14 hours on a flight and cup quarters are still up in the air

It is fascinating from a collisions point of view watching Ma’a Nonu, pictured, and Mathieu Bastareaud. How will Munster check them, asks Ronan O’Gara

he Crusaders flew from Christchurch to Sydney last Monday morning and then took on a 14-hour schlep to Johannesburg for this Sunday’s Super Rugby duel with the Lions. I slept for eight (I tend to do that), ate for two, and spent the rest studying and working on this column.

Most of that last bit was thinking: Has there ever been four Champions Cup quarter-finals as tantalisingly balanced as this weekend’s?