Biarritz v Munster:THERE COULD be no more appropriate time for a Red Army invasion than the May Day weekend, and awaiting them will be a team representing the Basque country.
The home side supposedly have the whiff of revenge in their nostrils for their defeat in the 2006 final when Munster finally and emotionally reached their Holy Grail. Munster are now seeking a fifth final, whereas that decider remains the Basques’ only final.
Both teams are without key men in Damien Traille and Paul O’Connell and arguably losing the inspirational Lions captain is the lesser blow. In the absence of their backs’ guiding light-cum-drop goal king and playmaker, Biarritz have opted for Karmichael Hunt instead of Julien Peyrelongue in the pivotal outhalf position.
The gifted Hunt is taking a year out by trying his hand at rugby union for a year with Biarritz before taking up a lucrative Aussie Rules contract. A typically strong-tackling league type, and a dynamic runner and clever distributor, he is not noted for his kicking game, which suggests Biarritz are going to have a right go.
As expected, Imanol Harinordoquy will start with some kind of facial protection for his broken nose, while it is some statement of their frontrow potency that Fabien Barcella is on the bench.
Although O’Connell is a huge loss, few teams can call on a replacement with the experience of Mick O’Driscoll, and aside from his aerial prowess at lineout and restart time, Munster’s Heineken Cup X-factor and array of experience can go a long way toward compensating.
Not alone did O’Driscoll fill in for O’Connell when Munster dissected Northampton in the quarter-finals, he also played throughout the group stages in the 2005-06 season in O’Connell’s absence. when they emerged from the pool ahead of Sale and Castres en route to the promised land.
Keith Earls’s return is also a timely boost. Outside him Ian Dowling had initially won the dubious honour of countering Biarritz’s Zimbabwe-born, American Express, Takudzwa Ngwenya, but in a couple of late changes Lifeimi Mafi and Denis Hurley now line up instead of Doug Howlett and Dowling on the wings.
Possibly the quickest winger on the planet, Biarritz used Ngwenya selectively but brilliantly in their quarter-final win over Wasps, with Traille and Dimitri Yachvilli launching him in wide blindside corridors for both their tries.
One of those came from a dominant scrum, and keeping that in check will go a long way to denying Biarritz the kind of platform from which Yachvilli can dictate the game.
Either way, the key may well be Tomás O’Leary. Increasingly influential this season for province and country, when O’Leary’s kicking and running games are at their potent best so too invariably do Munster and Ireland prosper.
He sets the tempo, and the higher it is then the evidence from the Ospreys camp is Biarritz might struggle to live with them.
And if O’Leary eclipses Yachvili, Munster will be most of the way there, all the more so with the master strategist O’Gara back in the Euro zone against a relative novice in that position at this level.
Munster’s form has been iffy, but their best performances were away to Perpignan and in the quarter-final. They’ll have learned from last season’s crushing disappointment at this stage. The clock is ticking for this team. They know that better than anyone. They might just have one more in them.
Semi-final record: Biarritz – Played 3, Won 1, Lost 2. Munster – Played 8, Won 4, Lost 4.
Previous meetings: (2000-01 q/f) Munster 38 Biarritz 29 (Thomond Park); (2004-05 q/f) Biarritz 19 Munster 10 (Estadio Anoeta); (2005-05 final) Munster 23 Biarritz 19.
Routes to semi-finals: Biarritz – bt Glasgow 22-18 (a); bt Gloucester 42-15 (h); bt Dragons 49-13 (h); bt Dragons (26-8 (a); lost to Gloucester 8-23 (a); bt Glasgow 41-10 (h); q/f bt Ospreys 29-28 (Estadio Anoeta). Munster – lost to Northampton 27-31 (a); bt Treviso 41-10 (h); bt Perpignan 24-23 (h); bt Perpignan 37-14 (a); bt Treviso 44-7 (a); bt Northampton 12-9 (h); q/f bt Northampton 33-19 (h).
Leading try scorers: Biarritz – Takudzwa Ngwenya 6. Munster – Doug Howlett, Jean de Villiers, Paul Warwick 3 each.
Leading points scorers: Biarritz – Dimitri Yachvili 83. Munster – Ronan O’Gara 96.
Betting (Paddy Powers): 11/10 Biarritz, 20/1 Draw, 8/11 Munster. Handicap odds (Biarritz + 2 pts) 10/11 Biarritz, 22/1 Draw, 10/11 Munster.
Forecast: Munster to win.
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