Leinster boss backs Munster to deliver

Leinster coach Joe Schmidt has told Munster they can all but guarantee themselves at least eight invaluable pool points by beating Racing Metro 92 in their Heineken Cup opener.

Schmidt has first-hand experience of the French psyche, having spent three years as assistant coach to Vern Cotter at Clermont Auvergne and believes there is “some really good hope” for Rob Penney’s men.

“The one thing that will be tough is that French teams love to defend their home soil,” said the Kiwi. “Having said that, if you can get a win over there then you will take a fair bit of the sting out of them when they come back [to Limerick]. So Munster know they can almost double up with a win.”

No doubt Simon Mannix, who served as backs coach with the Top 14 club before joining up with the 2006 and 2008 Heineken Cup champions during the summer, will be pushing that line of thought. And there are other positives besides.

“There is a rumour that two Castres coaches were contracted to come over to Metro but now the players are happy with Gonzalo Quesada and [Patricio] Noriega and there is disparity with what is going to happen next year,” Schmidt added.