CIAN HEALY, age 21 Leinster, prop

Healy is expected to break into the Ireland team this season. He is also expected to break down a few defences with the dynamism of his running game. A squat sprinter around the park and an awkward, aggressive technician in the scrum, he is a bright light from the dark places.

DYLAN HARTLEY, 23 Northampton, hooker

Bruising and often brilliant, Hartley is seen as the hooker to resuscitate England’s power game. He has looked the part in the Premiership. Now he has to confront Jerry Flannery and the Munster pack before a jaunt to Perpignan — a trial by fire for the Saints captain.

JON DAVIES, 21 Scarlets, centre

He scored two tries against the USA for Wales in the summer and was hailed as the new Scott Gibbs. Premature talk. There’s a long road to travel before such comparisons can be taken seriously but he will bump a few out of his way as he tries to emulate Gibbs’ direct route to the summit.

MAXIME MEDARD, 22 Toulouse, winger/full-back

If there is a more exciting young talent in the world, he’s being kept well hidden. Medard, right, mesmerised throughout last season for club and country and was dazzling in the win against New Zealand. The future has arrived; let us hope Toulouse is in the mood to unleash it.

KEITH EARLS, 21 Munster, outside-centre/ full-back

The youngster looked more a cub than a fully fledged Lion for most of the recent tour but there were glimpses of his sublime angles and ghosted movement through opposing defenders to remind us something special is growing in the fertile Munster rugby soil.

STUART BARNES’ DREAM TEAM
1 G Jenkins (Cardiff)
2 D Hartley (Northampton)
3 N Mas (Perpignan)
4 P Albacete (Toulouse)
5 P O’Connell (Munster)
6 S Ferris (Ulster)
7 M Williams (Cardiff)
8 J Heaslip (Leinster)
9 P Hodgson (Wasps)
10 R O’Gara (Munster)
11 C Heymans (Toulouse)
12 J Roberts (Cardiff)
13 B O’Driscoll, capt (Leinster)
14 M Medard (Toulouse)
15 R Kearney (Leinster)

HEINEKEN CUP PREDICTIONS

Stephen Jones Leinster to beat Leicester in the final. Losing semi-finalists: Munster and Perpignan
Stuart Barnes Stade Francais to beat Leinster in the final. Losing semi-finalists: Munster and London Irish

OPENING FIXTURES

Friday Ulster v Bath, Gloucester v Newport Gwent Dragons (S4C), Leinster v London Irish (Sky Sports)
Saturday Cardiff Blues v Harlequins (Sky Sports), Treviso v Perpignan, Stade Français v Edinburgh, Scarlets v Brive, Glasgow v Biarritz (Sky Sports), Clermont v Viadana, Northampton v Munster (Sky Sports)