Kidney’s men target Gunners in must win game

THIS weekend, Munster move from the heat of the RDS where Leinster broke the Celtic League attendance record, to the cold of Murrayfield, where the Edinburgh Gunners have attracted meagre attendances this season.

It is a must-win game for league leaders Munster, who enjoy just a one point lead over their hosts on Saturday, and it could be a strange experience as they face into a bleak terrace scenario at Scotland’s national rugby stadium.

Edinburgh have a cumulative attendance from five home games of just over 13,000, about 1,000 less than the 14,200 that packed into the Dublin venue last week when Leinster inflicted a shock, but well deserved, defeat on the leaders.

The Gunners had their biggest crowd of the season last weekend (3,800) in a Scottish derby against Border Reivers. The average so far has been 2,600 in a vast 78,000 capacity stadium.

Still smarting from their first RDS experience, Munster have much to salvage in Edinburgh.

Munster hope both Ronan O’Gara and David Wallace will be around to spur them on. The Irish internationals face fitness tests today, O’Gara to get clearance after sustaining a facial injury in Dublin and Wallace to prove he has recovered from a back strain, before coach Declan Kidney names a squad of up to 25 players to vie for 22 places.

Edinburgh are the only side in the Celtic League with a 100% home winning record this season, scoring 22 league points in the process whilst allowing their opponents to tally just three losing bonus points. Table-topping Munster have been at the top of the Celtic League since October 9, but lost on their last visit to Scotland - 32-10 against Glasgow at Hughenden on September 17.

While Edinburgh’s last two home games have ended in narrow victories (17-15 over Newport Gwent Dragons and 30-25 against Border Reivers), Munster will have to treat them with the utmost respect.

With the Gunners a point adrift, Leinster just one further back and Ulster still well in contention, Munster have it all to play for, notwithstanding the need for a timely boost in advance of next week’s Heineken Cup clash with Castres in France.

The two sides met on three occasions last season (twice in the Celtic League and once in the Celtic Cup) with Munster winning each time. On Munster’s previous visit to Murrayfield in November 2004 they became the only side to have prevented the Gunners scoring a point at the venue in an 11-0 win.