Perpignan v Munster It's A measure of their consistency and durability, as well as their experience in the Heineken European Cup, that Munster - along with Toulouse - become the first sides to play their 50th tie this weekend. They'll need every ounce of that experience as well, for they've had few tougher tasks than this one
Perpignan in their own Stade Aime Giral, with a capacity crowd of 8,000, is one thing, but the nature of this pool and results so far leave Munster with little room for manoeuvre. Although victories here and at home to Gloucester would probably earn them a home quarter-final, were Munster to lose here they would probably need to beat Gloucester and score a hat-load of tries to reach their fourth successive quarter-final.
A three-way tie is their best shot if they lose here, and in that scenario the final standings would hinge on tries scored in the six matches involving the big three; Gloucester have nine tries to Perpignan's seven and Munster's four.
Though not quite at full-strength, Munster are at least not disadvantaged by relative inactivity of late, having produced possibly their best performance of the season in beating Ulster last week, while Perpignan have been inactive since beating Narbonne 39-0 on December 21st.
As was the case here yesterday, another cold day with a gale-force wind is forecast which could, as Alan Gaffney deduced, make for "a game of two halves", though the Munster coach could hardly be more chipper about the week's preparations, culminating in yesterday's final work-out.
"It was only a captain's run but it was excellent. It was very precise, there were no dropped balls and everybody was very focused on what they have to do."
First and foremost, Perpignan are likely to draw lines in the sand with their setpieces, as they did when building a 31-9 lead until conceding two late tries to Gloucester.
"In that first 20 minutes against Gloucester they just blitzed them," admits Munster captain Jim Williams. "They're a phenomenal scrummaging side, great tight five, and if we can get on top in the setpieces it'll go a long way towards winning the game. But it's going to be very tough. If we can hold our own, we'll be in there with a chance."
Munster have long since stopped being cowed by circumstances such as these and as Anthony Foley maintains, "It's something you look forward to as well. You want to be be challenged. It's something Marcus and Frankie and John are looking forward to in the scrums, and Micko and Donncha and Alan in the lineouts. It's the same for everybody. It's good to be challenged."
Though Perpignan did a number on Gloucester up front last time out coach Olivier Saisset reckons: "Munster are likely to be a tougher proposition than Gloucester because they are a very defensive side and difficult to break down. They also have vast experience of this kind of must-win game.
"We must produce a quick game - as we have on our last two outings. In a sense we are prisoners of good performances - we have produced a couple of good showings and now we must consolidate and build on those."
Perpignan have only lost once at home, 31-30 to Leicester, in nine previous home ties, and in such a compact ground, Wales' leading referee, Nigel Williams, has a big role to play.
After his omission from the 22 last week, it's been put up to Mick O'Driscoll and one can expect a big outing from him. O'Driscoll is a high quality lineout performer but, of all Irish locks this season, only Malcolm O'Kelly has scaled bigger heights than Paul O'Connell in the last month and his presence around the pitch will surely be missed. He hits a huge amount of rucks, and ferociously at that, and he's also been used as a highly effective target runner.
Indeed, with Munster's main strike runner out wide, Anthony Horgan, also joining David Wallace and Rob Henderson on the injured list, Munster are not playing with a full hand here and you have to wonder who the dynamic ball carriers will be be.
Alan Quinlan, most obviously, Anthony Foley and O'Callaghan perhaps, while Jason Holland will seek to create holes for Mike Mullins's dynamism over the first 10 or 20 yards to explore, and more will hopefully be seen of the relatively subdued Jeremy Staunton.
In any event, were the aforementioned quartet here in Perpignan, you would be more confident about Munster's chances. As it is, you'd expect Munster will have to dig as deep as they've done on previous winning trips to France.
Presuming they can go toe to toe with the Perpignan juggernaut up front in the first quarter or so, then the longer the game hangs in the balance the better Munster's chances.
They know their Heineken Cup campaign hangs in the balance here. And generally, by hook or by crook, they pull through.
PERPIGNAN: J-M Souverbie; P Bomati, P Giordani, C Manas, F Cermeno; M Edmonds, L Loustau; P Meya, M Konieckiewicz, N Mas, J Thion, R Alvarez-Kairelis, G Le Corvec, P Murphy, B Goutta (capt). Replacements - M dal Maso, S de Bescombes, C Porcu, S Deroeux, J Basset, B Bellot, D Marty.
MUNSTER: J Staunton; J Kelly, M Mullins, J Holland, M Lawlor; R O'Gara, P Stringer; M Horan, F Sheahan, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, M O'Driscoll, J Williams capt, A Quinlan, A Foley. Replacements - J Blaney, M Cahill, M Galwey, D Leamy, M Prendergast, K Keane, C McMahon.
Referee: Nigel Williams (Wales).
PREVIOUS MEETINGS: 1998-99 Perpignan 41 Munster 24. Munster 13 Perpignan 5. 2002-3 Munster 30 Perpignan 21.
FORMGUIDE: Munster: 16-35 v Gloucester (a), 30-21 v Perpignan (h), 64-0 v Viadana (h), 55-22 v Viadana (a). Perpignan - 46-27 v Viadana (h), 21-30 v Munster (a), 16-33 v Gloucester (a), 31-23 v Gloucester (h).
FORECAST: Munster to win.
