Gareth Thomas celebrates Toulouse's 2005 Heineken Cup win

But one of the toughest groups ever drawn is in Pool 3, which has Leicester against the Ospreys, plus French duo Stade Francais and Clermont Auvergne.

The weakest group on paper is Pool 2, which has Cardiff Blues, Calvisano, Perpignan and Leeds Tykes in it.

Elsewhere, Munster face the Newport Gwent Dragons, Castres and Sale.

Ulster and Saracens will have to be at their best to beat French powers Biarritz in Pool 4, with Italian side Treviso completing the group.

HEINEKEN CUP DRAW Pool 1: Munster, Castres Olympique, Sale Sharks, Newport Gwent Dragons Pool 2: Calvisano, Perpignan, Leeds Tykes, Cardiff Blues Pool 3: Ospreys, Stade Francais, Leicester Tigers, Clermont Auvergne Pool 4: Biarritz Olympique, Saracens, Ulster, Benetton Treviso Pool 5: Glasgow, Bourgoin, Bath, Leinster Pool 6: London Wasps, Toulouse, Llanelli Scarlets, Edinburgh

There will be plenty of familiar faces in Pool 5 where, just like last season, Bath, Leinster and Bourgoin have all been pitched together, with just Glasgow the new faces.

But most eyes will be drawn to Pool 3, which has Leicester - who topped the English league before losing the Premiership final to Wasps - against Celtic League winners the Ospreys and French runners-up Stade Francais.

Clermont Auvergne, who boast Wales and Lions fly-half Stephen Jones in their ranks, will also be no pushovers.

Wales skipper Gareth Thomas, who helped Toulouse lift the Cup last season against Stade Francais, will be delighted to get a trip back to Wales to face the Scarlets for a second year in a row.

But the two matches between Toulouse and London Wasps will be titanic, and certainly a target for broken-ankle victim Lawrence Dallaglio to aim to return for.

Dallaglio broke and dislocated his ankle in the Lions' opening tour match in New Zealand against Bay of Plenty, ruling him out of the Test series.

The opening round of matches takes place on the weekend of 21-23 October, with the final being held on 20 or 21 May at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.