Reds’ rudest wake-up call

If Munster are to prevail against Ulster on Sunday at Thomond Park and reach the Heineken Cup semi-finals they will surely be requesting that Leinster provide them with an annual pre-European tune-up after this sobering RaboDirect Pro12 defeat to their fiercest rivals.

The southern province and defending league champions saw their grasp on second place in the standings slip as a result of this home defeat to the runaway leaders on Saturday in Limerick but in terms of giving Munster a reality check ahead of the main event in seven days this may well prove the ideal wake-up call.

Of course, we seem to have been here before in the build-up to a crucial weekend of European action for both these provinces. Munster were beaten in the league by Leinster at the Aviva Stadium last November in the week before round one of the pool stages and their lack of appetite and intensity at the breakdown was thoroughly exposed by Joe Schmidt’s outfit.