Provincial hat-trick can steady the fleet

RUGBY:IS THIS the end? On a weekend set to define the Irish season like few others – until next weekend anyway – all three Irish provinces in the Heineken Cup can take significant steps toward qualification for the quarter-finals. But they are also none too far from the trap door, with Munster, of all teams, perhaps in most peril.

For this weekend we can probably put bonus points and permutations to one side. Munster are fighting for their lives. No team has qualified after losing three matches, so defeat in the Toulon cauldron that is the Stade Felix Mayol tomorrow (kick-off 3pm Irish) will almost certainly mean failure to reach the end-of-season knock-out stages for the first time in 13 seasons.

Ye gods.

Victory, however, would leave them in pole position prior to playing hosts to London Irish next Saturday, regardless of how the Ospreys fare at London Irish tomorrow, given Munster have a better head-to-head record over the Welsh region.

To that end, they have been boosted by Paul O’Connell’s presence in the starting line-up for the first time in 51 weeks. Drawing on Munster’s vast well of indigenous experience, John Hayes and Peter Stringer also start, while Sam Tuitupou’s big-tackling has been preferred to Lifeimi Mafi’s footwork in midfield.

The rugby-mad town of Toulon is, by all accounts, in a tizzy. Toulon club president Mourad Boudjellal admitted yesterday: “There is a huge fever in the city and I’ve got to admit I’m unable to do my business as usual as club president because I’m so excited – I’m in a trance. But there is a big question in my mind, ‘are we not usurpers?’, and my fear is that on Sunday afternoon we might be saying: ‘God, America is so far away’,” he commented, meaning that beating Munster is beyond them.

“We are aware that we are going to be faced by a legend and it’s incredible, even Al Jazeera has asked for the rights to this game. Toulon at the Stade Mayol will be seen by 60 per cent of the universe,” he quipped excitedly.

Toulon’s thirst for revenge following their 45-18 defeat at Thomond Park last October adds a frisson to the occasion. Boudjellal – who has chided Munster about being owned by the IMF, though he has also endorsed an unlikely appeal on the Toulon website to emulate Thomond Park in ensuring silence for the goalkickers from both sides – applied some pepper to the sauce yesterday.

“In Limerick we realised what the highest level is, and we were hit right in our faces. We will know if we have learned a lesson. I was quite angry after that game because of our poor performance.

“I also thought that Munster didn’t treat Toulon as they should. They called us mercenaries and this club, which is one of the biggest clubs in France, deserves a bit more respect. On our side we’ve got a lot of respect for Munster.”

Prior to the first meeting, coach Philippe Saint-André had spoken of juggling Toulon’s resources with the Top 14 in mind, but Boudjellal yesterday admitted: “We have asked Philippe to not think of the next fixtures, just to put out your best possible team.”

Felipe Contepomi is accommodated at inside centre, while Paul Sackey and Pierre Mignoni also return, as do locks Christophe Samson and Dean Schofield, and captain Joe van Niekerk.

With the world’s most well-paid prop, Carl Hayman, still sidelined, the frontrow is unchanged from last week, though it is regarded as their strongest scrummaging unit, and their scrum is a Toulon badge of honour.

Before all that, Luke Fitzgerald has to be content with a place on the bench as Leinster restart their Euro machine for their meeting with Saracens at the RDS today. Nathan Hines and Seán O’Brien are restored to the pack, while Eoin Reddan starts ahead of Isaac Boss in what amounts to Joe Schmidt’s more attacking “home” team.

Dominic Ryan makes his first Heineken Cup start in a relatively small but pacey and dynamic backrow alongside Shane Jennings, in the absence of Jamie Heaslip, ending the latter’s run of 37 successive starts in the tournament dating back five years this weekend.

You’d wonder whether Saracens’ hearts will be in this one or whether they will be liberated by the departure earlier in the week of Brendan Venter and accession of Mark McCall. They are full of talented players, while Gavin Henson will be a celebrity sub prior to reportedly appearing on a television chat show tonight. Nice lad, honest talker, good player, Gav, but it would be good to see him play more than he talks or dances; you’d wonder who advises him.

Clermont’s 28-17 win over Racing last night means that Leinster would need to win with a bonus point today to ensure qualification.

Ulster have been boosted by the return of talismanic flanker Stephen Ferris, as well as Dan Tuohy, for their crunch meeting with Pool 4 leaders and two-time finalists Biarritz at Ravenhill today (kick-off 3.30). A win for Ulster would leave them well placed to qualify for the first time since they won the trophy in 1999, and a victory by more than seven points would put them above Biarritz heading into their final game away to Aironi.

Ominously for Ulster though, Biarritz have unveiled their strongest hand, with a spine of experienced Cup campaigners – Jerome Thion, Imanol Harinordoquy, Dimitri Yachvili and Damien Traille – who are all in form and have recently signed new contract extensions.

Stopping Harinordoquy’s carries, and perhaps even more importantly, the sniping, kicking, varied distribution and pulling of strings of Yachvili, would seem imperative.

Another monumental Heineken Cup weekend then. Bring it on.