Northampton Saints head into uncharted territory to start their 26th European campaign, and captain George Furbank said his side is relishing what awaits them in the southwest of France.
Sunday’s clash at Stade du Hameau will be the first time the men in Black, Green and Gold have locked horns with Section Paloise – who are participating in EPCR’s top-tier competition for the first time.
Saints entered their 23rd Investec Champions Cup season as the 2024/25 beaten finalists, and Furbank is keen to write another chapter of the Club’s history in the competition.
“Europe is something we’ve really gotten behind in the past couple of seasons,” Furbank said.
“It’s about making memories both on and off the pitch, and enjoying opportunities to go and play in places and atmospheres you may not necessarily have played before.
“It feels almost like a football party atmosphere playing out in France; it’s very loud, and they feed off that.
“I don’t think anyone other than Anthony Belleau has played away in Pau before, so that’s an incredibly exciting place to go and play this weekend.”
Furbank’s last taste of Investec Champions Cup rugby was short-lived one, after he was knocked unconscious in the opening passages of last year’s Final against Bordeaux Begles in Cardiff.
That was only the England back’s second outing since breaking his arm in the historic win away at Vodacom Bulls in December 2024.
Those setbacks were followed by a recurring calf injury that limited the 14-cap international to just 26 minutes of rugby across an 11-month period.
But after making a phased return against Newcastle Red Bulls (33 minutes) and then Leicester Tigers (60 minutes) in the PREM Rugby Cup, Furbank went the distance and enjoyed some bright moments as Saints saw their unbeaten start to the PREM season come to an end last weekend at the hands of Bristol Bears.
“It’s nice to be back on the field,” Furbank said. “To get a full 80 minutes under the belt was nice, albeit in a disappointing game.
“I’m excited to be back. I don’t think you realise sometimes how much you miss it until you have that length of time out, and I’m relishing being back now.
“It’s been tough with the setbacks and it has been pretty frustrating. I lost faith in my body at times, so it’s taken some time, but ultimately, I feel like I’m in a good place now.
“In the three or four years before that, I’d been pretty lucky with injuries, so I guess last year was just my unlucky year.”