Swansea welcome Stade Francais to St Helens tomorrow in the most attractive tie of the weekend and after an impressive vistory over Wasps laast time out, centre Scott Gibbs remians focused on the task ahead.

"Our objective has always been to get through this month unbeaten before facing tough trips to Paris and London next January," said the Wales and British Lions centre.

"There is great self-belief in the squad, and many of the boys have a massive personal incentive to do well in this competition."

Not since the inaugural 12-team Heineken Cup in 1996 have Swansea progressed beyond the group stages, earning themselves a sizeable under-achiever's tag.

And coach John Plumtree is anxious that no-one gets carried away by the All Whites' blistering start.

"You have to be pleased with a performance that sees you score 50-plus points against a side like Wasps," said the New Zealander.

"But it only gets tougher now with the visit of Stade Francais, and we have to keep our focus."

Stade, with Australian coach John Connolly in charge, are determined to become the first French European champions since Brive more than three years ago.

"As far as the Heineken Cup is concerned, we've only really experienced failure as a club," said Stade's English international flanker Richard Pool-Jones.

"But this team is made up of guys who only have one thing in mind, and that is being champions.

"We are very much running on the confidence we gained through winning the French Championship last season, and it is all about individual sacrifice for collective gain.

"If you aren't there to win, then you have no place in the Stade Francais team."

Tournament organisers will keep a keen eye on developments in south-west France tomorrow when European Shield champions Pau tackle Pontypridd.

The Welsh club have twice been involved in off-field incidents on Heineken Cup missions to France, and they have already been warned that any repeat could realise serious repercussions.

But Pau are no angels either, and there is a powder-keg potential to the Pool Six encounter.

"We will take the field looking to play good rugby, and hopefully that is the way Pau will be approaching the match too," said Pontypridd coach Richie Collins.

Unlike Swansea and Pontypridd, who both made winning starts to their European campaigns, last season's semi-finalists Llanelli came unstuck on home soil against Gloucester.

The Scarlets visit Colomiers tomorrow, and coach Gareth Jenkins is anxious for them to recover quickly from that Stradey Park setback.

"We have to do ourselves justice in Colomiers, although it is a difficult challenge," said Jenkins, ahead of the Pool Five fixture.

"We have won in France before, yet we accept that Colomiers are a good team and certainly our tackling needs improving after the Gloucester game."

European champions Northampton, Llanelli's semi-final conquerors five months ago, entertain Edinburgh Reivers in Pool One.

And despite an injury list that still includes the likes of Matt Dawson, Nick Beal and Craig Moir, Saints must open their points account following last Saturday's defeat in Biarritz.

Jeremy Davidson has promised a warm welcome for his Irish international colleagues when Munster visit Castres in Pool Four tomorrow.

Castres skipper Davidson is close friends with Munster trio Mick Galwey, Peter Clohessy and Anthony Foley, but that relationship will be temporarily put on hold.

"We will be trying to whip up a storm for Munster to come into during the first 20 minutes," Davidson said.

"We must knock the steam out of them in that opening period and, psychologically, we will be ready for a very big battle."

Sunday's action features four Premiership clubs embarking on stage two of their European campaigns.

League champions Leicester visit Glasgow, anxious to erase memories of last season's damaging 30-17 defeat last term, while Wasps will surely wipe out their Swansea nightmare in L'Aquila.

Saracens have home advantage against Ulster, suggesting a second successive Pool Three win, with Gloucester tackling Italian champions Roma at Kingsholm.