defeat to a Jonny Wilkinson-inspired Toulon, Kruis said: “We know they will put out an unbelievable side and I think it will be a pretty big spectacle having this year’s champs against last year’s.
“The atmosphere that they have at their place, it will be a massive game for us.
And if you look at the players playing on both sides, there will probably only be a few uncapped players between the teams.
“It’s exciting to play Toulon first up. After 2014 we’re all that bit older now, we pretty much have the same squad who have been through a lot of big experiences with some big wins under our belts.
“We know as holders that we will be targeted.
But it’s good to have Toulon away to start, it’s as tough as they come, but then we have them at home for the last game so we will know where we need to be at by then.”
Leicester Tigers get their Euro campaign started with a trip to Glasgow on the Friday night and semi-finalists Wasps host Zebra the following day.
Northampton Saints also have a home tie against Challenge Cup winners Montpellier who beat Harlequins to the crown in May.
Sale head to Wales to face the Scarlets and Exeter Chiefs have their French nemesis Clermont Auverge on Sunday 16.
Quins have a tough home opener against Stade Francais in the second tier competition on Friday 13.
Worcester face a long trip to Russia to play Enisei-STM and newcomers Bristol have a home tie against Cardiff.
Newcastle are at Ospreys and Gloucester at Bayonne.
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And Bath, whose new boss Todd Blackadder finally arrived at the club yesterday more than three weeks after being appointed – are away to Pau.
Last season’s Premiership strugglers rolled out the red carpet for the former All Blacks captain who was served up a three-course meal by the club’s academy stars at their Fairleigh House training ground.
Blackadder will get the first glimpse of his new side in action on Saturday as they travel to north Wales to face the Scarlets in a friendly.
Head coach Tabai Matson, also snapped up from the Canterbury Crusaders this summer, has been Blackadder’s eyes and ears at the club since arriving from New Zealand on Monday.
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