It’s Round 3, so it’s time for the Irish provinces to stamp their mark on the Heineken this weekend, with massive games for Munster and Leinster.
Munster v Perpignan
Of all the Irish sides with serious ambitions to go far in this competition, the most pressure is on Munster this weekend. Thanks to that disastrous defeat in Edinburgh, Rob Penney’s side have lost their wiggle room, so they must grind out a bonus point win over Perpignan at Thomond Park.
Luckily for the men in red, Perpignan are probably the most beatable of all the French sides. Not only are they nearer the bottom than the top of the Top 14, the side they bring with them to Limerick is ravaged by injury and suspension.
Former Munster centre Lifeimi Mafi is suspended, as is prop Sona Taumalolo. Centre David Marty and number eight Luke Narraway are doubts while wing Wandile Mjekevu (sprained ankle), French second-row Romain Taofifenua (twisted knee) and Georgia prop Giorgi Jgenti (fractured wrist) are out of both clashes with Munster.
They’re not without talent of course, like Wales’ James Hook, but Munster should be able to convert their Rabo consistency into a bonus point win on Sunday. Defeat is unthinkable to be honest and would surely scupper any hopes Penney has of getting a new deal. The away game next week will be much more important to Munster’s season, so long as this one goes off without a hitch.
Northampton v Leinster
Cruising in Pool 1 so far, this is the big test for Matt O’Connor’s men. Of course, it is impossible to look at this fixture without thinking of that 2011 final and Jonny Sexton’s heroics. But with the out-half now plying his trade in France, this game will be very different from that day in Cardiff.
One question is how the Irish contingent come back after the crushing defeat at New Zealand but we reckon most of the lads will be eager to get back on the pitch and get some aggression out of their system. They’ll need that aggression too, as the Saints are stacked with physical specimens like Courtney Lawes and Dylan Hartley.
This match could be a real bruiser and Franklin Gardens is a hostile place to go. The bookies have the home side favourites by two points. That’s seems fair but we reckon that Leinster know this is the game that could seal their passage to the knockout phase, so they’ll be going all out for the win. Stopping George North will be job number one, but that’s easier said than done too.
Ulster v Treviso
Even without the likes of Rory Best and Tommy Bowe, this one could get really ugly for the Italians. Ulster are also romping through their Pool and they should easily brush aside Treviso without getting out of second gear. Like Leinster, the Irish lads will be in the mood to inflict some hurt and the bonus point win should be wrapped up by half-time. Escaping the second 40 without injury or incident will then be the goal for Mark Anscombe.
Toulouse v Connacht
Last term, Connacht managed just one away win, at Zebre. They repeated the trick last time out but a trip to the Stade Ernest-Wallon is a very different task. Flying high in the Top 14, Toulouse are also well on their way to topping Pool 3 and we don’t see Connacht being much more than a minor speed bump.
With just one win in nine in the Rabo, Pat Lam’s side are in dire form and while the regularly lift themselves for big games, the likes of Dusatoir, Gear and Clerc, to name just three, are a class above.
The bookies have Toulouse 25-point favourites, and we can’t argue with that.
Don’t forget to get involved with the Heineken Star Predictor ‘Get in The Game’ where you can put your rugby knowledge to the test by predicting the outcome of this weekend’s games. The top prize is a pair of VIP tickets to the 2014 Heineken Cup Final in Cardiff and there are other prizes to be won throughout the season. Click here to start predicting.
