Thomond factor key for Reds

IT’S HARD to find anybody who’ll back against Munster’s home advantage, as John Riordan found out.

Phillipe Saint-Andre (Director of rugby — Sale Sharks): “It will be a fantastic game between two of the best teams in Europe. I know by experience with Sale that Munster is a very tough place to go to. So I think Munster are favourites but Wasps are champions and they are clearly dangerous in one-off games. They know how to play in this sort of game. But the pressure of the Munster public at home will be huge. Leicester are the only side to have done it there. It’ll be very tough, very hard, probably the most physical in the Heineken Cup this season.”

Mick Galwey (former Munster captain): “When the draw was made first day, the feeling was it would go down to the wire. Of all the teams that could come to Thomond Park, you’d have to give great respect to Wasps. They know what it’s like to win but my money’s on Munster. They’ve a lot to play for; they were disappointed with what happened last year and with having lost the last couple of games to Wasps. They’ll certainly want to take the last game in Thomond Park before it becomes a massive stadium, there’s a certain significance in that. It’s going to be tight and it will take a huge effort for either side to pull it off. There were great signs last week in France. Munster have plenty out wide, a very good backline. It’s up to the forwards now. That’s where Wasps are very strong.”