Rugby European Cup semi-finals: Munster arrived in Toulouse, at this stage almost a home from home in their quest for the Heineken Cup, with the air of well-travelled Europhiles yesterday.
Not even a typically protracted and delayed travel day unduly perturbed them.
Even a private charter route, with a flight time of two hours, somehow contrives to take up the whole day. Having left their homes no later than 11 a.m. for a midday check-in, a delay of 1½ hours before take-off culminated in them arriving at their hotel base at about 7 p.m. local time. Designated travel day, no training had been planned anyway.
"It's a bit like different kick-off times," said Munster manager Jerry Holland. "You wonder how the players can readjust to it, but it doesn't seem to make any difference to them, they just fit into the routine. Once we've arrived we've a fairly straightforward routine. We won't train today, just do a few stretches in the hotel and go out for a meal this evening."
It's funny how Munster invariably end up in this particular city. Of their dozen previous trips in the European Cup to France, seven have seen them based in Toulouse.
"It is relaxed," said Holland. "I suppose this is about my eighth time coming to Toulouse between Castres, Colomiers and Toulouse, it's the base we always come to. We've had a reasonable amount of success here and the players are comfortable on the road anyway, particularly coming out here today with friends and family and supporters. That's a big comfort for them and they're not fazed by coming there. They seem quite relaxed and they travel well."
Nevertheless there are always problems to be sorted out. For example, they were not allowed to place-kick yesterday and, bearing in mind the 3.0 kick-off time locally tomorrow, they are not amused at being given a 4.0 to 5.0 slot for a light run-out at the match stadium. Toulouse are unbending in having a 2.30 to 3.30 slot despite having had the ground regularly available to them before, during and since their quarter-final win over Northampton.
Though they've declined to make an issue about it publicly, Munster are also fairly bemused by the notion of the Toulouse football stadium constituting a "neutral venue" of any hue, given the huge variety of stadiums in France.
"We're still speaking to the ERC as to when we can actually visit the ground, so we hope to have that resolved some time this evening," said Holland.
Munster have used their base at the Sofitel Hotel four times previously, and once more their accompanying French chef, Vincent, was waiting there for them.
"He's been of huge assistance to us in terms of the catering facilities and the logistics of everything, and he's also gone to Italy with us," said Holland. "He's been a very good friend to the team apart from an assistant from the catering perspective. He works with the Sofitel group, and he's able to liaise with the chefs and advise us as to what particular foods we need to bring over that they wouldn't have here. He knows exactly what the players need and he's unobtrusive."
The sense of Munster's own self-worth is matched by their appreciation of what Toulouse represent. These are the two standardbearers in many senses. Each has played an unparallelled 52 games in the European Cup, and each has won an unequalled 35 games.
The conditions are likely to be stiflingly warm, with temperatures on arrival in the mid-20s. Several billboards highlight the sense of occasion which Le Stadium Toulouse will host on Saturday, and this is before the best supported team in Europe descend on the best-supported rugby city on the continent.
All told 27 charters will take supporters from Ireland, with one of them donated by a benefactor and friend of the late Richard Harris as a gift to Young Munster, who are bringing out a group of supporters for a two-night stay for a bargain €320.
The 12,000 travelling from Ireland are expected to be supplemented by 2-3,000 more from all corners of Europe. For example, the Munster Branch chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald is holding on to a ticket for a supporter who is making his way from Greece.
Pointing to the experience gleaned both in Europe and, for most of the squad, internationally, Ronan O'Gara wasn't being arrogant when saying: "The thought of travelling to France doesn't frighten any of us. I think it has been a good country for us, though the disappointment of Lille sticks in the mind, but we look forward to playing in conditions like there'll be on Saturday, with temperatures in the 20s.
"Obviously it'll be very taxing for the forwards but I think for the backs they're the conditions you enjoy playing in. Hopefully it'll be a still day and keep the ball in hand."
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