This is a winnable match for Munster

Placed in the group of death two years ago, and what Mick Galwey called "a group worse than death" last season when initial away defeats to Harlequins and Cardiff put them on the back foot, Munster have every chance to explode from the blocks this season.

Today's Pool B opener pits them against Italian side Padova, and with Neath also due in Cork next Saturday, Munster must realistically be targeting these games as winnable ones before a more daunting trip to Perpignan.

Of some concern is that they are hardly flowing this season, and that they have been denied Killian Keane's controlled kicking game by a groin strain picked up in training last Tuesday. Ronan O'Gara comes in, thereby renewing his Irish under-21 partnership of last season, which gives Munster coach Declan Kidney hope "that we can get something out of that." He also prefers John Kelly's supposedly more rounded game to the proven finishing of John Lacey on the wing.

Nonetheless, last week's back-to-basics win at home to Connacht ought to have restored some degree of morale. This is still, after all, the nucleus of the side which maintained Munster's proud home record in Europe last season, the only blemish in six matches over the last three years being the 37-32 defeat to Cardiff in Musgrave Park.

Granted, Munster possess a far more intimidating prospect for visiting sides in Thomond Park, but even so this is counter-balanced by Italian sides' notoriously bad away form. In the two European competitions over the last three years, Italian sides have managed just one away win in 18 attempts - Treviso's win over Edinburgh two years ago.

In Munster's only other European Cup tie in Musgrave Park, they accounted for Milan by 23-5 in the group opener two seasons ago. On that same day, Leinster were in Llanelli while Padova were losing to Connacht by 34-12 on their only previous visit to Ireland.

True, the Sportsground was at its wildest and wettest and Padova were without six regulars. Nevertheless, seven of that Padova side start today, and eight of last season's undistinguished European Shield outfit remain. Sadly David Campese is not one of them.

This suggests that Padova's rise in Italian rugby last season had as much to do with Fiat pulling the financial rug from under a freefalling Milan. Padova, or Simac Petrarca to give them their full Italian identity, finished top in the regular season and ensured a debut in this year's European Cup by comfortably overcoming Rovigo over two legs in the playoffs before losing the final by 9-3 to Treviso.

Thus, it is 10 years since the last of their 11 Italian championship successes, which came in a productive period between 1970 and 1987. Nor are they over-endowed with internationals. Hooker Andrea Moretti, 6 ft 8 ins lock Simone Stocco and number eight Riccardo Piovan have some limited experience, while none of this side featured in Italy's win over Ireland in Bologna last year.

But, as Kidney pointed out, any team that can accumulate over 90 points in 80 minutes - which Padova did against Modena last week - has to have something going for them. Jerry Holland watched that game, leading Kidney to believe that the visitors will be big and confrontational up front, while much of their play is directed through their New Zealanders at out-half and full-back, Marty Berry and Kelly Rolleston. Their scrum-half, Hector de Marco, is an Argentinian who was their regular out-half two years ago.

Kidney has "nothing but respect" for Italian players' innate technical talent, augmented by a heavy French influence. At the very least, it should be an interesting and at times eventful break from domestic fare. But those interprovincial matches and home advantage should give Munster a competitive edge against a comparatively ill-prepared Padova. Time to deliver then.