Comment: Munster won’t be caught on the hop by Saracens

In a tense, edgy week for the Munster squad, Paul O’Connell found one aspect of relief ahead of tomorrow’s Champions Cup showdown with Saracens — it wouldn’t be him having to deal too often with the unpredictable bounce of the Londoners’ artificial surface, writes Simon Lewis.

“I think it will be a factor, certainly,” O’Connell said of the 4G pitch at Saracens’ Allianz Park. “It’s a harder surface so it’s going to be a bit quicker and the bounce of the ball is going to be different, particularly for the back three. Luckily I won’t have to deal with any of that but, yeah, it’s a factor for them as well.”

No, much to O’Connell’s delight, the backfield of the 4G pitch at Allianz Park will be the domain of Munster full-back Felix Jones and his wing partners as the visitors will seek to negate the attacking threat posed by a dangerous kick-chase that frequently sends Chris Ashton and David Strettle flying up field looking to exploit a favourable bounce or a back-three defender’s error.