Eddie O'Sullivan and Bernard Jackman are both predicting a nervous final 10 days of the URC regular season for Munster, as they look to secure Champions Cup rugby for next season.
Graham Rowntree's side are fifth in the table heading into their final two games of the season, with the province taking on the Stormers and Sharks, both in South Africa.
With Cardiff the highest ranked Welsh team back in 10th place, it means a top seven finish will likely be required in order to secure Champions Cup rugby, while a top-six finish may be required if either of Benetton or Scarlets win the Challenge Cup.
One win should be enough to see them book their Champions Cup slot, but it's a task easier said than done, with the Stormers winning 10 out of 10 at home this season in all competitions, while the Sharks were 50-35 winners against Munster last week in the Heineken Champions Cup.
And with both of the South African sides being beaten in the Champions Cup quarter-finals last week, O'Sullivan believes they'll be fully focused on the URC.
"I think the really bad news for Munster was that the Stormers and Sharks got beaten last weekend. They're out of Europe now so their only focal point is the URC," he told the RTÉ Rugby podcast.
And having shipped 130 points in their last three games, O'Sullivan says Munster will have to get a grip on their defence if they're to stand any chance of picking up wins in Cape Town or Durban.
"You can't ignore the fact that the Munster defence has gone off a cliff. They shipped 80 points in the last two URC matches, and another 50 against the Sharks, so I just think that they need to tidy up their defence.
"It's a defence that worked most of the season for them. They were second in the URC in terms of defensive performances, but the last while it's like a nervousness comes into the team when they don't have the ball. They go off script and do silly stuff. It's not a good place to be coming into this end of the season where your defence is wobbling and you feel you could be vulnerable to giving up three or four tries a game."
Jackman joined O'Sullivan on this week's podcast, and says the two-time European champions are still paying the price for their slow start to the season, and that a failure to make it back into the Champions Cup could set them back even further.
"Munster are in a real tricky spot," he said. "Obviously it's because of the start the had to the season where they were really slow to find a bit of form, and the transition from how they played under Johann [van Graan], to how they play under Graham Rowntree. This is massive for them.
"If they can salvage something and salvage that European spot, I think they'll go into pre-season in a good place. I think Challenge Cup rugby next year for Munster would leave an awful hangover.
"They've been a huge part of what makes the Champions Cup special, and for them to not be in it, from a player point of view, for excitement, and a financial point of view would be a big blow. Fingers crossed they can do enough to get in."
The Stormers are guaranteed a home quarter-final, but will have plenty of motivation to finish their own season with two wins, with John Dobson's side having Ulster breathing down their necks in a race to finish second, which would also keep them in Cape Town for a semi-final should they get there.
And O'Sullivan believes the defending champions may have too much for Munster this weekend.
"What Munster need is a big performance and a good result this week. If they can beat the Stormers, it could steady the whole season for them. They need a settler at the moment.
"I don't know if the Stormers will be the one. They may end up going into the last game of the URC having to get a result. I really worry about the Stormers game, the conditions are going to be perfect for the Stormers to play, but we'll see.
"It's in Munster's hands, they just need to start defending, because they're scoring tries and their attack is still functioning," he added.
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