Jekyll and Hyde French the key
In terms of skill and pace, it is vastly superior to that on offer in the home countries' domestic leagues. Hence the instalment of Toulouse, Stade Francais and Biarritz as the three front-runners for Heineken Cup glory.
How then does one explain the inability of Biarritz to beat an unexceptional Saracens side in London? Even more difficult to fathom was the complete collapse of Stade Francais against the Ospreys in Swansea on Sunday. Due primarily to injuries to key personnel including Lions Gavin Henson and Ryan Jones the Ospreys have endured a terrible start to their season. Last year's Celtic League winners are third from bottom in that competition and their form has been distinctly average.
When Stade destroyed Toulouse in the much publicised championship clash in Stade de France ten days ago, they looked untouchable. The quality of interplay between backs and forwards was a joy to watch.
In a recent interview in Arena, former All Black and current Castres captain Kees Meeuws gave a fascinating insight to the mind-set that regularly hampers French clubs on the road. He could not fathom how victory at home is almost taken for granted, regardless of the opposition, while there is a general expectation that you just don't win on opposition territory.
Stade Francais, in particular, have enjoyed spectacular success on the domestic front over the past few seasons. They have also reached the final of the Heineken Cup in 2001 and last season. Yet incredibly, on the European stage, they have only won once in Wales and have never tasted victory on Irish soil. Indeed over the course of the last few years, they have sampled defeat in Ravenhill, Donnybrook and Thomond Park.
That said they are not the only ones to suffer on the road. Incredibly of the 12 matches played last weekend, only two were won by the away side. Given that one of those was Perpignan's highly predictable victory over Calvasino in northern Italy, the only away victory of note was Bath's narrow success over Leinster in Dublin.
All of this, of course, is good news for Munster given the importance of their game against Castres on Saturday. These sides have met on a consistent basis throughout the ten years of the competition. As a result there is no love lost between the two teams. Former Wasp Paul Volley certainly didn't endear himself to the Munster faithful given the barrage of abuse he subjected Ronan O'Gara to last year.
It is now safe to assume that as a result of Munster's defeat last weekend they must now win the next four games on the bounce to keep hopes of qualification alive. If they can manage that then they will know exactly what they need to do when Sale return at the end of January. Their coach Philippe Saint-Andre has already expressed the view that he would hate to have to travel to Limerick relying on a victory to qualify. He may well face that reality.
Last season Munster suffered a narrow defeat when they played Castres at the Stade Pierre-Antoine. With a return journey booked after Christmas, it is vital that they set the ground rules when they meet on Saturday. Not only do they need to win but the addition of a vital bonus point may also prove crucial.
At this early juncture the Newport Gwent Dragons would appear the weakest side in the group. That said they pushed Castres all the way last weekend losing by a creditable five point margin.
From Munster's perspective, there is no point in looking beyond Saturday's game. While the loss of Alan Quinlan is a massive blow, the likely return of Trevor Halstead, Anthony Horgan, Peter Stringer and possibly even Paul O'Connell is sure to provide a huge boost.
While Munster competed quite well in the set piece in Manchester, the game was won and lost in the contact area. The huge Sale forwards generally won the collisions and as a result the Munster back line was deprived of any semblance of quick ball. It was noticeable in the second half, when they did manage to stretch beyond three and four phases, that their newly constructed back division had the ability to ask questions of the opposition.
While Castres generally dominated the lighter Dragons' pack last weekend, the likes of Kevin Morgan and Gareth Wyatt regularly breached a suspect looking home defence, scoring three tries in the process. With both Brian Hickey and Declan Kidney in attendance at that game, I am sure they will have recognised this vulnerability. Overall Munster has sufficient quality to return to winning ways on Saturday.
Leinster's task away to Glasgow looks a lot more difficult than it may have appeared two months ago. As Munster found to their cost in the Celtic League, Glasgow have improved immeasurably and are a difficult proposition at Hughenden. Leinster will no doubt be aware that no team has ever qualified for the knockout stages on the back of losing their opening two pool games. Come to think about it, the same applies to Munster.
Glasgow's excellent performance in running Bourgoin so close in the Stade Pierre Ragon will be a source of some consolation to the Scots. The fact that Edinburgh also recorded a surprise victory over 2004 Heineken Cup winners Wasps in Murrayfield on Sunday will also offer encouragement to the ever improving Scottish district sides. They have everything to play for.
For Ulster, they will have a true measure of how their young side is progressing when they travel to the south of France to face Biarritz. As one of the tournament favourites they will be smarting after their defeat last weekend. A positive result here would work wonders for Mark McCall's men yet you can't escape the feeling that after some recent poor performances, Biarritz have a massive game in them.
Unfortunately, the fragmented nature of this competition means that it goes into hibernation for a month after this weekend as the autumn internationals assume centre stage. Therefore enjoy it while it lasts.
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