O’Driscoll is back in the Leinster starting XV having finally recovered from straining a medial knee ligament in Ireland's Six Nations defeat by Scotland.

But the defending Heineken Cup champions will have their work cut out to tame a Clermont side packed with Grand Slam winners including influential scrum-half Morgan Parra.

And O’Driscoll, who captained Ireland during their 33-10 defeat in the Stade de France during the Six Nations, knows first hand the threat Clermont will pose this evening.

"They have a lot of French players in their squad who play in critical positions and who are obviously in excellent form coming off the back of such a successful Six Nations," he said.

"In Morgan Parra, Julien Malzieu and Jamie Cudmore they have some real quality and having watched some of their recent footage it's clear that they're playing some impressive stuff.

"We know that Clermont performed so strongly in Thomond Park last year and that they will take confidence from that game, so coming to the RDS will hold no fear for them.

"They are a side who are capable of going anywhere, playing well and winning.

"I'm sure that they would like nothing better than to come over here and spoil the party."