Imperfect format, but Champions Cup never disappoints

It might not be bigger, but there's every chance it will be better.

The 2022/23 Heineken Champions Cup is up and running. On these shores, at least, it always hits different.

"There's a special feeling around Europe," Munster's Tadhg Beirne said this week. Even as the temperatures drop, things heat up when the Champions Cup is in town.

Beirne's mention of Europe was a force of habit, but this is no longer the preserve of the northern hemisphere.

The South Africans have arrived, with the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers bringing a new dimension to this season's competition; more travel, contrasting climates, and - in the case of the Bulls - altitude. They'll bring some decent players too.

Their introduction has proven controversial, mainly in England and France, with the Irish, Welsh and Scottish audiences already well-versed with the South African franchises from the Pro14 and more recently URC.

The main sticking point, it seems, is that the European Cup now contains teams that aren't in Europe. Antoine Dupont is one of those who doesn't seem to be a fan.

"For purists, it's a bit difficult to grasp," the Toulouse captain said ahead of his side's visit to Thomond Park this Sunday.

"Our whole generation has known the legendary European Cup. It’s a new competition now. It’s no longer the European Cup."

It's worth noting that for Toulouse, at least, the pool stage will be just as they've known it, with the five-time winners taking on Munster and Sale Sharks, both very much in Europe (if not the European Union). One would hope he hasn't confused the Sale Sharks with their Durban namesakes.

It may no longer be the European Cup, but does that really matter? When the Heineken Cup caught fire in Ireland in the early 2000s, it was down to the