One of the beauties of sport is that it just keeps rolling. While the Rugby World Cup is an inevitable focus for fans three months out from the opening games, we are already invited to get excited about what comes next.

The draw yesterday for the Heineken Champions’ Cup has given plenty of reasons to do just that with the return of Simon Zebo and Donnacha Ryan to Thomond Park one of the most compelling.

Part of the Munster DNA is overcoming adversity and they will need to channel that if they are to emerge from Pool 4 and make it to the knock out stages for a record 12th time.

Reigning Champions Saracens would scare anybody but Munsters position in the second tier guranateed there was going to be one of the big guns.  Where it got messy for the men of Munster was in drawing Racing 92 and then Ospreys.

The Parisians will have Simon Zebo and Donnacha Ryan fresh and without any World Cup bumps and bruises when they turn up in Thomond Park.  The opening round of games will take place only two weeks after the Final in Tokyo.

It should guranatee a full house though which is one silver lining to take from the draw and one that gives a chance for the players to feed on the passion that will inevitably generate.

This is the first year in three that all four provinces have made it through to the highest level of European Competition and Connacht will be hoping for wins on the pitch as well as off as their plans for development of the Sportsgrounds that will host Toulouse, Gloucester and Montpellier are progressed.

Ulster Rugby have Harlequins, Bath and Clermont Auvergne while Leinster will fancy their chances, even with a World Cup hangover, against Lyon, Northanmpton Saints and Benetton.

Yesterday’s draw was streamed live on Virgin Sport who will also have the rights to show one game from each weekend through the group stages.

Two of those will be on the weekends of the 15th and 22nd November, two more on the 6th and 13th of December and then the final two on the 10th and 17th January.

That means four out of five weekends within a fortnight of the World Cup.  A daunting schedule regardless of who you are drawn but certainly one that the fans will be anticipating with glee as well as perhaps just a little fear.

Isn’t that what sport is all about.