Visitors braced for daunting assignment

Perpignan v Munster: MUNSTER STEP into the Catalonian cauldron that is the Stade Aimé Giral tomorrow afternoon with a whiff of cordite in the air.

Having scraped past Perpignan by their wits’ end and the skin of their teeth last week, they face the French champions who have won their last 23 home matches. Even by Munster’s standards, this is a daunting task.

Outscored by three tries to nil and unable to deny Perpignan a bonus point last week, defeat without a bonus point could leave Munster third in Pool One entering the final two rounds of games, and also knowing that if they finished level with Perpignan the Catalans would have the better head-to-head record.

They’ve been in tighter corners, mind, and on the balance of things possibly encountered a more potent side in Clermont Auvergne over the last two years. Then, it was Munster’s resilience and no little flair away from home in securing bonus points which were critical; two years ago finishing level on 19 points with Clermont but progressing on the head-to-head record.

The nagging suspicion remains, however, that Munster were in slightly better nick then, and were helped by meeting Clermont away in round five two seasons ago and in the first of these back-to-back December collisions last year.

Traditionally, Munster have always had at least three “go-to” ball carriers to generate some forward momentum. Think back to the source of their Holy Grail and the march to the 2000 final, and they had Keith Wood and Mike Mullins as well as David Wallace.

Over time, Trevor Halstead and Rua Tipoki, along with Lifeimi Mafi, fulfilled the Rob Henderson and Mullins’s roles, and how Ronan O’Gara could do with that strong presence immediately outside him again.

To his credit, and in addition to his match-winning 24-point haul, O’Gara almost played Perpignan single-handedly at times last week with the variety of his kicks when keeping the ball in hand or called moves were no longer an option. Hence, it’s a little surprising that Tony McGahan and the Munster think tank have left Jean de Villiers out again in an unchanged starting line-up, with the same 6-2 split on the bench.

One of the problems with Munster of late is that, with Mafi looking one-dimensional and short of confidence in dipping his shoulders and heroically stepping into traffic, and de Villiers yet to make impact, only David Wallace and to a lesser extent Paul O’Connell are generating any go-forward ball.

Munster have seemed incredibly flat at times, with receivers taking the ball on their heels rather than coming onto it at pace, and this was despite reuniting Mafi and Keith Earls at midfield in the backline last week.

It’s not for the want of trying. Indeed, perhaps the anxiousness in coming onto the ball too early are indicative of the lack of confidence that is there at the moment.

In all of this too, the Lions’ hangover, the November international hiatus and injuries have prevented Munster from establishing any rhythm, and the welcome news that Jerry Flannery might be back for the pool finale as well as Horan adds to the feeling that if Munster can somehow just get to early January still in contention on both fronts that things may start falling into place.

It is assuredly a statement of intent by the wily Jacques Brunel and his coaching staff that while Perpignan have made five changes to their starting line-up, there is only alteration to their 23.

Unsurprisingly, the South African flyer Philip Burger starts after his 75-metre try last week in place of Jerome Porical, although this means Nicolas Durand has been sacrificed for the goal-kicking David Mele at scrumhalf – and besides which, he is not Porical when it comes to place-kicking.

Jerome Schuster and Marius Tincu rotate with Perry Freshwater and Guilhem Guirado in the frontrow while Tincu’s fellow Romanian, the fit again Ovidou Tonita, comes in at number eight with Yannick Parent dropping to the bench.

With the local forecast set to improve marginally, ie in temperatures rising from a maximum of 2 degrees today to 5 or 6 tomorrow, the warmest place for miles will assuredly be the Stade Aimé Giral, and English referee Dave Pearson will be a key figure.

An early try could do wonders for Munster’s confidence, but most likely they will seek to survive the opening “furia” and gradually impose themselves.

One imagines the scrum could become more of an instrumental factor, and the Munster defensive maul – so good last week – will receive its acid test.

Nothing gets the home crowd’s dander up more than a rumbling home maul, and only then might we see Perpignan bring the Maxime Mermoz-David Marty midfield into the equation or start playing with width.

But the longer the game goes on without Perpignan pulling clear, the more the pressure is on them, not Munster. Then too, Munster’s self-belief, founded on so many escapades in France, could conceivably grow. Ultimately Munster will have to play, as in taking tap penalties and running from deep in playing with higher tempo akin to two years ago in Clermont.

As in those treks, they will need to score at least one try, and by playing for the win, if all else fails a bonus point mightn’t be the worst case scenario in the world.

Previous meetings: (1998-99) Perpignan 41 Munster 24 (Stade Gilbert Brutus); Munster 13 Perpignan 5 (Musgrave Park); (2002-03) Munster 30 Perpignan 21 (Thomond Park); Perpignan 23 Munster 8 (Stade Aime Giral); (2005-06) q/f – Munster 19 Perpignan 10 (Lansdowne Road); (09-10) Munster 24 Perpignan 23 (Thomond Park).

Results so far: Munster– 27-31 v Northampton (a); 41-10 v Treviso (h); 24-23 v Perpignan(h). Perpignan – 8-9 v Treviso (a); 29-13 v Northampton (h), 23-24 v Munster (a).

Leading points scorers: Munster– Ronan O'Gara 44. Perpignan– Jerome Porical 32.

Leading try scorers: Munster– David Wallace, Ian Dowling two each. Perpignan– Porical, David Marty, Nicolas Durand, Philip Burger, Yoann Vivalda 1 each.

Betting(Paddy Powers): 4/9 Perpignan, 20/1 Draw, 7/4 Munster. Handicap odds (Munster + 6pts) 10/11 Perpignan, 20/1 Draw, 10/11 Munster.

Forecast: Perpignan to win.