Munster won’t settle for less in Clermont fortress

Jean Kleyn of Munster is tackled by Alex Dombrandt, left, and Scott Baldwin of Harlequins during the Heineken Champions Cup clash. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

One down, three to go but the race for a Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final spot is already up and running. That does nothing but intensify the pressure on Munster to get whatever they can in terms of match points from this evening’s pool clash with ASM Clermont Auvergne.

This season’s one-off tournament structure means there are just four spots from the two 12-team pools to secure progression to the knockout stages. So last Sunday’s 21-7 home victory over Harlequins has Munster already playing catching up as the only one of Pool A’s opening-round winners not to secure a try bonus point.