‘Cup finals’ all the way as Munster hunt top four spot

“It’s like every game we play from here on, we’re in cup final mode.”

Even the reassurance provided by a 12 months contract extension hasn’t changed the reality facing Munster coach Anthony Foley and his team in the concluding weeks of the Guinness PRO12 campaign. The first of those ‘cup final’ games comes tonight away to the Cardiff Blues (7.15pm).

A victory will send Munster into the top four, at least for this week, and poised to launch a dramatic challenge for honours that seemed unimaginable in recent months. Defeat will plunge the season into crisis with every danger that they will miss out on the lucrative semi-finals of the league and fail qualify for next season’s European Champions Cup.