The Scarlets have been handed a particularly tough test after being drawn alongside current European Champions Leinster, last season’s semi-finalists Clermont Auvergne and English outfit Exeter Chiefs but Easterby insists excitement rather than trepidation is the buzz word in Llanelli.
“It’s all about the competition created by pitting yourself against the top teams in Europe,” said Easterby, whose side begin their campaign in France a week on Saturday.
“There are some real challenges for us here but equally they are exciting events to be part of both home and away.
“It’s an exciting draw for our supporters, with plenty in there to get our loyal support going, starting with Leinster at home on October 20.
“Home games will be crucial and the crowds we’re now attracting at Parc y Scarlets will give us an edge.”
The Scarlets put seven tries past an under-strength Leinster in the first game of the PRO12 season but lost to them home and away in the 2009/10 Heineken Cup.
Their record against Clermont doesn’t make happy reading having shipped 40 points on each of the two occasions they faced them in the Heineken Cup in 2007/08, with the most recent encounter being a 41-0 home reverse four years ago.
Exeter are debutants in the tournament having only stepped up to English rugby’s top flight in 2010 but Easterby insists the Scarlets won’t be taking them lightly given their fifth-place Premiership finish last term. Â
“It’s probably one of the toughest pools in the draw but it’s great for us to have the European Champions. We know Leinster well from our domestic league and they have set the standard for teams in Europe with the quality they have,” added Easterby.
“They’ll be looking for an unprecedented third title in succession, so that in itself is a big challenge and we’ll have a lot of work to do. But this Scarlets team is ambitious and eager for success. We want to pit ourselves against the best, and we certainly have that in this Heineken Cup pool.
“We’ve met Clermont in Europe in 2007/08 and last season played them in our pre-season fixtures. They have a great coaching set up, they, like Leinster, are one of the power houses of Europe and have quality throughout and will be targeting Europe, particularly after coming so close to taking their opportunity over Leinster in the semi-final this year.
“For an added bit of spice, there’s our former Scarlets favourite Regan King to contend with at Clermont as well – so that will present another challenge to handle in itself.
“Exeter are newcomers and, again, we have played them in three pre-season games over the past four years.
“They’ve shown how much they can compete now and have progressed well in recent seasons and have surprised a lot of people. They’re an effective side, well-drilled with a good set-piece and, ultimately, they don’t lose a lot at home.”
