Leinster coach Lancaster anticipating tough test at Saints

The former England boss has seen his side drawn against Chris Boyd's men as well as Montpellier in the Champions Cup for the 2020/21 campaign.

And though Leinster have a great record against Saints, winning each of the past four matches, Lancaster knows what will lie in wait at Franklin's Gardens.

“I guess you can’t be expecting to get through unless you’re winning three from four games, so you’re going to have to try to get an away win,” Lancaster told The42.

“Both places (Saints and Montpellier) are very difficult to go to and win.”

Leinster are set to lose a host of players to Ireland duty in the weeks to come, but, fitness permitting, they should all be available for the opening weekend of the Champions Cup.

Nevertheless, it will be a big challenge to reintegrate them as they will have been in action on the weekend before the European campaign starts as that is when Ireland will play their final Autumn Nations Cup game.

And Lancaster said: “You put yourself in our position from a selection point of view, normally the Six Nations would finish, you’d have a week, then re-integrate the lads for a European quarter-final.

“In this format, with Ireland finishing on the Saturday (December 5) and us playing on the following Friday or Saturday, it’s the re-integration of 15 to 20 Ireland players with the group we’ve currently got now. That selection for the first game will be critical really.

“I don’t think many other teams, if any, will supply as many international players as we do.

“How we manage that process and re-integrate those players – some might play and some might not.

"Also, you’ve got to remember these players have played under a different coaching team, a different calling system, so there’s no guarantees at all.

“It’s a tough start for us whether we play at home or away against Northampton or Montpellier because of that reason as much as anything else.

“Then even if you get the wins, it doesn’t guarantee you a home quarter-final, it just guarantees you a spot in the top four.

“You’ve got a home-and-away quarter-final because of the nature of the two-leg affair.”