MARCUS HORAN is not cowed by a challenge, which is just as well because in Sunday's Heineken Cup semi-final he was giving away two and four stone to Cobus Visagie and Cencus Johnston respectively. At 16-and-a-half stone Horan is one of the lightest props in Test rugby so is used to grappling with heavier opponents.

Munster's scrum is periodically viewed by opponents as an area they can not alone target but possibly dominate. Much had been written in the build-up to Sunday's match of how Saracens would test this theory by employing one of the best tightheads on the planet, Visagie, to lead the squeeze.

There were indeed one or two uncomfortable moments but Munster's scrum largely held firm. It's probably fair to summarise that Horan both endured and enjoyed the challenge.

"It was tough," he admits. "The talk all week was about the battle up front. It was nullified a bit with the two boys going off (Johnston and Nick Lloyd were sinbinned) and having uncontested scrums, and even when they returned it was a bit more low key.

"You learn from playing against guys like Cobus (Visagie). He's a great character and a great servant to Saracens. I'm delighted to have played against him. Our scrum has improved an awful lot and we acquitted ourselves well; happy with the outcome. It is nice to pit yourself against guys like Cobus and come out with a win.

"It (the Saracens scrum) was one of the strongest. It's hard to compare. You don't come up against a weak scrum in this competition."

The match itself reflected the contest at scrum time, a tight, absorbing contest that remained in the balance to the final whistle. If the Munster supporters were on tenterhooks the players displayed a commensurate amount of relief.

"When you get to this stage of the competition, it's always going to be tight. We are delighted to be in the final. It was a really tough game. Conditions were pretty bad in the second half but we fought through and showed our good character to hold out.

"I don't think it was a sense of holding on. We were fighting for another score and I don't think that's holding on. We were playing hard and getting chances but they were very dogged, which is exactly as we expected all week.

"They showed their passion and their drive to get to a final and that came out in spades. They threw everything at us in what was an extremely tough game.

"To be down two men really tested them and they showed their character, fighting back and managing to score a penalty while the two boys were off. That's the sign of a really good team with passion and a bit of drive and I suppose they're hugely disappointed that they didn't come through.

"We fought hard and got the scores at important times, particularly the one just before half-time.

"It was pretty tense towards the end and I don't really think we want to live through something like that again."

Munster have earned their place in next month's final but for Horan what they have achieved this season will have no bearing on determining the final result.

"When we set out at the start of any season it is to win silverware and the ultimate for club rugby is winning in Europe.

"People are not going to give you charity because you have had a tough group. Sport is cruel. We realise that no matter what group we came out of nobody deserves to win anything until that final whistle is blown. What happened in the past doesn't matter.

"We're up against a very experienced club who have a great history in this competition. We are delighted to be in a final."

Another challenge to embrace.