Patience key to a bonus for Munster

NINE years after they first contested a Heineken European Cup match at Thomond Park, Munster again put their amazing record at the venue on the line this afternoon when they face Bourgoin.

Back in the 1995/'96 season, Munster defeated Swansea by 17-13 in their first game. The number of matches they have now played at their Limerick fortress has risen to fifteen. They have won them all.

In doing so they have, totalled 502 points and conceded 207. That magnificent record now goes on the line once more when, nothing less than a win with a bonus point over Bourgoin will suffice to gain home advantage for the quarter-finals.

Just as the wind doesn't necessarily mean the side that has played against the elements in the first half is guaranteed to run out winners in the second, neither does it follow that the Thomond Park influence ensures a Munster victory.

Declan Kidney, frequently made that argument and reasoned that, inevitably, defeat would some day be their lot at a venue now known the world over for its remarkable atmosphere and magnificent supporters.

Given that this afternoon is absolutely crucial to Munster's aspirations of at last claiming the trophy and Bourgoin are out of the running, the expectation is that the Thomond Park roadshow will roll on for at least another few months. This is too good and experienced a side to slip up at this stage but there are several imponderables which won't be resolved until around 6.45pm this evening.

The chief one surrounds the kind of challenge Bourgoin are prepared to put up. If they have one eye on a vital French Championship tie at home to Colomiers a week hence, then they could well be there for the taking. On the other hand, if they are hell bent on impressing new coach Laurent Seigne and perform with typical French flair and elan, it could be a different story altogether.

Bourgoin trained at Thomond Park yesterday and looked businesslike. Seigne insisted: "we are here to win or at the very least put up a good performance. There is a degree of experience in the side and we intend to enjoy the Thomond Park atmosphere".

So, too, of course, do Munster and it is with a sense of expectation that we look forward to seeing the side as a whole recapture the form that demolished Gloucester a fortnight ago. Unfortunately, full-back Shaun Payne must sit this one out because of the knee injury he sustained in Treviso last week. "Shaun took the decision himself," Gaffney explained. "He wasn't 100%. It was an honest decision and we would have given him another 24 hours if he needed it, but now we'll run with Jeremy who is in good form and played well last week. That in turn allows us to bring Mossy Lawler on to the bench and that's a chance he deserves after a good Celtic League campaign."

Payne's setback offers Staunton a golden opportunity to put his name back in the frame for both Munster and Ireland, who have such a major problem at number 15. He is a confident player who could really push his claims provided he sizes up the situation quickly and acts without hesitating, whether in taking on the opposition or kicking for position. Indecisiveness has cost him dearly this season.

Gaffney admits that Munster don't know what to expect from this Bourgoin side, but having closely perused their line-up, he acknowledges that they have a very strong pack.

"Sebastien Chabal in the back-row is an outstanding player who scored the only try of the game over in Bourgoin. They have another good back-row man in the captain Pierre Raschi, while the prop, Olivier Milloud, is in the French squad and the number three Julien Bouic is a giant of a man, six inches tall but only a pound under 19 stone. Matthys Stolz in the second-row is 6' 7" and over 18 stone so there's plenty of meat up front.

"They have picked a young back line that has a lot of pace. Out-half Alexandre Peclier dropped two goals against us in the first match and Mickael Forest, now in the centre, was scrum-half that day."

In all, seven of the team that went down 18-17 at home are listed in the Bourgoin side. Laurent Seigne has described his selection as a "mix and match" but with such strength up front and pace behind, Bourgoin are certainly capable of making it a difficult afternoon for the Munstermen who need to achieve a far greater degree of consistency if they are to achieve the Holy Grail this season.

However, anything other than a win would come as a huge shock although the vital bonus point could be a different matter. Patience on the pitch and on the sidelines may be important ingredients but the prediction is for the kind of result that will ensure another mammoth Thomond Park occasion over the Easter weekend.