Nallet, who has not yet revealed whether he will continue his international career into the 2012 RBS 6 Nations under new boss Philippe Saint-André, and his teammates defied the odds to come within a point of stunning the All Blacks at Eden Park, just missing out 8-7 in their third World Cup final defeat.

And the 35-year-old, who has played just nine minutes of rugby since returning to club Racing-Métro, is itching to get back into action starting by coming off the bench in tonight’s home clash with Cardiff Blues.

“It’s great for me personally. The World Cup was very powerful, but to start again with the European Cup and high-level matches is good. And I couldn’t wallow on the disappointment of the World Cup final defeat,” said Nallet whose side also face Edinburgh and London Irish in their pool

“It wasn’t impossible to qualify last year, but this time the pool is a lot more even. That gives us a chance to get ourselves right and play our way into the tournament.

“We have a stable squad with players who are now heading into their third season here. We know each other better and strong bonds have been created. But we are starting a very tough competition. We saw last year how if you aren’t at your best you will be punished. But we have the experience to deal with that.”