O’Connell: It’s not a two-horse race yet

MUNSTER’S victory in France was not just significant for a team that had failed to win on the road during last season’s Heineken Cup group campaign — it has helped to change the entire Pool 1 dynamic this season.

The 27-24 win over Castres came on a weekend when both the English and French powers were beaten at home, with Northampton still paying for their energy-sapping defeat at Thomond Park in a lacklustre showing against Scarlets on Friday night.

That leaves Scarlets and Munster as the two unbeaten sides with the Welsh region top of the pool on nine points, followed by the Irish province a point behind with Saints and Castres trailing on two points and one respectively.