Revenge on the menu as Munster take on Ospreys in Heineken Cup appetiser

MUNSTER will be seeking revenge at St Helen’s this evening when they take on Neath/Swansea in a dress rehearsal for the Heineken Cup clash between the two clubs next month.

Tonight’s Celtic League opener will not, however, give any indication of Heineken Cup form because Munster travel light, with no more than half of the team likely to start another European campaign.

The Ospreys failed to win their last three matches of last season and at St Helen’s, they have won just four of the seven games played there so far.

Their only win in their last six matches against Irish opposition was when they beat Munster in Cork last February and Munster will be out to avenge that defeat.

Under-strength Munster have lost the last five games they have played against the Welsh regions, stretching back to a 31-10 win over the Cardiff Blues at Musgrave Park last November.

Connacht, who take on Glasgow at the Sports Ground tomorrow (2.30), will be seeking to draw level in terms of success in the fifth Celtic League meeting.

The two sides have met on four occasions in the Celtic League with Glasgow winning the first two and Connacht taking the first game last season. The most recent clash, which was also at the Galway Sportsground, ended in a thrilling 28-all draw, with Glasgow staging a dramatic comeback after Connacht had been 25-9 up at the break.

Connacht lost their last four Celtic League matches of last season with their most recent victory in the competition being over the Ospreys at the Sportsground on April 3, when they turned around a 21-7 deficit early into the second period with 17 unanswered points to eventually win 24-21.

Glasgow finished last season with a 34-31 victory over the Ospreys at Hughenden, but they have not won a match in Ireland since they beat Connacht at Galway in the quarter final of the Celtic League in December 2001.

Ulster, last year’s Cup winners but beaten into runners-up spot in the league, open their campaign against Edinburgh at Murrayfield. The sides have met four times in the Celtic League/Cup with Edinburgh’s only victory coming on the occasion of Ulster’s last loss at Ravenhill in the competition in September 2002.

Edinburgh are hoping that a change of home venue to Murrayfield will signal an upturn in their fortunes as the only match they have lost there in four outings since January 2001 was to Ulster in last season’s Celtic Cup final.

Since November 2002, Ulster have played nine matches against Scottish opponents and lost only one, when they went down 25-27 to Glasgow at Hughenden last February.

Meanwhile, Leinster are also on the revenge trail as Cardiff Blues were the last side to defeat them at home when they won 22-18 at Donnybrook last March, whilst Leinster’s record against Welsh clubs last season was a poor won 3, drawn 1 and lost 6.

Cardiff have also not won “on the road” since that victory at Donnybrook, but they have won the last four matches they have played against teams from Ireland. These sides meet again at Donnybrook on Sunday (5.15).