Heineken Cup Preview
With the Heineken Cup quarter finals two weeks away, here is my Heineken Cup quarter final preview.
Munster vs Toulouse
Munster and Toulouse are first into action in the quarter finals on Saturday April 5th at 1.30pm. Munster will go into this game as slight favourites purely down to the fact that they are at home. Toulouse are not the team they once were in Europe or at home in France their dominance has been stopped by the emergence of sides like Clermont Auvergne and Toulon. Even if both of those sides have relied heavily on financial muscle to get to where they are now. Guy Noves has been in charge at Toulouse for over 20 years and will want his star studded Toulouse side that is back boned by French stars like Louis Picamoles and Gael Fickou to come to Limerick and do what Ulster did back in 2012 and become only the 3rd team in Heineken Cup history to win in Thomond Park. Munster will go into the game against Toulouse off the back of some decent form even after a mixed display against Treviso. Toulouse will look to storm Thomond and get to another semi final but one just has to look at Munster’s form guide in Thomond and also Ireland’s recent six nations win. The momentum is with Munster so for that reason I am going for a Munster win but only just!!
Clermont Auvergne vs Leicester Tigers
Clermont will have memories of last May in Dublin when they were in charge of the final against Toulon, they let it slip away after being favorites and they showed a lack of mental strength but also a try late on in that game from Delon Armitage saw Toulon home. Back to this year and Clermont are back in the knock out phase looking as strong as ever and with Vern Cotter leaving at the end of the season to take on the Head Coach’s job at Scotland. He will want a European win under his belt to prove his squad’s true quality. Leicester will find it tough going down to France but with Richard Cockerill in charge and Manu Tuilagi back from injury they will feel that they can cause a shock and get an unlikely win in France. I think Clermont will see Leicester off because they are on a mission to win a European trophy.
Ulster vs Saracens
Ulster will face Saracens in a revamped Ravenhill in the 3rd quarter final. These two sides faced each other in a semi final back in 2012 with Ulster coming out on top and I am sure Saracens will have that in the back of their minds. Ulster have played really well in this season’s competition and will want to push on in Europe and put down a marker. They have some key player like Ruan Pienaar and also they will have Stephen Ferris back after 15 months out with an ankle injury. For those reasons I think Ulster will win this one with plenty in the tank and put down the marker for the rest of Europe to take note of. Saracens will have the likes of Owen Farrell and Chris Ashton in there side and they will also want to put down a marker to back up all the talk that we have heard about the new philosophy the Wolf mentality that mean’s they hunt in packs on the field. Can Mark Mc Caul put one over his old side and lead Saracens to the semi finals!!
Toulon vs Leinster
Leinster head for the Stade Felix Mayol for a late kick off on Sunday April 6th and Leinster will face a wall of sound and some passionate supporters with their pilu pilu chant and they will want to defend the title they won in May 2013. Leinster will want to give Brian O Driscoll the perfect send off and win a 4th European trophy in 5 years. If there is one away team that can go away from home and win it is Leinster and for that reason I think Leinster will win in France.
My semi finalists are
Munster , Clermont , Ulster , Leinster.
By
Cian Mc Gibney.
24/03/2014.
