Clash of titans can be taken as red

Once in a while, the rugby calendar throws up something unique, and once again we are indebted to the Heineken European Cup for doing so. It's the simplicity of the billing that is so appealing: the best team in Ireland against the best team in England.

After the annual treks to France for semi-finals via over-crowded, ill-prepared airports, the Red Army for once can stay on dry land, but facing Munster's missionary zeal are the English champions, captained by the mighty Lawrence Dallaglio and coached by the former coach of Ireland Warren Gatland. One could hardly have billed it better.

True, as the doubters point out, it ain't that magnificent bearpit otherwise known as Thomond Park. No, it ain't, and it might well be better than that.

The European Cup runneth over each year, and this week the organisers can boast of a record semi-final attendance of 48,000, eclipsing by over 10,000 that anti-climactic, funereal damp squib that was the Leinster-Perpignan semi-final a year ago. In terms of numbers and colour, this won't be far removed from the 1999 final when Ulster came to town.

Part of the public disaffection over the latest ticketing foul-up (the touts were reputedly flogging them for €250 yesterday) was based on the premise that, unlike the closed shops which are Six Nations games, the public might actually get to buy a ticket or two. And some actually did.

It should be a riotously colourful afternoon, albeit mostly red. Indeed, given some of their gloating on message boards after purchasing tickets, Leinster supporters would be well advised to leave their blue at home and wear red for the day.

Being outnumbered like this almost seems unfair on Wasps, and by rights, teams having reached this juncture, two-legged semi-finals would seem more equitable, until you swiftly recall that Munster have been sent to France on their four previous semi-finals. And last season, not alone did they play Toulouse in France, they played them in Toulouse.

Admittedly, there are a mite too many discomfiting omens or stats for home fans. English sides have won on their two previous visits to Lansdowne Road - Leicester and Sale - and Irish sides, coincidentally, have lost both previous semi-finals at Lansdowne Road, though Munster supporters will readily point out that in each instance Leinster were the culprits.

However, Wasps have a host of big-name players and, besides, as Stuart Barnes pointed out on Rugby Club, with Dallaglio out in front they seem to revel in being the friendless cowboys riding into unwelcoming towns. Hell, they even wear black.

Nevertheless, strictly speaking a European Cup semi-final is uncharted territory for them. By comparison, this will be a record fifth successive semi-final for Munster, and that must stand to them to some extent.

Five Munster players have started all four of their side's previous semi-finals - Anthony Foley, John Hayes, Anthony Horgan, Ronan O'Gara and Peter Stringer - and a further five have played some part in those games.

It is this experience which may well counter Wasps' superior form in the quarter-finals and their greater togetherness of late.

Supremely fit, finely tuned over the course of the season, Wasps again seem to be finishing an arduous season with a remarkable spring in their step.

They also appear to be the kind of English side, à la Northampton and Leicester in the finals of four and two years ago, Munster have sometimes struggled with. Gatland seems almost to have built his dream team, innately physical with a host of straight-running rumblers - Trevor Leota, Simon Shaw and Lawrence Dallaglio. It's a shame but perhaps also a relief that another hard nut, Johnny O'Connor, is sidelined.

In winning 18 of their last 20 matches, Wasps have set as their benchmark an ability to bully the points of collision. When they get their patterns going cue the more rapier-like cutting edges of Rob Howley, Josh Lewsey, Mark van Gisbergen and Ayoola Erinle.

They can seem virtually unstoppable, and if Munster have the defensive lapses which blighted their win over Stade Francais then their dream will be up for another year.

Only when teams meet them head-on, like the Celtic Warriors did in their rain-sodden, back-to-back games, have Wasps looked remotely discommoded, and Munster will know they will have to front up physically like they've not had to do all season.

Both teams are even more competitive, and illegal, than most at the breakdown. Given the relative lack of familiarity with each other, they'll want to test each other out in lots of ways, and especially physically. Nigel Williams be warned, it's liable to get fractious early on.

In trademark Gatland style, and fine-tuned by Shaun Edwards, Wasps also strangle the life out of teams defensively and seem to have an endless capacity to keep their shape. They have only conceded seven tries to date, and five of those were in a 52-33 win away against Calvisano with a second team, while the other two would have been ruled out by a video referee.

But they do like to flirt with the offside law, and the officiating of the offside line will go a long way to determining the penalty count, the room to breathe, and the outcome.

Munster, after all, don't necessarily need to win by outscoring Wasps in tries. There are no bonus points, and no marks for style. This is European Cup rugby, and this week deposed All Blacks coach John Mitchell joined the growing band of Southern Hemisphere converts to accept that the superior, more rounded game is happening in the Northern Hemisphere. And these are two of its most rounded practitioners.

Wayne Smith, the Northampton coach bound for New Zealand as part of Graham Henry's ticket, reckons Wasps would possibly win the Super 12, but there are a few chinks in their armour. True, Munster's scrum will at best survive, but as their quarter-final showed, the lineout and goal-kicking are far more important.

Leota's darts can misfire and not alone can the Donncha O'Callaghan-Paul O'Connell axis apply the heat, O'Gara has the ability to intensify the pressure on Wasps with his kicking game.

On the form of the quarter-finals, Munster have the greater ground to make up, but that might be no harm for them.

Either way, 3.00 tomorrow can scarcely come quick enough.

Leading points scorers: Munster: Ronan O'Gara 79. Wasps: Alex King 71.

Leading try scorers: Munster: Anthony Foley 3. Wasps: Kenny Logan 4.

Previous meeting: 1996-97: Munster 49 Wasps 22.

Odds (Paddy Power): 4/6 Munster, 18/1 Draw, 5/4 Wasps. Handicap betting (= Wasps +3pts) 10/11 Munster, 16/1 Draw, 10/11 Wasps.

Forecast: Munster to win.

In the event of a tie at full-time, extra time of 20 minutes (10 minutes each way) will be played. If the result is still unresolved the winner will be decided by the following criteria: (a) the club which has scored the most tries in that match, including extra time (b) place-kicking competition to determine the winner.