The Blues have failed to reach the knock-out stages of Europe’s premier competition since 2001. But the captain of the in-form Magners League leaders believes his men will enter Pool 3 brimming with confidence when they face English rivals Bristol, Harlequins and French outfit Stade Francais.
Rush said: “We want to advance out of our pool because we haven’t done that for a while. That’s our first goal. We’ve looked at the three teams in our pool and we believe we can qualify.”
The Blues crushed Sale Sharks 32-15 in the first weekend of EDF Energy Cup action last Friday and Rush reckons the Anglo-Welsh clashes will help the Blues in Europe.
Rush said: “The EDF has given us a little taster of what we can expect in the Heineken Cup and it’s given us a way of measuring our side.
“We’ve got Bristol at home in our first match and it’s a crucial game for us. We know that home success will be imperative to our chances of progressing and if we fail against Bristol, we’ll then have to win on the road.”
