The Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals arrive this weekend, Munster displaced to the Aviva Stadium to face reigning champions Toulouse, while Leinster travel to Welford Road to face a rejuvenated Leicester Tigers.
In the other two semi-finals, La Rochelle host Montpellier in all-French tie, while perennial bridesmaids Racing 92 are at home to Sale Sharks.
Donal Lenihan runs the rule over the Irish teams' chances
Toulouse are reigning European and Top 14 champions. The two sides met in the last-16 in 2021, seven points the margin then.
There's a feel-good factor around Munster at the moment. You have Graham Rowntree confirmed as head coach, Mike Prendergast is coming back to Munster from Racing 92. And it looks like Denis Leamy might be joining the coaching team. But it's going to be very difficult.
Toulouse are an outstanding side, they have eight of the French Grand Slam winning squad. They're not playing particularly well at the moment. But Munster are compromised by the fact that Dave Kilcoyne, Tadhg Beirne and Gavin Coombes are all out, they're massive losses up front.
Also, the fact that the game is on at the Aviva rather than Thomond Park due to our friend Ed Sheeran who's causing a lot of hassle for sport down in Munster at the moment. I think that tips the balance towards Toulouse.
Leicester have improved immeasurably this season. They were down in the relegation zone only last year. Steve Borthwick has come in and done an incredible job. They're 13 games unbeaten in Welford Road this year. Leo Cullen will be wary going back there where he had two fantastic seasons as part of that Leicester Tigers set-up.
Connacht went over there last December and pushed Leicester all the way, 29-23, playing a brilliant brand of attacking rugby.
Leicester are more pragmatic, everything revolves around the scrum, the lineout and the maul.
It will be an interesting confrontation between Ellis Genge and Tadhg Furlong after what happened, scrummage-wise, between England and Ireland at Twickenham.
But I think Leinster will have too much. They've been preparing for the past three weeks, they left their front-line troops at home when the squad went to South Africa with nothing but Leicester Tigers in their vision. So I think Leinster will make that semi-final.
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