EDINBURGH v MUNSTER: THEIR new head coach Tony McGahan and his new assistant coach Laurie Fisher would love to throw down a marker for the season with a winning start in Murrayfield tonight.
Never in the previous four years have the European champions been so empowered to hit the ground running and McGahan's first competitive selection is a statement of intent in itself.
Doug Howlett's continuing presence at fullback allows McGahan to grant Keith Earls his first competitive start in a Munster jersey and so continue his rapid rise of the last few months. Though included in Munster's 22 for their last competitive outing, the Heineken Cup final, this will be Earls' first start after five League appearances off the bench.
With their Kiwi midfield access inside him, Ronan O'Gara at outhalf and Paul O'Connell leading the side as one of six resident members of the Irish pack, it is a decidedly strong-looking selection. All the vibes from the camp with regard to McGahan and Fisher are positive and Munster embark upon their League campaign after impressive wins when at less than full strength against the USA Eagles and a pretty much full-strength London Irish.
Now, however, comes the real deal, and no less than the Irish provinces their celtic cousins have been cutting their teeth fairly impressively against English Premiership opposition. Edinburgh, following on from the striking improvement under Andy Robinson last season which saw three successive wins earn them an all-time best of fourth place in the final league table, have themselves beaten Wasps at home and Bath away in pre-season.
"It is important on the back of all our pre-season work that we win at the weekend," said Robinson. "A loss this weekend would make the pre-season friendly results pointless. So it is important that the guys who do have the experience and the talent really deliver.
"We are now facing our biggest test of the year so far because we are facing Munster. We didn't beat them last year and they play a tough brand of rugby. We need to be able to cope with the way they play as well as imposing our gameplan on them."
Their ex-Leinster lock Ben Gissing, who missed the Bath match because his wife was giving birth to their son, James, returns to the second row while the former Ulster lock Matt Mustchin - now a Scotland international - switches from second row to blindside flanker because Robinson believes his line-out skills and size will benefit the pack.
"The reason why we have decided to put Matt in the back row is to do with being able to deal with the new line-outs. We are looking to counter the threat that Munster have at the set-piece and it was important that we fielded our biggest pack."
Prodigal son Chris Paterson makes his first start for Edinburgh since April 2007 and in doing so is set to record his 150th appearance for the club. Though it won't count for much come kick-off, Munster do have a bit of history to comfort them. Munster have won on their previous four visits to Murrayfield in the league, albeit with a couple of very tight calls.
EDINBURGH:H Southwell; C Paterson, C MacRae, N De Luca, S Webster; P Godman, M Blair (capt); A Jacobsen, R Ford, G Cross, C Hamilton, B Gissing, M Mustchin, A MacDonald, A Hogg. Replacements: A Kelly, G Kerr, S Newlands, D Callam, G Laidlaw, M Robertson, A Turnbull.
MUNSTER:D Howlett; K Earls, L Mafi, R Tipoki, I Dowling; R O'Gara, T O'Leary; M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell (capt); D Ryan, J O'Sullivan, D Wallace. Replacements: F Sheahan, F Pucciariello, M O'Driscoll, J Melck, P Stringer, P Warwick, B Murphy.
Referee:James Jones (WRU).
Odds(Paddy Powers): 11/8 Edinburgh, 20/1 Draw, 4/7 Munster. Handicap betting (Edinburgh +4pts) 10/11 Edinburgh, 20/1 draw, 10/11 Munster.
Forecast:Munster to win.
