Boudjellal cranks up the temperature

THEY MAY have heard the cheap jibes about Munster being funded by the IMF, and allegations about the state of Irish hospitality at Thomond Park but one wonders what the Munster brains trust will make of Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal’s latest outburst against Tony McGahan’s men.

Speaking just days before his side’s crucial Heineken Cup clash with Munster at Stade Mayol, Boudjellal claimed that the Irish provinces received preferential treatment when it came to disciplinary sanctions in the Heineken Cup, citing Paul O’Connell’s return from suspension in time for Sunday’s showdown as an example.

“It’s not surprising,” claimed Boudjellal. “There are sanctions and there are ‘Euro-sanctions’ and when you’re Irish the Euro-sanctions are divided by 6.55957, which means that O’Connell was suspended for a month instead of six and a half months.”

Boudjallel’s bizarre claim came as O’Connell was named in Tony McGahan’s squad for Sunday’s clash after spending the Christmas period on the sidelines.

The Munster captain received a four week ban after being found guilty of striking Ospreys’ No.8 Jonathan Thomas during their Heineken Cup showdown last month.

With a vociferous home crowd roaring them on and a full house of 14,700 expected, Boudjellal said he hoped it would be the start of something special for the French club.

He told local paper Var Matin: “At the start, I wanted to play Munster in the first match so we could assure a full house at Stade Mayol. I wondered how we would fill the ground by the fifth round [of matches]. Today, not only is the stadium full but there’s something at stake so even in the worst case scenario, we will be happy.”

Marseille’s Stade Velodrome is just down the road but Boudjellal said he never seriously entertained the idea of moving the game to the 60,000 capacity stadium, instead preferring for the town of Toulon to benefit from the extra publicity.

“Of course we would have filled the Velodrome but I’ve no regrets. This match will be televised to an extent matches rarely are. It will be live on France 2, Sky and Fox which means it’ll be shown live in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

“I am happy that the world will discover Stade Mayol. One thing is sure: it’s excellent that it’s happening for us.”

A victory over Munster would put the French side in the driving seat as regards qualification for the quarter-finals — something that few pundits had foreseen even allowing for Toulon’s phalanx of internationals stars.

Although the Top 14 title remains the holy grail as far as the club and its supporters are concerned, the local press have dubbed Sunday’s match the most important of the year so far, and interest in the game has reached fever pitch around the town.

“At this stage I dream of a victory over Munster and a win for London Irish over the Ospreys,” added Boudjellal. “We would then be qualified [for the quarter-finals] giving us one of the greatest days in the history of the club.”