European champions Leicester have been installed as clear favourites to complete an unprecedented Heineken Cup hat-trick this season.

The Tigers, who kick off their title defence against Neath on Friday night, are an 11/4 chance with leading bookmakers William Hill.

And that price puts Martin Johnson's men way ahead of the 24-strong field, despite erratic Premiership form that has already seen them lose three times away from home.

But if they want to make a winning start, then it will require a first Heineken Cup win in three attempts on Welsh soil following past defeats at Llanelli and Pontypridd.

"Winning back-to-back Heineken Cup finals was a great achievement, and we know that a hat-trick of titles would be even tougher," Johnson said.

"As the champions, we are the ones to be shot at, the ones everyone else want to beat, but that is nothing new for us at Leicester.

"People are also reminding us that we've lost both our previous Heineken Cup pool matches in Wales, so we need to start putting that record straight."

Premiership leaders Gloucester, currently six points clear of the chasing pack, are 8/1 fourth favourites, behind Leicester and Irish challengers Munster and Leinster, bracketed together on 6/1.

Gloucester, Heineken Cup semi-finalists in 2000, begin their campaign at home to Munster on Saturday, a pivotal game for both sides in terms of quarter-final ambitions.

Beziers are the most strongly-fancied of this season's five tournament debutants, priced at 20/1, with Sale Sharks 22/1, London Irish 33/1 and Bristol Shoguns a distant 66/1, while Italian newcomers Viadana start as rank 1,000/1 outsiders.

Llanelli, semi-finalists in two of the past three seasons, lead Welsh hopes as a 16/1 chance, but Scotland's failure to produce a quarter-finalist since Heineken Cup rugby began six years ago is reflected through 50/1 shots Edinburgh and 80/1 contenders Glasgow.

The tournaments starts on Friday, when Leicester visit Neath, Sale entertain Bourgoin, Leinster host Bristol and Newport travel to Edinburgh.