For Munster, the Heineken Cup was always a source of emotional extremes, heartbreak or ecstasy and rarely anything in between.

Munster head coach Rob Penney has praised hooker Damien Varley as his “obvious choice” to captain the province for tomorrow's Heineken Cup semi-final against Toulon in Marseille.

Munster rugby fans at home and abroad are preparing for tomorrow's semi-final, and many are flying to France to be in the thick of it.

Munster rugby fanatic Niamh Barron is prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to get to France for the big Heineken Cup game against Toulon.

They came, they saw a sea of red — and were duly conquered.

Munster 47 Toulouse 23

So the mad Munster scramble for tickets and flights begins, after Leinster bowed out in Toulon.

After Munster’s heroics on Saturday, all eyes were firmly focused on the Stade Felix Mayol yesterday to see if Leinster could seal the dream semi-final for Dublin.

The message from the Munster camp this week in anticipation of today’s Heineken Cup quarter-final may have been delivered in a variety of tones but it all boiled down to the same thing: It will take their best performance of the season to give them any hope of beating Toulouse this afternoon.

Ruan Pienaar has recovered from injury and has been named in the Ulster starting XV to face Saracens in the Heineken Cup quarter-final.

Leinster out-half Ian Madigan has been replaced by Jimmy Gopperth for Sunday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Toulon.

Munster and Leinster are on a collision course for the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup but they must both overcome tough quarter-finals first.

Leinster head coach Matt O'Connor was pleased his side were able to negotiate the "circus" of a red card, penalty tries and uncontested scrums during their 36-3 Heineken Cup victory at home to the Ospreys.

England international Charlie Sharples has admitted that Gloucester’s suffering supporters “deserve better” ahead of a crunch Heineken Cup clash against European heavyweights Munster.

Ireland and Ulster hooker Rory Best has recovered from his broken arm ahead of schedule to face Montpellier at Ravenhill tomorrow night.

The prospect of avenging the shock Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat by Ulster at Thomond Park last April will loom large in the minds of the Munster players when the teams meet in Saturday’s (5.30pm) eagerly awaited RaboDirect Pro 12 showdown at the same venue.

THEIRS is a name synonymous with French rugby. Formed as a sporting club of many different disciplines for the Parisian elite in 1882, Racing Club de France, alongside Stade Francais, dominated the early years of the French Championship before disappearing — like Stade — for the bones of a century until the emergence of the bow-tie wearing and champagne guzzling side of Franck Mesnel, Eric Blanc and Jean-Baptiste Lafond in the late ’80s.

THERE was an inevitability, according to Leinster manager Guy Easterby, about how the European champions came out of the Heineken Cup pool draw this summer alongside Scarlets, whose new head coach is Simon Easterby.

LISTEN to Connacht’s new chief executive for a while and it becomes perfectly clear that reaching the Heineken Cup was not the pinnacle of the westerners’ ambitions but the base camp.

TOM Wood should be the standard-bearer for English rugby. The flanker ought to be captain of the national team. He should be starring for a club that have been the coming force in the English game for the past three years.

WITH all of the posturing and brinkmanship going on at the moment between the Premiership rugby umbrella in England and the rest of the European participants, we should cherish this Heineken Cup while we have it. With just two seasons left on the existing accord, it is inevitable the current format will be tweaked, if only for the warring factions on all sides to save face. In the meantime, let’s enjoy what we have and concentrate on matters on the pitch.

IF HARLEQUINS take Leinster’s Heineken Cup crown they may have to thank the unusual combination of Michael Phelps, Terenure College in Dublin and Alabama’s United States Sports Academy.

WHEN you’ve been there and done as much in rugby as Simon Mannix, you would wonder whether there was anything left to make the New Zealander raise even an eyebrow.

IT doesn’t feel all that long ago that we began a Heineken Cup with the prospect of the sword of Damocles dangling ominously over the world’s greatest club rugby competition. That’s because it wasn’t long ago at all — in 2007, to be precise — that the French and English clubs last decided that they were picking up the ball and walking off the pitch.

WITH THE 2012/13 Heineken Cup to climax at the Aviva Stadium, only a few miles from where Joe Schmidt is chewing over the prospect, coping with the hype of an unprecedented third successive crown is one of many challenges facing the Leinster coach at present.

MUNSTER are not a great team.

CONNACHT flanker John Muldoon has warned his team-mates they cannot afford a repeat of the small mistakes that he believed cost them an opening Heineken Cup victory over Harlequins when they meet Toulouse in Galway this weekend.

MUNSTER’S Denis Hurley could have been a disciple of Jack Charlton in the days when the football coach decreed his Republic of Ireland players used a simple “put ‘em under pressure” tactic to deal with all opposition.

IT is usually deep into January before Heineken Cup coaches throw their cards on the table and prepare to stand or fall by their decisions but this evening’s opener at home to Northampton could prove to be a watershed moment for Munster and Tony McGahan.

Yes says Donal Lenihan

IRELAND winger Andrew Trimble is under no illusions as to Ulster’s task this afternoon when they face French giants Clermont Auvergne in their opening Heineken Cup gambit at Ravenhill (3.40).

Racing Metro 20 Cardiff Blues 26

HE’S a powerful back-row and an explosive runner who has become a cult figure among his supporters and the subject of tribute videos on the internet.

OPINION was divided afterwards, more or less along lines of partiality.

HEINEKEN Cup champions Toulouse booked a semi-final date with 2009 winners Leinster in Dublin after a thrilling 27-20 extra-time victory over Biarritz at Estadio Anoeta yesterday.

WHILE both Leinster and Ulster could afford to sit back and savour early quarter-final qualification in the Heineken Cup, their last eight opponents were not confirmed until the final whistle blew yesterday at Adams Park, where Wasps were entertaining champions Toulouse. What a sting in the tail that proved to be.

LEINSTER coach Joe Schmidt admitted “things could have worked out easier” after a late twist of fate pitted his side against Leicester Tigers in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

ULSTER coach Brian McLaughlin put Ireland boss Declan Kidney’s mind at ease after star flanker Stephen Ferris hobbled off in Saturday’s 43-6 Heineken Cup success over Aironi but insisted afterwards there is little cause for concern.

FINALLY their wait is over. On Saturday, before a small crowd in a remote village in northern Italy, Ulster claimed a place in the Heineken Cup knockout stages for the first time in 12 years with a 43-6 win over Aironi.

RACING METRO’S English international full-back Dan Scarbrough predicts Leinster can claim their second Heineken Cup in May.

THERE was much to reflect on for both coaches after Munster had overcome London Irish with both Tony McGahan and Toby Booth left to plan for a second half of the season without Heineken Cup rugby to look forward to.

THE faithful filing out of Thomond Park on Saturday night were not exactly humming “Happy Days Are Here Again” but the gloom hanging over Munster rugby of late has been at least partially lifted.

DENIS LEAMY and Mick O’Driscoll have come out fighting for Munster’s corner following the morale-boosting 28-14 victory over London Irish.

TOULON moved top of Pool 3 with a convincing bonus-point victory over London Irish on Saturday.