La Rochelle's Australia lock Will Skelton said his side have to be "on it" if they want to win a third straight Champions Cup title this season as they kick off their campaign in a rerun of their two previous finals against Leinster on Sunday.
Skelton's club are in Pool 4 of the competition and will face the Stormers, Leicester, Sale as well as the Irish province during the group stage.
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Only Toulon have won the tournament on three straight occasions.
La Rochelle's fellow French side Stade Francais are also in the group but sides from the same domestic leagues do not face each other during the opening round under a new format.
The tournament's makeup has been changed for a third time in five years with four teams from each group advancing to the last 16, unlike just one club guaranteed into the quarter-finals as recently as 2019-2020.
"You just see the quality of our draw, the teams we’re playing," Skelton told AFP on Tuesday.
"We have to be on it every week but with the new format, a lot more teams qualify, it's not as ruthless as it was," he added.
Skelton, 31, only made his first La Rochelle appearance of the season last weekend after suffering a hamstring following his role as captain in Australia's disappointing Rugby World Cup campaign.
Outspoken Eddie Jones left his position as head coach after the Wallabies suffered a group stage exit for the first time.
"I had a good relationship with Eddie," Skelton said.
"I thought the direction he wanted to take the team was the right idea.
"It was a tough campaign, hopefully we've learnt that feeling as a group and we don’t want to have that feeling moving forward," he added.
Skelton's focus for the time being is on this weekend's game despite wanting to continue to represent his country.
The Dublin-based province will start a Champions Cup campaign without iconic fly-half Johnny Sexton for the first time in more than a decade after the former Ireland captain retired following the World Cup.
Sexton took over the Ireland No 10 jersey from La Rochelle's director of rugby Ronan O'Gara.
"Johnny Sexton will be a loss for them but it's the same for all great players, the end is the end," O'Gara told AFP.
"I don't think their DNA will change," the former Ireland fly-half added.
La Rochelle's two Champions Cup successes have come with final wins over Leinster with 145kg (319lbs) Skelton playing a big part.
"Over the last few performances we've had the upper hand," Skelton said.
"I don't think there's a special ingredient.
"You work hard for the guy next to you and you try and put some shots on," he added.
Elsewhere this weekend, English Premiership table-toppers Sale host in-form Stade Francais, Top 14 leaders Racing 92 welcome Harlequins and there is a repeat of the 1996 and first final as record-five time winners Toulouse play Cardiff.
Fixtures (all times GMT)
Friday
Pool 1: Connacht (IRL) v Bordeaux-Begles (FRA); Pool 3: Glasgow Warriors (SCO) v Northampton Saints (ENG) (both 2000)
Saturday
Pool 1: Bulls (RSA) v Saracens (ENG) (1730), Bristol Bears (ENG) v Lyon (FRA) (2000); Pool 2: Bath (ENG) v Ulster (IRL), Toulouse (FRA) v Cardiff (WAL) (both 1515); Pool 3: Toulon (FRA) v Exeter Chiefs (ENG) (1300)
Sunday
Pool 2: Racing 92 (FRA) v Harlequins (ENG) (1730); Pool 4: Sale Sharks (ENG) v Stade Francais (FRA) (1300), Leicester Tigers (ENG) v Stormers (RSA), La Rochelle (FRA) v Leinster (IRL) (both 1515)
