Townsend's side arrive at Northampton in impressive form, having racked up three consecutive victories in the RaboDirect PRO12, including an emphatic 18-3 win away to Cardiff Blues last time out.
And Townsend is hoping that can spur his side to scribing a new chapter in their history.
"We have the opportunity to achieve something we've never done before, beating a Premiership side in England, and, although we know it will be massively tough, we travel with confidence in each other and how we want to play," said the former Scotland fly-half.
"Historically, we've not been fast starters in our pool, and getting results on the board early on is crucial to our firm ambition of qualifying for the knock-out stages.
"It's going to take a very special effort from all 23 players to beat Northampton and establish early momentum in the tournament, but this group certainly has what it takes to achieve that."
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