Four out of four a perfect weekend

RUGBY Played four, won four. One of the great weekends for the Irish provinces in Europe saw the quartet all emerge victorious for the first time since the second weekend of the campaign in October two seasons ago.

As a result, Munster can join Leinster in the last eight of the Heineken European Cup by beating Harlequins in Twickenham next Saturday - when both can also earn quarter-finals in Lansdowne Road - while Connacht can reach the European Challenge Cup semi-final for the second season in a row on the same afternoon.

On completing the Irish team's four-timer, Munster coach Alan Gaffney commented: "At the level we're playing at, for the four provinces to win - two of us beating English, one of us beating French and one of us beating Welsh - is fantastic. They were all close but we all won. Whatever levels they throw at us, we can compete very well."

It wasn't a bad weekend for the French sides either after their well-timed and overdue Christmas rest. Biarritz yesterday recorded a fifth win of the weekend for French sides (four of them with bonus points) by dint of their stunning win in Welford Road, which seriously threatens the qualification prospects of tournament favourites Leicester.

Rightly, there will be inquisitions about Leinster's forward play after their great escape in Bath and about Munster's relative lack of finishing ability at home to the Ospreys, though perhaps we're getting a bit spoiled.

In part, Munster are a victim of the standards set by the Irish provinces and especially themselves. This was, after all, Munster's 25th home win in a row in the European Cup, and their 21st out of 21 at Thomond Park to maintain their unparalleled, nine-year unbeaten record in the competition at their Limerick fortress. It was also their third successive win over what is the best side in Wales, and by some distance at that, and without their main man, Ronan O'Gara, or the in-form Rob Henderson.

Munster move on to next week's rendezvous in Twickenham, their first trek there since the haunting, 9-8 defeat to Northampton in the final of 2000, against Harlequins.

The latter's coach, Mark Evans, made seven changes for the dilettante, 58-13 defeat away to Castres which put the French side to within two points of Munster, resting his entire first-choice back row, among others, and the feeling is he might recall them for next Saturday, suggesting Quins have targeted the Munster rematch in London.

As an aside, Castres are now best placed of the six pools' second-placed sides, and maximum points against the Ospreys next week would assure them of qualification as one of the two best runners-up. The Ospreys' coach, Lynn Jones, maintained: "We have targeted three wins in Europe and we have two at the moment, so does that answer your question?"

Of more concern to Munster will be the need to beat Harlequins and so ensure their presence in the quarter-finals for the seventh season in a row, and secondly to procure a "home" quarter-final, which the IRFU have decreed must be played at Lansdowne Road.

Leinster are on firmer footing, knowing that victory over Treviso next Saturday will ensure a seeding of one and thus a home quarter-final, which as things stand could be against defending champions Castres, Northampton or Perpignan. Munster (on 18 points and with a maximum of 23) must finish as one of the best four pool winners, but the failure to secure a bonus point on Saturday means they currently lie fifth in the rankings.

Realistically, they are not likely to overtake Leinster or Toulouse.

Perpignan's second-half rout of Newcastle was a good result for Munster, and if Wasps could win away to the Pool One leaders Biarritz, or Gloucester could beat Stade Français at home next Sunday, it would mean a Munster win in Twickenham would most probably earn a Lansdowne Road quarter-final.

However, Munster are further disadvantaged in that the Pool Four games kick-off simultaneously at 1.0, so most likely they will have to wait for results until Sunday afternoon before knowing their exact fate. "But," as their captain Anthony Foley stressed, "our first priority is to win the game and get through."

Ulster would need a Stade Français win in Gloucester to even finish in second place in Pool Six, but, in any event, come Sunday afternoon, when they go to Cardiff, the two best runners-up places are likely to be out of reach.