So it's goodbye to the "Groups of Death" and farewell to the "Pools of Tranquility".

The seeding system introduced into the Heineken Cup for the first time this year is intended to make sure that none of the six four-team qualifying pools is markedly more difficult than the rest, and that none is a walkover. As a result, none of them has the X-factor.

The tail, it seems, is wagging the dog. The more successful clubs in Europe had come to rely not just on qualifying for the Heineken Cup, but reaching the lucrative quarter-final stages as well. Their budgets, as much as their fans, demanded that they reached the last eight in Europe.

Yet the system of placing teams in the six groups, from which the winners and the best two losers go through, left too much to chance.

It was just as likely to throw up a pool which included both an Italian and a Scottish team – leaving the other two sides is almost certain qualifiers – as one which was chock-full of potential champions. Two years ago, for instance Northampton found themselves in a group with both Overmach Parmaand the Border Reivers.

Even though the Saints were going through a shocking time in the Premiership – they were relegated at the end of the season – Northampton had little difficulty in reaching the Heineken Cup quarter-finals. In the same year, Toulouse – who had already won the Heineken Cup twice – found themselves in a much tougher group and failed to reach the last eight.

Last year, another double Heineken Cup winner, Leicester, were in the same group as Toulouse and, without an easy-to-beat Italian team in sight, the Tigers failed to win through.

Even more horrific from the competing clubs' point of view was the pool containing reigning Heineken Cup champions Wasps, Ireland's cup specialists Munster, reigning French champions Clermont Auvergne and Wales' best Heineken Cup team Llanelli Scarlets.

The armchair punter, on the other hand, didn't mind a bit. Last year's group stages were the most exciting for a long time. Both finalists, Munster and Toulouse, came from the so-called "Groups of Death", and both lost two matches in qualifying for the knockout stages.

This year, because of the seeding system which rates teams on their past success in Europe, there are no pools that are too strong and none that are too weak.

While Munster, for instance get to face the competition's only newcomer, Montauban, they also have tougher nuts to crack in Sale Sharks and Clermont Auvergne. It is impossible to have both a Scottish and an Italian team in the same pool, and all are more even as a result.

Nevertheless, Gloucester should find it easier to get out of a pool that contains Calvisano, even if the other two teams, Cardiff and Biarritz, are past finalists.

Bath should be reasonably relaxed about a pool that contains both Glasgow and Wales' least powerful side, Newport Gwent Dragons, even if they also have to face France's most successful, the mighty Toulouse.

Still, Bath not only know what it's like to win the tournament – they became the first English team to lift the Heineken Cup in 1998 – but they also know what it's like to beat Toulouse in their own backyard – albeit in a "dead" match in 2000.

This weekend's match is much more vital, and it's important to lay down a marker.

Munster may have lost their opening fixture last year, but in pushing Wasps all the way, they reassured themselves that they still had what it takes to mix it with the best in Europe. That is a minimum requirement for Bath this Sunday.

Gloucester at least have home advantage against Biarritz though that has been a mixed blessing against French opposition in the past.

True, they beat Bourgoin 51-27 at Kingsholm last season but the memories of a 27-0 whitewash by Stade Francais three years ago are still raw.

The mental scars from another home game – last year's quarter-final against Munster – are also in need of healing.

Gloucester need – like Bath against Toulouse – to make a statement of intent against Biarritz. Unlike Bath, however, the minimum requirement for Gloucester is a win.

A victory of any sort is even more imperative for Bristol. Like their neighbours, they too are up against French opposition. Unlike them, they are cursing the absence of a seeding system.

Their group in the European Challenge Cup is easily the most powerful in the competition.

Apart from a Toulon team chock full of All Blacks and Wallabies, Bristol also have to get past a Northampton side that beat them last week in the EDF Energy Cup, while this weekend, they travel to Montpellier, breeding-ground for some of France's most promising youngsters.

It may be tough at the top, but Bristol Rugby are rapidly discovering that it's hell at the bottom.