Munster need to make a point or two

Old friends and old foes will greet Munster when their latest European Cup odyssey begins today (3.0, live on Network 2). Thomond Park has been their impregnable fortress heretofore and as Castres were beaten twice last season, a province duly expects, but that creates its own problems. Castres will have a whiff of vengeance in their nostrils and are no soft touches.

Viewed in that context therefore, last week's national setback in Edinburgh may be a blessing of sorts for Munster. It's put some distance between today's game and the potentially self-deluding half-century which they ran up here against Cardiff a fortnight ago, as well as probably giving the team and the Munster public a wake-up call.

A bit like falling off a bike, the best thing is to hop back on again and all the better if it's in a winning environment. Curiously, too, the opposing outhalf is again Gregor Townsend and the referee is Chris White.

Townsend mind, is one of only four survivors from the sides' second meeting last season, and one of only six from the first clash in Castres. It's worth recalling that they were far from romps. Munster had to produce one of their famed comebacks in the first game, and produced by their own admission their best half of rugby of the season in the second.

Thankfully only showers are forecast today, as opposed to the downpours of last season. Thankfully for Munster as well as the supporters most probably, for Castres clearly intend to give it plenty of boeuf and plenty of biff.

As was the case in last season's clashes when throwing in a fresh front-row for the final half-hour or so, the French side will again target the scrum, and most probably every put-in, given they've again selected an entire front-row among the replacements.

Munster assistant coach Niall O'Donovan travelled to Castres last Saturday. They lost at home to Bourgoin but that can be dismissed to a degree by the tragic car accident which killed a former Castres player and town legend, Francis Rui, which deeply affected the locale and the club.

It's a significantly changed team, with a more dynamic and younger squad profile, but some of the old virtues remain the same. "They were nothing like their full side but they were still a big physical team," reports O'Donovan. "They targeted the scrums and forced about nine penalties out of them. I've no doubt it's going to be a battle royal, one of the biggest battles we've ever had in Europe. They're a dangerous team."

In contrast to Castres, Munster retain a dozen of the side that won there last year and 11 of the side which won in Musgrave Park. It would have been more but for injuries to John Hayes and Alan Quinlan, and it's hard not to think that Hayes will be a loss, perhaps more for his tackling and play around the pitch, and his line-out lifting, as much as anything else.

But they've still enough of the personnel and virtues to negotiate this decidedly tricky looking banana skin, and one imagines their Irish contingent and Irish contenders, especially Peter Stringer and Ronan O'Gara, will make a point or two.

The province and the country could do with a pick-me-up, and though it hasn't even been mentioned in team meetings this week, somehow you sense that Munster will rally to the call. Red Knights to the rescue and all that.

As part of their support for Blood for Life Week, the Munster team will wear a blood-drop emblem on their shorts at today's game.