Munster will need to be on red alert against talented Toulouse
Central to the success of the tournament from the outset are Munster and Toulouse who between them won the Heineken Cup on six occasions along with contesting 10 finals including the 2008 decider at the Millennium Stadium. In the four contests between the sides over the years, the spoils are split evenly with two wins apiece but ironically Toulouse have never played at Thomond Park. It is only right and fitting then that in the twilight of this great tournament, that anomaly will be rectified on Saturday.
That fact isn’t lost either on the Toulouse players, many of whom were on board throughout their countless successes in Europe, chief amongst them former French full back Clement Poitrenaud.
Now 31 and a three-time tournament winner, he said of the quarter-final pairing back in January: “Playing there against such an opponent and in such an atmosphere... that is legendary in a career.
“I hope this does not become a nightmare. We know we are not favourites but this was already the case before the start of the competition. With our resources, we will try our best to hang in there.”
When you see someone of Poitrenaud’s stature in the game, speaking in such glowing terms of what playing in Thomond Park means, you get a real sense of what an occasion Saturday promises to be.
Munster rugby has travelled a long way since a crushing 60-19 annihilation away to Toulouse back in 1996. Leaving the Stade Ernest-Wallon 18 years ago, you could never envisage a day when the two sides would compete on equal terms. But that all changed within a period of four years when Munster, against all the odds in the blistering heat in Bordeaux, won that benchmark semi-final in 2000. The fact that they outscored Toulouse by three tries to one and played some brilliant attacking rugby to boot helped to change the stereotype that attached to Munster rugby at the time.
Fourteen years on and Donncha O’Callaghan, who came on as a substitute that day, is the only one from either squad still plying his trade. He may be back where he started in that he will more than likely be utilised off the bench once again this time out but the experience and street wisdom he now brings to the mix when the game is in the balance in the final quarter could prove invaluable.
The big second row’s contribution to the Munster cause since that afternoon in the south of France is often overlooked but he has been the heart and soul of Munster’s amazing journey in this Heineken Cup and still has more to give.
If Munster are sweating over the availability of Peter O’Mahony and Donnacha Ryan then Toulouse, despite their strength in depth, will be equally concerned with the injuries picked up by Census Johnston and Louis Picamoles last weekend. Reserve tight head prop Yohan
Montes is nowhere near as disruptive a scrummager as the big Samoan while the potential loss of Picamoles would be incalculable to the visitors. If this game is to be decided on the basis of pure talent alone then Munster are at a distinct disadvantage. The one consolation on that front is that has never been the deciding factor when the big hitting French sides come to Thomond Park. In the 21 games between Munster and a variety of French opposition since the inception of the European Cup, not once have the visitors left Limerick with the spoils.
Bourgoin, Perpignan, Colomiers, Castres, Biarritz, Clermont Auvergne, Montauban, Stade Francais, Toulon and Racing Metro have all tried. That impressive list is now to be embellished with the most successful of all French clubs in Europe, the mighty Stade Toulousain. It is only right and fitting that they too finally get the opportunity to conquer Fortress Thomond. Munster will need to be on red alert.
Leinster face an even bigger challenge and pay the ultimate price for losing at home to Northampton last December with an away quarter-final. Toulon have an even bigger squad than Toulouse, fortified by some of the biggest names from the rugby world. Players such as Bryan Habana, Jonny Wilkinson, Carl Hayman, Martin Castrogiovanni, Matt Giteau, Ali Williams, Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Bakkies Botha and Danie Roussow have graced the international stage and at their peak, were best in class for a long time. The issue for Toulon however is that many have already seen their best days and may struggle against a Leinster side with so many top quality internationals at the peak of their powers having just contributed to Ireland’s success in the Six Nations
In any event some of those stellar Toulon names may not make the starting line up on Sunday due to injury but whatever side Bernard Laporte puts on the field will be a formidable one. Key amongst those will be Mathieu Bastareaud who looked rejuvenated playing for France against Ireland recently. He always seems to lift his game when opposing Brian O’Driscoll which is understandable. The fact that he will face him for the last time in this decider will only serve to motivate the powerful French centre even further. O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy will be well briefed from their most recent encounter at the Stade de France.
Leinster are on a hot streak at the moment with Saturday’s win over Munster their 10th competitive victory on the trot. For that a lot of credit has to go to Matt O’Connor. Following in the footsteps of Joe Schmidt at Leinster is only marginally less taxing than succeeding Fergie at Manchester United but O’Connor has made a better fist of it than David Moyes.
Given the distraction of having so many of his squad away with Ireland, his achievement in accumulating 24 out of 25 Rabo Direct points on offer during the Six Nations window was an outstanding achievement and that more than anything is why they top the Pro 12 league.
O’Connor was also part of the Leicester Tigers coaching ticket that pushed Toulon all the way in the corresponding quarter-final last season before eventually going down 21-15. That experience will prove invaluable to O’Connor, especially as Toulon are not quite as formidable as 12 months ago while this Leinster side is better than the Tigers outfit that pushed the eventual winners so close at the Stade Felix Mayol.
On that basis alone, I would give Leinster every chance of upsetting the odds.
