Fired-up Foley’s call to arms

ANTHONY FOLEY last night scorned suggestions that he and the other Irish internationals in the Munster team would suffer reaction to the three autumn tests, when they take on Castres at Stade Pierre Antoine tonight.

Foley skippers a Munster side containing eight players involved with Ireland over the past month or so and while he accepts that the games against South Africa and Argentina were quite exhausting, he also insists these are the kinds of matches Munster players have always looked forward to and contested to the best of their ability. Munster enjoy a point lead over Castres after two matches but this clash and the return game at Thomond Park tomorrow week will almost certainly be decisive in determining the winners of Pool 4.

Castres won at home against Neath-Swansea Ospreys, picking up a bonus point in the process, and drew with Harlequins at The Stoop while Munster emerged narrow victors over ‘Quins and the Ospreys. The near certainty is that little will separate the sides in this, their seventh Heineken Cup meeting.