Visiting Munstermen still carry the tag of favourites

It still doesn't get any easier, as Declan Kidney agreed last week after their hard-earned win over Castres. Munster have long since lost their element of surprise, and if any team should have the inside track on Kidney's team it is Harlequins' hooker Keith Wood.

This fixture will have been embedded inside the famous bald pate since the draw was made, even if the kick-off time can be moved around willy nilly at the whim of television. He who pays the piper calls the tune, and in this case BBC dictated a spectator-unfriendly change in kick-off time, with no consideration given to the supporters who might be interested in turning up.

It should still be a special occasion, with Wood bound to be a central figure.

"I am a Munsterman, but I have been at 'Quins for five years and I feel very strongly about the club," said Wood, who added: "It'll be a strange afternoon but I am very, very excited."

If nothing else no opposing hooker ought to have a better handle on the Munster lineout than the Killaloe man, and aside from watching how Harlequins compete on the Frankie Sheahan throw, it will be fascinating to see how the Londoners negate Munster's famed rolling maul, a ploy neglected by Ireland in Murrayfield. (There are also the sub-plots of Frankie going toe-to-toe with Wood, Paul Burke v Ronan O'Gara, Jason Leonard v John Hayes, Will Greenwood v Mike Mullins and others).

The lineout, where the mark of Niall O'Donovan is most obviously felt, is generally Munster's primary source of strength, but of course there have been the rare days when it has been unhinged (Northampton and Bath spring to mind), and it's hard not to believe it will be even more critical today.

John Kingston, too, will have some insider information on Munster's personnel from his two-year stint at Galwegians, and no AIL coach watched more games over the last two seasons than this astute student of opponents.

There's also been a discernible improvement at Harlequins since the season started. After initial home defeats to London Irish and Bristol, 'Quins steadied their ship with a 6-6 draw away to Newcastle, then beat Wasps 33-13 at home before winning 30-24 in their European Cup opener away to Bridgend last week.

"There is no doubt that Munster start as favourites, but we haven't lost for a month," Kingston points out. "We may not be pulling up any trees but we are solid."

It's funny to hear a Harlequins coach describe Munster as favourites when one thinks back to four years ago and the Londoners' disappointment at beating Munster only 48-40 in the first meeting here, and then losing in a thunderous battle at Thomond Park to cost them home advantage in the quarter-finals.

Time was when a Harlequins' teamsheet welcoming the return of Will Greenwood (for his first game of the season) and Jason Leonard would have demanded that we focus on their allotment of four Lions and 10 internationals. Nowadays, it's just as significant to note that even without the likes of Dominic Crotty, Alan Quinlan, Rob Henderson and John Langford, Munster can still field 11 internationals.

Nine of them, indeed, are in the Irish squad which assembles 24 hours later for the Welsh game. Given as many as six, perhaps seven, of them could start in Cardiff, a restorative 80 minutes and a win could have wider significance. Certainly it would be hugely encouraging to see the Peter Stringer-O'Gara combination on top of their games, while David Wallace is another who could give the Irish management a timely nudge in the ribs.

That Munster start as marginal favourites looks about right. Some experienced punters believe they could slip up here, but recalling previous ventures abroad - such as Saracens, Colomiers, Castres and others - a personal hunch is that they may again play more freely, and more potently.

HARLEQUINS: M Mapletoft; M Moore, W Greenwood, N Greenstock, D Luger; P Burke, S Bemand; J leonard, K Wood, A Olver, G Morgan, S White-Cooper, R Winters, T Diprose, T Tamarua. Replacements: J Roddam, J Dawson, A Codling, P Sanderson, M Powell, N Burrow s, R O'Neill.

MUNSTER: J Staunton; J Kelly, M Mullins, J Holland, A Horgan; R O'Gara, P Stringer; P Clohessy, F Sheahan, J Hayes, M Galwey, M O'Driscoll, J Williams, A Foley, D Wallace. Replacements: M Horan, J Fogarty, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell, D Hegarty, K Keane, C McMahon.

Referee: N Whitehouse (Wales).

Previous meetings: (1997-98) Harlequins 48 Munster 40, Munster 23 Harlequins 16.

Formguide: Harlequins - W 30-24 v Bridgend (a). Munster - W 28-23 v Castres (h).

Leading try scorers: Harlequins - Burke, Tamarua, Luger 1 each. Munster - Holland 1.

Leading points scorers: Harelquins - Burke 20. Munster - O'Gara 23.

Odds (all supplied by Paddy Powers): 6/5 Harlequins, 16/1 Draw, 8/13 Munster.

Handicap odds (Harlequins +3pts) 10/11 Harlequins, 16/1 Draw, 10/11 Munster.

Forecast: Munster to win.