Crunch time as title race reaches climax

As climaxes go, the ol' interpros have probably never had it so good. Tight finales were commonplace, too, under the old three series of games, but this year's home-and-away format, coupled with the bonus points system, has ensured that there's nothing false about the finish this year.

Both Leinster and Munster have worked harder than any putative champions before them, accumulating their 14 points apiece over five games. Whoever wins in Donnybrook's winner-takes-all summit meeting will utterly deserve to scoop the booty. More than ever before then, the final table should tell no lies.

Knowing that alone should add to the incentives in both dressing-rooms. Collectively there is everything to play for, and quite a bit individually as well. It seems as if ever since they came into being, Munster thrive on perceived biases against them at national selectorial level and the exclusion of all bar Mick Galwey and Peter Clohessy in this week's squad announcement was probably ideally timed as far as the Munster management are concerned.

It should certainly get the gander up of the Munster/Shannon back-row. The frustrated duo of Alan Quinlan and Eddie Halvey were at their most animated in Neath last week (with flankers like them, Anthony Foley would be entitled to wear ear muffs) but they ought to be stokin' this evening.

By the same token, Trevor Brennan and Victor Costello should be looking on this as opportunity to hammer home their current standing in front of the watching Irish coach, while Leinster, too, will have their aggrieved few: Gabriel Fulcher, Emmet Byrne, Derek Hegarty, Brian Carey, Shane Horgan, John McWeeney and Kevin Nowlan.

With so much at stake, and theoretically so much to play for (the bones of a final trial with meat on it) it's doubtful that there'll be a more important or better domestic game this season.

Technically, Munster have a slight points differential edge in the event of a draw and an equal share of bonus points, but to all intents and purposes this is a winner-takes-all and a win-at-all-costs collision.

Seeking comfort in their hour of need, Leinster have resorted to the entire pack and all but two of the backs which accounted for Munster two months ago in making four changes, recalling Nowlan, Alan McGowan, Emmet Byrne and Craig Brownlie.

It would seem like a statement of intent, given McGowan's recall and a genuine open-side in Pat Ward has been omitted for the more physical close-in virtues of their Kiwi converted number eight Brownlie.

Munster will have been harbouring a grudge this past two months and will have earmarked tonight as the night to pay back some debts. But though Leinster attacked off broken play and better line-out variations, and counter-attacked well that night in Dooradoyle, it was the set-piece and loose-play impact of their pack which established the platform.

You wouldn't back against a pack containing the hardened edges of Peter Clohessy, Mick Galwey and that Shannon backrow, but at the same time, the likes of Brennan, Costello and Brownlie will not be for wilting. Around the fringes of two big, physical packs, the back-row collision alone should be worth the admission money.

Leinster have had the tougher campaign, having to produce big performances away to Munster, Ulster and Llanelli, as well as their last two bruisers against French sides, whereas Munster haven't produced one of their trademark `proud' efforts yet.

You suspect they are due one, as this scenario ought to turn them on like no game so far, but this is counter-balanced by the notion that perhaps they're not as good as some of us think they are. It's certainly a decidedly non-vintage back-line, even if Barry Everitt has added some options. Rhys Ellison may not be at the pace of things quite yet, Killian Keane made a couple of costly errors last week and the outside three are unexceptional.

By contrast, Leinster have a more potent midfield running threat and decidedly more potency in their outside three. Then again, Munster will surely not be as naive as they were the first day, and there is sure to be a more searching examination of Nowlan and John McWeeney through the air.

The suspicion remains - indeed Neath rekindled it in the third quarter last week - that an increase in tempo can leave Munster gasping, although Leinster haven't played as much of a high tempo game as they did last season. Furthermore Leinster may, or may not, have exploded the theory about them self-destructing late on.

The key may again be the scrums, where Munster suffered in the first meeting. Last at the halfway point, their pack will be unchanged for the fifth game running but the scrum still doesn't entirely convince. If it suffers, so might the rest of their game. If it doesn't, and they can get their back-row moving off set-piece ball or second phase ball through the middle, they could have timed their season perfectly.

It's a biggie, no mistake, and both sides have enough virtues and question marks about them to give it a truly 50-50 feel. With another packed Donnybrook, it couldn't be set up better.