The difference between the Champions Cup and the old Heineken Cup is revealed by a glance at the pools, now five groups instead of six. There used to be one pool of death but now it is a case of a single pool of life, which tends to be the one that involves the Italian representatives.
Wasps are the Premiership club fortunate to have drawn Zebre, who have lost by 54 and 44 points at Ospreys and Munster this season, along with Connacht, who have made a stuttering start to the defence of their Pro12 title, and Toulouse, the most successful club in the history of the European Cup with four titles but who have made the knockout stage only once in the last four seasons.
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