Munster draw short straw - Stade away

Four balls, then two and finally the number three ball, Munster. Donal Lenihan, the former Ireland international and current Lions team manager, confirmed what the audience at the Sugar Club in Dublin knew for some five seconds - Munster had been drawn away to Stade Francais in the second of the Heineken European Cup semi-finals.

It is a repeat of last season's quarter-final, which Munster won 27-10 at Thomond Park. The other is an all-England clash between the Leicester Tigers, chosen first by the chairman of European Rugby Cup Limited Jean Pierre Lux, and Gloucester, who surprised Cardiff at Kingsholm in the quarter-finals. The ties take place on the weekend of April 21st-22nd.

It is the draw most Munster supporters feared, a tilt at the competition favourites in France. The venue will be decided by tomorrow following negotiations. There were mutterings last night about Paris (Stade de France or Parc des Princes) not being fair to Munster given Stade Francais' base at the Stade Jean Bouin, just 50 metres from the Parc des Princes.

An alternative mooted was Lille, on the Saturday (3.0) to suit French television. Whatever the outcome, Munster supporters will be guaranteed 50 per cent of the tickets, once ERC's and the sponsor's portion has been withdrawn, a small consolation for the loyal fans as they budget for a trip to France.

It was on this subject that Munster coach Declan Kidney preferred to dwell. "That's the biggest regret of the away draw. The supporters are the ones who helped to get us this far, that's the big pity. I am disappointed for the players because it is their families that go to the matches too. That's the greatest disappointment.

"This is our final and we have to go to France to see how we get on. I suppose if you look at the stats, they have been favourites for the competition for a long time. When we played them last year they were missing a few backrow players and the fact that it is over in France will probably mean a 15 to 20-point swing from last year's game."

Captain Mick Galwey was philosophical: "We got the same draw at this stage last year, the French side away; it's a very tough draw, there's no getting away from it. Stade Francais have been the most impressive side in the Heineken Cup so far. They've scored the most tries, the most points and now we're probably playing the best team in the competition in France.

"It would have been nice to have got a home draw, for the players and the supporters. It's a big ask of the supporters but I suppose the carrot for us is that we are in the semi-final with the prospect of a home final.

"The fact that we have beaten them will stand to us but in that game we started like Munster have never started before but they're a better side, they're definitely a better coached side."

And what would have been his preference? "I suppose if it was the reverse of the draw I wouldn't have minded Stade Francais at home. There was no easy draw. The English sides always give us trouble. Northampton beat us last year, Bath beat us this year."

Stade Francais coach John Connolly, who previously coached Queensland and Old Belvedere, would prefer to see the match played in Stade de France. "I hope that the game is played there in the same way that if we'd played Munster in Ireland I would have hoped the game would have been in Lansdowne Road. I think you have to give the tournament the best stadium, the one it deserves.

"I saw them against Biarritz and they played very well and I'm good friends with Peter Clohessy (he coached the Irish international while he was at Queensland) and he's going to send me over some tapes, so that's good, he'll help. I'm going to send him a law book in return," Connolly laughed.

"They are good side, eight or nine Test players with the young guys like Ronan O'Gara growing in confidence. You don't make the final and the semifinal and have the record they do week in, week out, without being a very fine side.

"My only hope is that both sides are full on the day."

Semi-finals

Leicester v Gloucester Stade Francais v Munster

Dates: Matches to be played on April 21th-22nd.

Venues: To be decided by tomorrow.