The former Toulouse back lifted the inaugural European Cup in 1996 and again for the second time with the French club in 2003, but was quick to highlight just how tough it was to win Europe’s elite club competition on more than one occasion.

“It’s an international match, first and foremost, with foreign teams going up against one another, said the 49-year-old. "We represent our club and our colours but we also represent our country to a certain extent.

“Even though it’s Toulouse against Munster, people will say it’s the French against the Irish, or it’s the English against the Scottish.

“Ultimately, the Heineken Champions Cup allows you to face the best players in the world. They aren’t all the best players in the world because, of course, there are others in the Southern Hemisphere.

“But the teams playing in the Heineken Champions Cup have a lot of potential because they are the best sides in their respective leagues. That means that you often encounter international players that represent their countries in the Six Nations and other tournaments.

"So, naturally, you meet better-quality players. The game is a lot faster and I don’t think there’s anything more incredible than playing very high-level matches and having the sense that you can compete – that you are a force to be reckoned with and you can win fixtures like those.

“That means that every match becomes difficult. They’re all tough games. At times they’re crazy matches and I can remember a game at Ebbw Vale in Wales. But that’s what the European Cup is all about: that constant feeling of uncertainty.”

European Cup-winning captain Emile Ntamack has highlighted the competitiveness of the Heineken Champions Cup, describing the competition as “like an international match”.