Niall Scannell dare not look beyond old foes Leinster

His boss may be treating Saturday’s clash with Leinster as a tune-up for the Champions Cup pool games which follow, but Niall Scannell is not giving either Castres or Racing 92 a second thought when there are interprovincial foes to battle.

This weekend’s Guinness PRO14 clash at the Aviva Stadium is, in the eyes of director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, the ideal preparation for European challenges ahead, the intensity provided by arch-rivals a significant step up from the five league contests already negotiated.

Hooker Scannell would not disagree with that assessment, but he is not prepared to get caught up in looking beyond the more immediate examination of Munster’s credentials against a Leinster side full of Ireland international team-mates and a couple of selection rivals.