Eoin Reddan: Leinster's Pro 12 clash with Munster a ‘massive’ battle of forwards

“I just hope that people afterwards don’t write off whoever wins.”

Slip of the tongue aside, it was clear where Eoin Reddan was coming from earlier this week as he previewed tomorrow’s Guinness PRO12 provincial derby between his Leinster and Munster in the city where he was born and raised.

Both sides approach this fixture off a rotten run of results, but little beats the solace and cheer that comes with winning this local dispute and both Anthony Foley and Leo Cullen could do with some buoyancy right about now.

The visitors have finished second best in four of their last five outings, an 8-3 defeat of Ulster at the RDS late last month sandwiched by defeats to Wasps and Bath on one side and a double dose of pain at the hands of Toulon on the other.

Here is your #LeinsterRugby starting XV to face Munster in #GuinnessPRO12. #MUNvLEINhttps://t.co/yiOH59dYAl

— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) December 24, 2015

There has been no such solitary success to lighten the mood in Munster since mid-November, Anthony Foley’s men done home and away by Leicester Tigers after a pair of PRO12 reversals to Connacht and Newport Gwent Dragons.

Something has to give here, although you wouldn’t bet against a draw that would add only to the mood of introspection and sense of limbo in which the provinces currently find themselves during this festive season.

With PRO12 standings the sole arbiter of seedings for next seasons’ Champions Cup, points are as important as mood. Yet, whatever the result, the provincial game could do with a tie of substance between two sides playing high-tempo and accurate rugby.

God knows, the fans need a lift, too.

“It’s a huge game,” said Reddan. “It’s massive. Both teams are very frustrated with themselves. Both are looking for big performances, internationals wanting to play well and two coaches who care passionately about the teams they coach and who hurt more than anybody else when they lose.

“They probably put more into it because of that than anybody else so, from the top to the bottom of the two clubs, it is going to be a huge night. The fans will love it with the day of the year that it is on … I’d say we will put in a good performance and I think they will too.”

For Leinster, it is about the long-term as much as the immediate future.

UP FOR IT? Leinster’s Sean Cronin, right, talking with Fergus McFadden, ahead oftomorrow’s crucial Pro12game at Thomond Park. Picture Seb Daly/ Sportsfile

Half-a-dozen of their replacements – Nick McCarthy, Garry Ringrose, Josh van der Flier, Cathal Marsh, Ross Molony and James Tracy - have never played Munster at senior level. Van der Flier hasn’t even played at Thomond Park.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” said the flanker. “They’ll be really fired up for this game, both teams will be. Both teams had disappointing games in Europe and Munster had a couple of losses before the European games too.

“It’ll be a massive battle, especially in the forwards, as it always is with Munster. So it will be quite a challenge for us. Two teams looking to put in a performance. It’s a crucial part of the season, crucial for us both.”