Munster also have to conquer nerves

RUGBY: MUNSTER ARE back in their favourite place - Heineken Cup mode - albeit with the additional nerves and pressure of final week. Having been there and bought the T-shirt three times, they are old hands at it now, but Declan Kidney maintains that not even the experience of three previous deciders since 2000 will help soothe the nerves as the might of three-time winners Toulouse and 5pm in Cardiff on Saturday loom.

"That's been our experience to date; finals are always emotional," said Kidney, who as of yesterday admittedly transmitted an ultra-relaxed air. "It will be the same in Moscow as it was at Wembley. That's the nature of those matches. I suppose experience has shown it doesn't help you in any way in playing the game. We'll just have to show up and be professional whether it's our first game or our last game."

With the Ireland squad also using the University of Limerick's facilities and the invasion of 350 schoolchildren enjoying one of the daily camps in operation over a six-week period, the buzz for yesterday's double session was palpable.

"I've seen it written that it's a dream final," said Kidney. "It will be a dream for the team that wins, and it will be a nightmare for the team who loses. But that's the way of finals. Was it three weeks ago we played the semi-final? Then, we were glad to be here. The closer you get to it, then you're back into 50-50 land.

"What way the game will go, it could go any way. The thing about Toulouse is, they could beat you 60-19 again (1996-97), you could lose by a point or maybe it might be like the other result (2000, Munster won 31-25) - maybe we might win."

That Munster are 4 to 5 on favourites Kidney attributes to Irish punters being more inclined to have a wager, and with their hearts. "I think in a game like this, I don't know whether to call it 50-50. To put us in that line with Toulouse, it's probably a bit of a step up above ourselves. It's brilliant to be in the final. In fairness to both sets of players, given the groups that both teams have had to come through and the semi-finals both have had to come through - both being played in England - there's a lot of credit due to them. The bookies do what the bookies do. I've never seen a bookie play a match."

As expected, Ronan O'Gara and Doug Howlett - both slight injury concerns - trained fully and though Mick O'Driscoll's back twinge on Monday and Tomás O'Leary's tender hamstring saw them sit out the whole day and afternoon sessions respectively, Kidney expects he will be able to pick from the full 26 he announced yesterday.