Munster captain Mick Galwey has admitted this Saturday's Pool 4 clash with Castres Olympique will be like a cup final with the winners likely to top the group depending on tries scored. Declan Kidney's men have charged to the top of the group and have guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals, but they need a result on in France if they are to top the group and secure home advantage when the Heineken Cup reaches the knockout stages.
Munster beat Castres 28-23 in September with the sides notching one try apiece, so the number of tries scored this Saturday could prove decisive. Galwey has insisted their French hosts will start as favourites, insisting: "In many ways it will be like a cup final because both sides simply have to win. The big difference from a cup final, of course, being that they have home advantage...and that will be a big factor. When we played them in Round 1 we probably enjoyed a bit more luck than them and we only won narrowly so we have it all to do on Saturday. Knowing we are through to the quarter-finals takes a bit of the pressure off us but the statistics show that no side has won the tournament without home advantage in the quarters. A win in Castres will rank with anything we have achieved in the tournament so far, but a neutral would have to fancy the home side in this sort of situation."
Castres, however, have an injury crisis ahead of the crunch tie, with club captain Raphael Ibañez awaiting the results of further tests on his injured knee before finding out if he can face the 2000 Heineken Cup finalists. Second row Frédéric Laluque (knee) and back row Guillaume Taussac (groin) are out while there are doubts over props Laurent Toussaint and Levan Tsabadze.
Jean-François Beltran, joint Castres coach who is in charge of the Round 6 Pool final against Munster said: "Winning at Bridgend was superb because it has set up this Pool final at Stade Pierre Antoine. Last year we had one win in the Heineken Cup, this time round we have four victories under our belt – but we have to win the fifth. It is three sets to love to Munster as it stands and we’ve had enough! Thanks to the team's performances, we have a great opportunity in front of us – to realise one of this season's objectives and qualify for the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup."
He added: "I think the occasion in itself will be enough to concentrate the players' minds. The ground will be full, the television cameras will be there. But it is not enough just to take part in this match. We have to win it. The difference between this weekend and the match last week against Bridgend is that we will have to be prepared to play on our own ball on Saturday. Against Bridgend we played a lot on Bridgend's mistakes and their lost possession but Munster very rarely lose possession, they are very strong in that area. Defence will be uppermost in the game. It is thanks to our good defensive work in the away match that we have the chance of contesting the outcome of this Pool in the final weekend so that is an area which can’t give way on Saturday."
Filed by Shane Murray
