After a lengthy break due to the Six Nations, the Champions Cup will finally resume this weekend as two Irish provinces look to book their place in the quarter-finals of the competition. Whereas many expect Leinster to easily dispatch of Leicester at the Aviva on Saturday evening, it looks likely that Munster will have a more difficult task on their hands.
Graham Rowntree's men will head to Northampton on Sunday afternoon as underdogs, with the English club coming into this fixture in a rich vein of form. They currently sit top of the Gallagher Premiership and have won 11 of their last 12 games in all competitions.
Of course, they also defeated Munster at Thomond Park in the pool stage of this competition. Some have questioned a format that has allowed the two teams to meet again in the first knockout round, but it seems clear that Northampton will be favourites this weekend.
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Denis Leamy looks ahead to Northampton vs Munster
Munster have had a mixed campaign in Europe this season, failing to win a number of games in which they were the better side. That includes the first game against Northampton, where they had a late lead against a team that was reduced to 14 men in the first half.
As a result, you can see why not many are tipping them on this occasion. Not that this will bother the Irish province, who have a long history of pulling out unexpected results in continental competition.
Speaking ahead of that game, Munster defence coach Demis Leamy said that while a 'siege mentality' was not necessarily something they would look to bring to the group, they had notice some of the external noise relating to this fixture.
It’s Europe, it’s Munster in England against the Premiership leaders. Written off. It’s Munster.
You sense it. Not to overplay that, it’s important not to overplay that. That’s not what we’re about in terms of that siege mentality.
But Northampton have earned the right to be favourites, they’ve earned the right to be spoken about the way they play the game.
You look at the English internationals they have; Alex Mitchell will probably return and he’s a fantastic player for them, makes them tick. Look at a player like Fin Smith, he’s probably going to be a Lion or certainly an English player for a number of years. [Courtney] Lawes, [Louis] Ludlam, [Curtis] Langdon. They’re really, really good players.
So it’s a big task and that’s why people will make them favourites and say Munster have a difficult job to do. We’ve got to fall back on our abilities. We’ve had the ability to go on the road.
We’ve won in Glasgow, Dublin, Cape Town last year. We’ve gone to Toulon [and won]. We’re good enough to go to Northampton and put in a performance. If that’s good enough on the day, absolutely brilliant.
Munster will enter the game as clear underdogs, with their own recent form having been a bit patchy despite winning their last four games on the bounce.
Still, they have shown in the past they have the ability to produce a big performance in European competition. They will be hoping that is the case once again this weekend.
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