It will be no Thomond lark for the Saints

RUGBY HEINEKEN CUP:IF IT'S the penultimate Saturday in January it must mean Anglo-Irish summit meeting at a throbbing Thomond Park with a whiff of cordite in the air. This is why the Heineken Cup reaches parts other competitions cannot. It may be a dog-eared script but it retains its capacity for repeated viewing.

While not there yet, Munster have a foot in the quarter-finals, but therein, perhaps, lies a concern for them and the home supporters tonight, for it evokes memories of their loss to Leicester – their only Heineken Cup defeat at their Limerick fortress – three years ago. Munster had already qualified then while, as now, the English team was fighting for their lives, although the Saints could well go through as one of the best runners-up, especially if Leinster beat London Irish tomorrow.

Munster could take that route with a bonus-point defeat, and even if they lost by more than seven points, would still progress, provided Irish don’t procure a bonus point win over Leinster. But bearing in mind the ramifications of that Leicester defeat, in between the corresponding wins over Sale and Wasps which set up their title charges in ’06 and ’08, winning tonight and securing a home quarter-final could ultimately be critical.

As with the Tigers, Northampton also have their smattering of Irish exiles, and James Downey, Roger Wilson and Neil Best will only be keener to prove a point after their exclusion from Ireland’s 44-man Six nations squad.

This game would have been made for the absent duo of Denis Leamy and Jerry Flannery, and then there’s the appointment of Romain Poite, whose only previous Munster game was his controversial handling of the All Blacks win here last season, when utterly oblivious to the home crowd. He is nothing if not the boss.

Northampton also remain the only side Munster have never beaten in the Heineken Cup, although this will merely serve as additional motivation for Munster. One imagines they’ll have stored away the memories of Northampton’s celebrations from their win at Franklin’s Gardens in October and noted the highly confident noises emanating from the Saints camp in the lead-up to this game.

Back in October, Munster were a tad underdone, but even so the Northampton scrum also did a bit of a number on the Munster pack, and they also welcome back their renowned Scottish scrummager Euan Murray, as well as Courtney Lawes (with Best dropping to the bench), thus making Wian du Preez’ farewell all the more testing.

Munster also suffered heavily at the breakdown, though ferocious commitment there and the 11 turnovers at the Stade Aime Giral marked a turning point in their season.

In addition to their overlooked exiles, the Saints also have a stream of young, indigenous English talent making a splash. Dylan Hartley has been joined in Martin Johnson’s English squad for the Six Nations by the gifted Lawes, elusive, game-breaking Ben Foden and prolific ex-rugby league winger Chris Ashton, who has scored 68 tries in 63 games for Northampton, while Shane Geraghty and Stephen Myler are in the Saxons squad.

One imagines Foden, a superb counter-attacker and broken field runner, will be tested under a high ball or two – where he has not always looked so confident – and that the dancing feet of Geraghty will not transfix the Munster defence as in October.

Nevertheless their well-regarded coach, Jim Mallinder, who has overseen a remarkable transformation and in some style, sees this as a perfect opportunity for his young English hopes to prove their mettle.

Northampton are the form team in Europe with 10 wins on the spin. Admittedly, two were in the LVC Trophy and two more against Treviso, but a feature has been their capacity to score late tries, a la Ashton’s match-winners against Bath and London Irish, or Jon Clarke’s bonus clincher last week.

“We had a massive game against Munster in October but we will need to play much better tomorrow night,” said Mallinder yesterday. “Many of their players are familiar faces from their exploits for Munster, Ireland and the Lions. But when the whistle blows it is just 15 men against 15, and if we play to our potential and stick to our game plan there is no reason why we can’t win. The atmosphere in the squad has been very positive all week and there is plenty of belief that we can come home with the points.”

Northampton are a good side, no doubt about it, are even stronger up front with Murray back, and they can put it up to Munster. But their five-day turnaround won’t help and they’re going to be tested, mentally as well as physically, in ways they won’t have been before.

Munster will bring a huge intensity to the breakdown, the expert kicking game of Ronan O’Gara and the on-fire Paul Warwick and while it won’t be a romp in the Italian sun, a more balanced cutting edge now that Jean de Villiers has found his mojo inside Keith Earls. They have the bit between their teeth now.

MUNSTER:P Warwick, D Howlett, K Earls, J de Villiers, D Hurley, R O'Gara, T O'Leary, W du Preez, D Fogarty, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell [capt], A Quinlan, N Ronan, D Wallace. Replacements: D Varley, M Horan, T Buckley, D Ryan, J Coughlan, P Stringer, L Mafi, I Dowling.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS:B Foden, C Ashton, J Clarke, J Downey, B Reihana, S Geraghty, L Dickson, S Tongauiha, D Hartley [capt], E Murray, I Fernandez Lobbe, J Kruger, C Lawes, P Dowson, R Wilson. Replacements: B Sharman, A Waller, B Mujati, C Day, N Best, A Dickens, S Myler, C Mayor.

Referee:Romain Poite (France)

Previous meetings: (1999-200) final – Northampton 9 Munster 8 (Twickenham); (2009-10) Northampton 31 Munster 27.

Formguide: Munster – 27-31 v Northampton (a); 41-10 v Treviso (h); 24-23 v Perpignan (h); 37-14 v Perpignan (a); 44-7 v Treviso (h). Northampton – 31-27 v Munster (h); 13-29 v Perpignan (a); 30-18 v Treviso (h); 21-18 v Treviso (a); 34-0 v Perpignan.

Leading points scorers: Munster – Ronan O’Gara 71. Northampton – Shane Geraghty 45.

Leading try scorers: Munster – Keith Earls, Denis Hurley, Paul Warwick, Jean de Villiers, Denis Fogarty, David Wallace, Ian Dowling 2 each. Northampton – Chris Ashton 6.

Betting (Paddy Powers): 2/11 Munster, 22/1 Draw, 7/2 Northampton.

Handicap odds (Northampton +10 pts): 10/11 Munster, 20/1 Draw, 10/11 Northampton.

Forecast: Munster to win.

Tonight: Munster v Northampton Saints, Thomond Park (8.00); Perpignan v Benetton, Treviso Stade Aimé Giral (9.00).