WORCESTER Warriors face a tough examination as they embark on this season’s European campaign at Sixways tonight (7.45) with the visit of star-studded Stade Francais.

Head coach Richard Hill is hoping the infamous French travel sickness kicks in ahead of tonight’s Amlin Challenge Cup opener after the Parisians named no less than 11 full internationals in their starting XV.

The French giants have switched Felipe Contepomi to outside-centre, after he impressed at fly-half against Clermont at the weekend, where he will line up alongside fellow Argentinean ace Gonzalo Tiesi.

Former England wing Paul Sackey and Djibril Camara offer the pace out wide, while Samoan international Paul Williams is at full-back. Ex-Munster ace Paul Warwick and Jerome Fillol combine at half-back.

Legendary Argentinian front-rower Rodrigo Roncero is part of a pack that also includes Tom Palmer, Pascal Pape, David Lyons and captain Sergio Parisse.

Hill, who masterminded a 17-0 Heineken Cup victory over Stade in 2007 when he was in charge of Bristol, is expecting a physical contest.

The former England scrum-half said: “There is some good and bad in France. They can be physical and know all the tricks in the rucks, mauls and scrum. Our pack of forwards will have to stand up to what Stade throw at us.

“There are not that many Frenchmen in the Stade team, but they still take on the typical mentality of a French team.

“However, Stade are not very good at travelling away from home and have lost games against Lyon and Agen this year in the Top 14 and neither of those are fancied teams.

“We hope to take advantage of that and get a big crowd in tonight and really upset them. If you can get on top and score early then heads can go down. We need to test them and if they want it or not.”

Hill added: “If they have got a chance of doing well in the competition, then they really go for it. If they beat us tonight they will see it as a route into the Heineken Cup because they may not get there with their league form.

“We are taking it very seriously and this is a fantastic game for us. Not only because it is Stade Francais, but because we can work on our attack and spend two weeks being really constructive.

“If we can get off to a good start and beat Stade, then we have a great chance of going through this group. This is a serious competition and we are going for it.”

Stade: Williams; Sackey, Contepomi, Tiesi, Camara; Warwick, Fillol; Roncero, De Malmanche, Wright, Palmer, Pape, Tomiki, Lyons, Parisse. Reps: Sempere, Milloud, Slimani, Mostert, Burban, Kelleher, Plisson, Fainifo.