John Brain has expressed his pleasure at Worcester's European Challenge Cup draw but also admitted pursuit of continental glory will be secondary to his ambition of leading the club into the top half of the Guinness Premiership.

The Warriors director of rugby yesterday claimed he was happy with his team's Pool Five opponents, French pair Clermont Auvergne and Albi and Italians Viadana, and identified Montferrand-based Clermont as the top Gallic club in the tournament.

But just as in seasons gone by Brain made no secret of the fact his aspirations lie on the domestic front and that he would like to make this Challenge Cup his last for some time.

Accordingly, he has set his sights firmly on a top six finish in the English top-flight, a position that has traditionally been enough to gain qualification for the infinitely more prestigious Heineken Cup.

That doesn't mean Worcester won't be keen to make it into the competition's quarter-finals at the very least and maybe even better a record that has seen them reach a European semi-final and final in consecutive campaigns.

"We are quite pleased with the draw," Brain said. "We had one of the strong teams is our group last year in Connacht who have a good record in the competition and we won it.

"It is a similar sort of make up this year, most people looking at our draw would see us and Clermont Auvergne going for top spot in the group. We would certainly like to think we could win it."

Albi, who qualified for the tournament by winning promotion to France's Top 14, are something of an unknown quantity but Viadana come to Sixways in pre-season and Brain will use that friendly on August 11 as an opportunity to assess their strength.

But the group is likely to be decided by the double header with the French aristocrats. "The main threat is Clermont Auvergne," Brain admitted.

"They are a top quality side and one of the biggest spending teams in France. It will be a really good match up for us and good experience for our players home and away. They are probably the strongest French team in the tournament."

That said the draw could have been a lot worse for Worcester with Bath, Brive, Saracens and Newcastle also in the hat. Compared to newlypromoted Harlequins, the Sixways side have escaped lightly having avoided Pool Four and the men from The Rec, Connacht and Montpellier.

Cup matches may be classified as 'nice to win' but the bread and butter Premiership games are 'need to win'.

"We would like to do as well as we can but our priority is finishing as high in the Premiership table as we can," Brain said. "Anything in the bottom half of that will be a disappointment.

"Reaching the quarter-final is achievable for us and once you get to that stage you just have to see where you go with the competition."

The first two games will be staged during the weekends of October 20 and 27 with the other double headers following in December and January.

Brain also said that he was negotiating the release of a hooker with an announcement likely in the next week or so.

Meanwhile, in the Heineken Cup, holders Munster have been drawn with Leicester, Bourgoin and Cardiff Blues while English champions Sale must take on Stade Francais, Calvisano and Ospreys.