Munster's might faces greatest test

If it is true that the worst time for an Irish team to play a French side is in Paris when they have an April sun on their backs, then what price playing one in Bordeaux with an even more stifling May sun on their backs? To say Munster face a tough one is an understatement. This is as tough as it gets.

Everything seems stacked against Munster - the time of year, the relative preparations of the two sides, Toulouse's hot streak of nine successive wins, right down perhaps to the choice of referee and the venue.

Munster yesterday enjoyed a light run-out at Stade Lescure around the appointed kick-off time, concentrating mostly on lineouts while Ronan O'Gara practised his kicking.

It's an impressively compact ground, with a capacity of 34,000, which hosted France's World Cup pool match against Namibia last October, and an attendance of around 28,000 is expected, including a noisy band of around 3,000 Munster supporters. It should make for an imposing atmosphere - more hostile, indeed, than the comparatively soulless Stade de France.

Bordeaux played a vital soccer game there on Thursday night, though by the look of this billiard top you'd swear there hadn't been even a game of tiddlywinks on it for months. All rugby matches should be played on such surfaces. It can only be conducive to a high-skilled game.

It was hot, and will be again today, though some cloud cover and light drizzle is forecast. Munster's players will assuredly consume more water than during any other game this season, and Peter Clohessy can be expected to call for a few time-outs on a characteristically bended-knee pose.

Perhaps because of a slight concern over John Kelly, Declan Kidney has opted for winger John O'Neill as his third substitute back, along with Killian Keane (as there is a need for another outhalf and kicker in the squad) to the exclusion of the unfortunate Jeremy Staunton.

Rather cheekily, Toulouse turned up 20 minutes before the end of the Munster session. They supposedly have niggling doubts about Jason Holland's one-time Taranaki team-mate and room-mate, centre Lee Stensness (groin strain) and influential number eight Sylvain Dispagne, though the pair were running around like kittens yesterday.

Toulouse have, as expected, again named their reserve props, Cedric Soulette and Luigi Esposito, on the bench and if true to type will probably throw them at Munster for the last 20 or 30 minutes. Their scrummaging reputation precedes them.

In response, Munster have named just Marcus Horan as prop cover. Targeting Munster's scrum is nothing new and Saracens (twice) and Stade Francais have done so this season. Munster survived each time.

The billing of this afternoon's semi-final as a quasi France versus Ireland re-match may not be strictly true, but then again there are a lot of similarities. Once more the opening quarter will tell a tale. Munster are bracing themselves for an opening onslaught as Toulouse endeavour to expose Munster's supposed Achilles heel out wide. They can also be a brilliant counter-attacking side in classic French mode.

The best way of countering this is for Munster to repeat their own opening onslaught against Stade Francais. Failing that, then the next best way would be to stymie Toulouse at source, and simply deny them the ball. With Eddie Halvey at the front and John Langford in the middle, Munster will again target the Toulouse throw and hope the lineout will again be a source of strength.

The very least Munster need is to keep their concentration and make their tackles in the opening quarter, much like Ireland did in Paris. To have only a couple of penalties on the board, either way, after 20 or 30 minutes would be a satisfactory start.

As good as Munster's performance was against Stade Francais, they'll hardly have the luxury of leading from the front all the way this time, and they will have to play better, as coach Declan Kidney readily concedes.

"We'll probably have to play in a positive way for longer than we did in the Stade Francais game, when we did really well at the start. Half-time came at a good time for us and then we kept them under pressure outside their 22 without ever having to go chasing the scores. I wouldn't imagine that this one is going to be like that. We're probably have to go hunting for more tries than we did in the last game."

They're well capable of it. For sure everything seems stacked against them, yet the Munster brains trust will have done their homework, while there's an indomitable spirit and mental strength about this group of players.

The fear is that it might be a game too far and realistically the odds are against them. They need at least a reasonable start, and to win they may well have to go to the wire again. But that's the point - if it does go to the wire, you'd more than half fancy them.

Previous meetings: 1996/97 Toulouse 60 Munster 19.

Last five games: Toulouse - W W W W W. Munster - W W W L W.

Leading Euro points scorers this season: Michel Marfaing (Toulouse) 81 (3 tries, 12 cons, 14 pens), Ronan O'Gara (Munster) 110 (13 cons, 26 pens, 2 drop goals).

Leading try scorers: Emile Ntamack (Toulouse) 4, Keith Wood (Munster) 4.

Odds (courtesy of Paddy Powers): To reach final: 1/3 Toulouse, 9/4 Munster. Over 80 minutes: 4/11 Toulouse, 16/1 Draw, 2/1 Munster. Handicap odds = Munster +8pts: 9/10 Toulouse, 14/1 Draw, 9/10 Munster.

In the event of a tie at full-time, extra-time of 30 minutes will be played. If the result is still unresolved, the side that has scored the most tries in the match will go through. If still unresolved, then the side that has scored the most tries in the competition will go through (Toulouse have scored 23 tries to Munster's 21).