Munster will want to extract every advantage from their spiritual home

IT says something about the competitive nature of this year’s Heineken Cup that entering the final round of group matches only three teams - Sale, Toulouse and Bath - have secured qualification to the knock-out phase.

When one considers that 2004 tournament winners Wasps are no longer in the competition and last year’s beaten finalists Stade Francais are barely hanging on, Munster and Leinster can be satisfied with their progress.

However, all that will mean nothing unless qualification is achieved this weekend. Both sides face massive challenges. Munster entertain the form side in the Guinness Premiership, containing a host of international stars. While Bath are one place from the bottom of the Premiership, their form in Europe has been outstanding. Not only are they unbeaten, they are the number one seed.

When Munster lost their opening Heineken Cup game in Edgeley Park last October, they would have gladly taken an opportunity to top the pool in the final game. That has now come to pass. Since that defeat, Munster have remained unbeaten in Europe and the opportunity for revenge carries with it the possibility of pipping Sale to the automatic quarter-final spot.

Sale are a quality side, but are not unbeatable. They are no more impressive than Gloucester were three years ago, or, for that matter, the great Leicester side Munster beat in the quarter-final in Welford Road in the same campaign.

Despite losing by 14 points in Manchester, it is worth recalling that Munster gifted Sale two tries, one from a defending five-metre scrum and the other from a turnover deep in opposition territory. They also started that game without Paul O Connell and Peter Stringer, both of whom have been in outstanding form of late.

Thomond Park is made for days like this. The buzz of anticipation is everywhere in the build-up to this game. Throughout the field, there will be so many exciting areas of confrontation.

Up front, the battle in the scrum will have a major impact. Sale loose head Andrew Sheridan has become a scrummaging sensation overnight. Yet in the opening clash, John Hayes had an excellent game against his fellow Lion. Overall Munster have a stronger line-out, with Sale hugely dependent on Chris Jones for primary possession. In this respect, O’Connell has a major responsibility in testing Jones’s questionable temperament.

In their domestic league, Sale have used their massive ball carriers, Sheridan, Jason White and the two Sebastians, Bruno and Chabal, to expose opposition defences.

It is imperative, therefore, that Munster’s back row is offensive in the tackle and denies Sale the opportunity of generating momentum.

The two individuals most likely to shape the outcome of this game are the respective No 10s. Ronan O’Gara and Charlie Hodgson are very similar in style. Both have the ability to punish the opposition with pinpoint accuracy from the boot or with the quality of their distribution. The key for both is quality ball. Against Castres, Munster’s ball retention was far superior to anything we have seen this season and the back line benefited hugely as a result.

Sale possess a distinct advantage out wide given the finishing qualities of Mark Cueto and Jason Robinson. They must be denied the time and space on which they thrive.

In the overall context, Sale are comparative novices in the Heineken Cup. While they are aware of Munster’s unbeaten record in Thomond Park and will have been reminded of Gloucester’s annihilation there three years ago, nothing can prepare you for the Thomond experience. It’s a bit like practising for a penalty shoot-out in soccer. It’s impossible to replicate the real thing.

One can still see the experienced figure of ex-rugby league star Henry Paul getting the runaround at full back in the ‘miracle match’.

Likewise, Sale full-back Daniel Larrachea looked suspect at times under the high ball against the Newport Gwent Dragons last Sunday.

O’Gara owes it to the crowd to give them the opportunity of testing his mettle early on.

While Munster require a bonus point win to have any chance of topping the group, I think that may prove beyond them. Sale boasts one of the meanest defences in the tournament, conceding just 53 points in five games. While already qualified, they will do everything to ensure they secure the additional advantage of a home quarter-final.

One way or another this will be Munster’s last European game in Thomond Park this season. With a home quarter-final pencilled in for Lansdowne Road, the players will want to extract every advantage from their spiritual home. I think it will just prove enough to achieve qualification for the eighth season in a row.

With Leinster’s game on Sunday afternoon they will have the added advantage of knowing exactly what they need to do to qualify.

The bottom line is they must win. With one of the most potent back lines in Europe, the outcome will rest solely on the ability of their forwards to stand up to the massive Bath eight.

Last season, Leinster were destroyed up front, but got out of jail with an injury-time victory. Lightning doesn’t strike twice. In the modern game, parity from the line-out is a prerequisite. Last year, the Bath second row of Danny Grewcock and Steve Borthwick created untold problems for Leinster out of touch. While Michael Cheika’s men were more competitive in defeat when the sides met in the opening game of this season’s campaign in the RDS, Malcolm O’Kelly and co carry a massive burden of responsibility.

The principle reason for Bath’s lowly position in their domestic league can be attributed to their inability to score tries. The recent appointment of Brian Ashton in place of the ultra-conservative John Connolly has sought to address this issue.

In this respect he has restored English international Ollie Bartley to the out-half role with good effect. With proven match-winners in Contepomi, O’Driscoll, D’Arcy and Hickie, Leinster have the ability to win this game.

Whether they succeed or not rests on the shoulders of Nos 1 to 5.