Pool 1: Northampton Saints v Castres Olympic
With four wins from five already this season Northampton Saints (the 2000 winners) have got their 2010/11 campaign off to a positive start and are sitting second in the Aviva Premiership behind London Irish. Contrast that with visitors Castres - 10th in Top 14 with just four wins from nine - and it would seem that this Pool 1 tie will end in defeat for the French outfit. This rings especially true when you consider that Castres have lost all five of their away games so far this season and have yet to reach the rugged consistency they displayed in 2009/10 when they surprised many by finishing fifth in Top 14. That form rightly earned them entry to this season's competition but the men of Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers will have to pull off one of the surprise results of the opening weekend if they're to emerge with victory at Franklin's Gardens. They definitely have quality in their ranks - with the likes of Chris Masoe, Marc Andreu and Romain Teulet - but could be in for a very long afternoon as they face up to one of the brightest attack-minded sides in England.
Verdict: Northampton Saints win
Other pool match: Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh

Pool 2: Leinster v Racing-Métro 92
Ambitious Paris outfit Racing-Métro 92 are in for a Heineken baptism of fire as they travel to Ireland to take on 2009 winners Leinster at the RDS on Saturday afternoon. The Irish province may not be the force it was two seasons ago under Michael Cheika - now in charge at Stade Francais - but new head coach Joe Schmidt - formerly of Clermont Auvergne - will know enough about Racing's squad to give his players a thorough understanding of what to expect from Pierre Berbizier's outfit. But this is a match cut out for Racing's big-name stars with the likes of Sébastien Chabal, Lionel Nallet, Francois Steyn, Nicolas Durand, Andrea Masi and Jacques Cronje all well versed in high-stakes rugby at the international level. Racing's strength this year and last has been based on a ferocious pack providing good ball for a back-line currently being expertly marshaled by Jonathan Wisniewski. The in-form fly-half has been kicking virtually everything that comes his way this season as he's helped propel Racing into top spot in the French league. The Parisians are also less fickle than most French teams on the road, having won at Toulon already this season and garnered a defensive bonus at Stade Toulousain last weekend. A repeat of that feat would probably suit Berbizier nicely from the club's first Heineken outing, especially when faced with Leinster's pedigree - both in terms of past form in this competition and their star-studded line-up.
Verdict: Leinster to win, but Racing to nick a defensive bonus

Pool 2: Clermont Auvergne v Saracens
 

Brock James' untimely wonky radar cost Clermont dearly as they went out to Leinster in last season's quarter-final, but 'Les Jaunards' will enter this year's competition with confidence anew after finally claiming their inaugural French title (at the 11th time of asking). Coach Vern Cotter and captain Aurélien Rougerie have made no secret of their desire to transfer that form onto the European stage this time around, with James being left free to concentrate on his fly-half duties now that newly named Top 14 Player of the Year Morgan Parra has assumed the place-kicking role. There's no doubt that Clermont have the quality and desire to lift Europe's top club honour and the Michelin-backed side will expect to start this season's campaign with a decisive home win against Saracens. The English outfit arrive in good form - with four league wins from five - but few teams emerge in credit from the Stade Marcel Michelin. The star-studded French champions have been knocking on the door of European success for some years now, with all that previously prevented them going on being mental fortitude and a touch of luck, but that could be about to change this time around...
Verdict: Clermont to win

Pool 3: Toulon v Ospreys
It seems remarkable that a team of Toulon's pedigree has yet to play in the Heineken Cup but the last of the Cote d'Azur club's three French titles came in 1992, three years before the inception of Europe's top club prize. Thus, their much-anticipated entrance will be watched closely by fans and coaches throughout Europe as they entertain Wales' Ospreys at the intimidating Stade Félix Mayol on Saturday afternoon. Much has already been written about England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson - who will surely thrive on having a high-profile opportunity to remind all of his excellent current form - but to think of Toulon as a one-man band would be doing Philippe Saint-André's team a massive disservice. In common with Stade Toulousain, Clermont Auvergne and Racing-Métro they have a squad laden with high-calibre internationals, but Toulon's great strength last season - when they finished second in Top 14 - was their unity. They have a pack intent on wreaking havoc, a back row to rival any in the competition and a three-quarter line that has the potential to score from anywhere. Despite that they tend to play a pragmatic game, grinding down opponents and forcing penalty concessions to enable Wilko to open up a solid lead. That is not to say they don't have the will or quality to run the ball, however, and with former All Black wide-man Rudi Wulf now finding his feet they also have plenty of try-scoring potential. They are, though, not infallible at home - as shown by league defeats by both Racing and Bayonne - although their recent form would tend to suggest that was merely early-season teething problems.
Verdict: Toulon to win
Other pool match: London Irish v Munster

Pool 4: Bath Rugby v Biarritz Olympic
Twice runners-up Biarritz Olympic saved their best form for the Heineken Cup last season as they struggled to match their European success with domestic results. Despite that they snuck back into the H Cup courtesy of their seventh-placed finish in Top 14 and will be looking once more use it as a springboard for success in 2010/11. They will also go in buoyed by a run of four wins from their last five games, including a much cherished 19-22 away win in the Basque derby last weekend. Scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili was the key man behind that victory - scoring all 22 of his side's points - and the feisty international is likely to be integral to their fortunes on Sunday too. The core of last season's team remains intact, with influential back-row specialist Imanol Harinordoquy now proudly wearing the captain's armband. The likes of Iain Balshaw and Takudzwa Ngwenya offer pace and individual brilliance in the back line, while there could even be a first outing of the season for French centre Damien Traille after recovering from a groin operation. New addition Erik Lund has given the Basques an added dimension in the line-outs this season, but they will miss the front-row expertise of international prop Fabien Barcella. Despite that they have more than enough potential to cause Bath problems at The Rec, and could even emerge with a cherished away win if they have their heads screwed on - always a caveat with French clubs cross 'Le Channel'. 
Verdict: Bath to win, but Biarritz to take a defensive bonus
Other pool match: Ulster Rugby v Aironi Rugby

Pool 5: Scarlets v Perpignan
Perennial European under-achievers Perpignan will have to rise above their general mediocrity in Top 14 this season if they're not to return home empty-handed from the Parc y Scarlets on Sunday. The Catalans have been scratching around for form and results so far in 2010/11 - hindered, it must be said, by a string of injuries - but the 2009 French champions will take heart from the fact they travel to Wales on the back of a six-match unbeaten run that has lifted them to fifth in Top 14. A closer inspection of those results will give Scarlets hope however as Perpignan have drawn one of those - after being 0-20 up at struggling SU Agen - while two of their wins have been by just one point. None of their other three wins have been by a greater margin than seven points either, so it's been a case of winning ugly for Jacques Brunel's team. The lure of a possible quarter-final at Barcelona's Camp Nou remains the target for Perpignan, although president Paul Goze has clearly lost patience in waiting for that to happen and is now setting up a Top 14 match there as he can at least guarantee the club's presence for that. Last year the Catalans suffered the indignity of an opening round loss at Benetton Treviso, so expectation has necessarily been tempered this time around - which in itself might prove beneficial to a team that is certainly battle-hardened.
Verdict: Scarlets to win, but Perpignan to take a defensive bonus  
Other pool match: Benetton Treviso v Leicester Tigers

Pool 6: Stade Toulousain v London Wasps
Last, but by no means least, we have reigning champions and four-time winners Stade Toulousain as they begin their defence at home to English outfit London Wasps. The south-west giants continue to set the benchmark as far as the Heineken Cup is concerned and veteran coach Guy Noves remains hungry to continue their love affair with the competition. In addition to their four titles they have also been runners-up on two further occasions and no other team can match that pedigree. They have been cruising along so far in Top 14 - but are still second - with Noves priming his squad, as usual, for the business end of the season, But while a home start should give the perfect opportunity to get points under their belt, they will be wary of a London Wasps side that won't be cowed by running out in front of 32,000 at the Stade Municipal. They may have had an indifferent start to their Aviva Premiership campaign - won two out of five - but they will be more than ready to take advantage should Toulouse fail to hit their straps from the off.
Verdict: Stade Toulousain win 
Other pool match: Glasgow Warriors v Newport Gwent Dragons