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.

There may be plenty of positives from Munster’s season so far, but that will count for nothing if the province does not go on and finish the job, says Cathal Sheridan.

‘Versatile’ Munster man in no doubt he can hold up his end of the bargain.

The 23-year-old redhead sounds like a sport psychologist’s dream.

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They may have put on a scrummaging masterclass against a renowned French pack last weekend, but there will be no resting on laurels for Munster’s forwards as they prepare to face Scarlets at Musgrave Park on Saturday.

They are the days players dream of and Munster’s 18-17 victory in France over Perpignan is another to enter the province’s rugby legend.

Munster head coach Rob Penney has called for action to be taken against Perpignan for what he believes was “undue pressure” placed on Saturday’s referee JP Doyle ahead of the crunch Heineken Cup clash.

If the ERC need to remind its constituent partners of what it is that makes the Heineken Cup a riveting tournament, just replay at their next board meeting the last five minutes of action at Perpignan’s Stade Aime Giral and the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

It took less than three minutes for JJ Hanrahan to change the course of Munster’s season and the time went so quickly even the Kerryman had to stop and ask what had taken place.

Perpignan 17 Munster 18

Perpignan 17 Munster 18

HEINEKEN CUP POOL SIX:

Former Munster centre Lifeimi Mafi said there has been a big fallout in Perpignan from Sunday’s loss at Thomond Park and they were fired up for revenge.

There is a lot to be said for Munster’s developing mental strength.

EVER return somewhere, full of nostalgic memories, believing everything would be just like before, only to be disappointed? Going back to Thomond Park last Sunday was nothing like that at all.

HEINEKEN CUP POOL SIX:

Tommy O’Donnell has moved a step closer to his Munster comeback this weekend at Perpignan after being nominated by the province as an additional player to its Heineken Cup squad.

Leicester, Wasps and Munster.

Munster captains past and present last night warmly welcomed the news that Conor Murray has committed his future to the province until the summer of 2016.

Munster may be set to welcome back-rowers Tommy O’Donnell and Donnacha Ryan into the selection pool for Saturday’s make or break Heineken Cup pool clash with Perpignan.

Maybe that agonising defeat to New Zealand has a legacy after all. At least in determining a starting point for what proved an extraordinary weekend for the Irish provinces in Europe, the All Blacks surely played their part.

Perpignan captain James Hook believes his side can defeat Munster in Saturday’s Heineken Cup clash at the Stade Aimé Giral.

Munster 36 Perpignan 8

Rob Penney has offered a slightly different take on weekend reports centre Casey Laulala would be departing the province at the season’s end and joining up with Grenoble in France‘s Top 14.

Given the trauma of the past week and the likelihood the Heineken Cup will not feature the best clubs the European game has to offer going forward, there is a premium on winning the tournament this season.

Munster moved to the top of Heineken Cup Pool 6 as they swept past a weakened Perpignan team 36-8 at Thomond Park today.

HEINEKEN CUP POOL SIX:

HEINEKEN CUP POOL SIX:

Rob Penney’s men travelled to Murrayfield in October on the crest of a wave having beaten Leinster the previous weekend but their expected victory over the league’s bottom side at the time was not delivered, Edinburgh scoring an upset 29-23 win.

Donnacha Ryan’s weekend visit to Perpignan has been confirmed by Munster, but head coach Rob Penney still hopes he will pledge his future to the province.

It shows just how competitive the Heineken Cup have become that after the opening two rounds, only three of the 24 teams have managed back-to-back wins. The good news from an Irish perspective is that, along with Toulouse, the other two are Leinster and Ulster, whose outstanding 8-25 win over joint Top 14 leaders Montpellier at the Stade Yevs du Manoir has set them up for greater things.

Perpignan 31 Edinburgh 14

Perpignan 31 Edinburgh 14

Talking to Jonny Sexton the other day, we started swapping secrets about psychological baggage from Leinster clashes with Munster.

Joe Schmidt stood next to the start line on Exeter’s indoor sprint track under Sandy Park’s main stand on Saturday night all but certain that it marked the end of the road for Leinster’s Heineken Cup campaign.

Perpignan will provide an exit route for Munster inside centre Lifeimi Mafi following the Irish province’s signing yesterday of James Downey from Northampton Saints.

MUNSTER’S Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final opponents, Brive, eased their Top 14 relegation worries with a 26-9 win over La Rochelle at Stade Amédée-Domenech on Saturday.

Perpignan 37 Scarlets 5

THE last few weeks on the road across the rugby homes of Europe has been challenging to say the least.

JOHNE MURPHY draws the line at rocks but as far as anything else Ospreys can throw at Munster, bring it on.

Perpignan 24 Leicester 19

Olly Barkley accepts that Bath have reached the make-or-break stage in their Heineken Cup campaign.

WIAN du Preez thought long and hard before deciding a return to Munster for the next two seasons was in his best interests.