Munster fans ready for Massif fight

THE Munster rugby battlecry of Stand Up and Fight will ring out with renewed vigour in central France this weekend as the province faces a vital Heineken European Cup clash against ASM Clermont Auvergne.

More than 2,500 fans are expected to make the long journey to the heart of the Massif Central for the nail-biting penultimate round in the proverbial “group of death”.

Munster and Clermont, as well as Wasps, remain in contention for advancing to the quarter-finals in one of the tightest and strongest groups in the 13-year history of the competition.

Many supporters will travel in the hope of seeing Munster adding another chapter to their collection of famous victories over French sides like Toulouse, Castres and Stade Francais.

The advance legions of the Red Army started arriving in Clermont-Ferrand yesterday.

However, most fans are not expected to arrive in the capital of the Auvergne region until later today as a result of the unwelcome decision by the organisers and TV stations to stage the match on a Sunday.

Forecasters predict temperatures will rise to a relatively balmy 12C with some light rain for tomorrow’s game.

All but a few corporate tickets have been sold for the match in the impressive Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin (kick-off 3pm Irish time) which has a capacity of almost 14,500.

Bookmakers are offering odds of 3/1 on a Munster victory. Team preparations for the crunch tie have not been helped by a number of injuries and a lack of match practice caused by the cancellation of last week’s Magners League fixture against Ulster at Ravenhill.

However, Munster will take heart that the game will see the former Auckland and All Blacks star, Doug Howlett, make his debut for the Irish side, replacing the injured Anthony Horgan on the left wing.

Sadly, the talismanic presence of Paul O’Connell will be absent as the Munster captain failed to regain adequate fitness to take part in his first competitive start for the province since last autumn and can not even be accommodated on the bench.

In contrast, Clermont are the form team in the French Top 14 championship and the XV which they will field tomorrow bears only a passing resemblance to the side which lost 36-13 to Munster in Thomond Park last November.

Just two of the French team who played that day are named in tomorrow’s starting line-up as they place faith in their free-scoring back line led by the inspirational captain, Aurélien Rougerie, to reignite their bid for European glory.

Ultimately, one feels that Munster might be content to settle for, at worst, a losing bonus point, or at least denying one to Clermont leaving a potential winner-takes-all clash against Wasps in Fortress Thomond next week.