WASPS won’t know how tough their route to the quarter-finals of the Amlin Challenge cup will be until they kick off against Bordeaux at Adams Park on Sunday.

It’s a match they’d expect to win, but French teams coming to England are notoriously erratic and Wasps will expect the best of them while hoping for the worst.

Defence coach Rob Hoadley said: “You don’t know how these French sides are going to approach it, but we’re assuming they’re going to want a big win.

“They’re in a similar position as us, struggling slightly in the league, but going away to England and winning could be a massive boost for their Top 14 game.

“They’ve got a big, strong pack, and a hard carrying centre who gets over the gain line and obviously everyone knows Bruce Reihana and the threat that he brings.

“It’s a knock-out game and that’s how we’ll approach it. We know our future is in our own hands. If we win we’re through the quarter-finals.”

And the rewards are not insignificant.

Hoadley said: “A couple of years ago we were in the semis when we unfortunately lost out to Dai’s Cardiff, which he won’t let us forget.

But if we won that game we were looking at a final against Toulon in Marseille in front of 50,000 fans. That’s why we want to be involved. We want to play in big finals like that – and it’s a route into the Heineken Cup as well.