Connacht are in little doubt that, despite soaring confidence following the pummelling of Caerphilly 62-0 in their last Celtic League match, the victory, in context, means not a jot tonight.
Narbonne, fifth in last season's French Championship behind Montferrand, Toulouse, Biarritz and Colomiers, and runners-up to Harlequins in last season's European Shield final (42-33 after extra time) represent a challenge of an altogether different magnitude.
Sale Sharks, currently fourth in the English Premiership, and Rome Olimpic are the other teams in Connacht's Pool Four of the competition.
Coach Steph Nel, who has been handed a challenge by the IRFU to build both a development province and a competitive team, makes just two changes from the Caerphilly match: Pat Duignan comes in on the right wing in place of the young Martin McPhail, and the influential Mark McConnell returns to the second row from injury for Alan Maher.
Their return will give a broader base of experience to what is essentially an inexperienced Connacht side. Gavin Duffy, at full back, represents what Connacht are trying to achieve in rugby terms with a fast, open game, while 35-time capped outhalf Eric Elwood works to orchestrate the tempo from behind the scrum.
It is unlikely that Connacht will take on Narbonne in a physical forward confrontation, even though the French side have left a number of notable players on the bench. Famous French lock Olivier Merle is named in the starting line-up in the number five shirt, but international flanker Marc Raynaud will not start.
From their Argentinian contingent of three squad players, specialist place kicker Gonzalo Quesada, who famously aided his side's victory over Ireland in the last World Cup quarter-final, hooker Mario Ledesma and full back Ignacio Corleto are all omitted.
Connacht reached the Shield quarter-finals in the 1997-98 season, but fewer than six of those players remain. When the sides last met in the 1998-99 season, the French team won 26-38, but that was also the year that Caerphilly defeated Connacht 39-8, so much has changed.
It will be the first time Connacht play in Ericsson Park under floodlights, an innovation which may draw a good crowd. Connacht will need all they can get.
THE TEAMS
CONNACHT: G Duffy; P Duignan, D Yapp, T Allnutt, W Munn; E Elwood, E Reddan; D McFarland, M Uijs, P Bracken, M McConnell, (capt), R Frost, P Neville, D Dillon, J O'Connor.
NARBONNE: P Serres; A Joubert, D Douy, L Subra, P Bazini; C Rosalen, G Sudre; M Scelzo, S Petit, J B Poux, C Gaston, O Merle, P Furet, C Mathieu, A Hill.
