Cheika eyes Munster blueprint

LEINSTER coach Michael Cheika will look to Munster’s Heineken Cup ‘bouncebackability’ as the champions bid to recover from a round one home defeat by London Irish at the RDS.

Not one of the nine former champions over the 14 years of the tournament has ever won the trophy after losing the opening home game, but Munster did manage to recover from first day blues in 2006 and 2008 to take their two titles.

Munster lost to Sale three years ago and then fell to Wasps in their 2008 opener, the season they bagged a second European Cup title against Toulouse.