High noon in the Heineken Cup

WITH the shadow boxing of the past few weeks done and dusted, Ireland’s representatives are gearing up for Heineken Cup High Noon.

Ulster are all but eliminated at this stage, and both Munster and Leinster face major battles to make the quarter-finals.

Munster have enjoyed mixed fortunes of late. Under the circumstances their victory over Edinburgh in Murrayfield last Saturday was more admirable than the tight one-point victory suggests. The Gunners lie second in the Celtic League and have also performed well in the most difficult pool in the Heineken Cup. Munster’s victory was the ideal platform from which to relaunch an assault in Europe. Given that they have contested every Heineken Cup knockout stage since 1999, the pressure to advance is obvious.