Harlequins face the daunting task of travelling to European giants Munster in Sunday's Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final at Thomond Park.
Munster have lost just one European game in 16 seasons at Thomond Park, making the Magners League leaders and two-time Heineken Cup champions will be overwhelming favourites in front of an expected sell-out crowd of 26,000.
The Red Army are aiming for their fifth European final after finished runners-up to Toulon in Pool 3 of the Heineken Cup but secured themselves qualification through to the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals where they beat Brive in a festival of tries in the South of France.
They come into the last four tie on the back on a moral boasting win over the Ospreys in South Wales last weekend.
Harlequins are two-time winners of the Challenge and are loooking to add a third title after dominated their European Pool and beating compatriots London Wasps at the Stoop in their quarter-final clash.
They come into the game full of confidence following two wins on the bounce in the Premiership.
In team news, Munster coach Tony McGahan has made just one change in personnel from the XV that started against Brive.
That sole change comes in the backline where Paul Warwick partners Lifeimi Mafi in the centre, with Mafi's partner that day in Brive, Sam Tuitupou, named on a bench that includes Paul O'Connell.
O'Connell wasn't named in the extended squad announced on Wednesday as McGahan waited to see how the squad captain came through what was only his second full contact session on Thursday since picking up the ankle injury against Leinster a month ago.
As it transpired, O'Connell showed no ill effects from his exertions and not surprisingly is included on a particularly strong looking bench alongside Marcus Horan, John Hayes and Peter Stringer who between them have over 600 Munster caps.
"We thought it prudent to omit Paul from the original squad until we saw how he came through what was only his second serious workout (yesterday) since sustaining the injury," McGahan told the Munster website.
Meanwhile, there are no changes to theHarlquins side that in five tries away in against Leeds on Easter Sunday as
Danny Care and Nick Evans form a potentially lethal 9-10 partnership.
The teams:
Munster: 15 Felix Jones, 14 Doug Howlett, 13 Lifeimi Mafi, 12 Paul Warwick, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Ronan O'Gara, 9 Conor Murray, 8 James Coughlan, 7 David Wallace, 6 Denis Leamy, 5 Mick O'Driscoll, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 Tony Buckley, 2 Damien Varley, 1 Wian du Preez.
Replacements: 16 Mike Sherry, 17 Marcus Horan, 18 John Hayes, 19 Paul O'Connell, 20 Donnacha Ryan, 21 Peter Stringer, 22 Sam Tuitupou, 23 Johne Murphy.
Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Gonzo Camacho, 13 George Lowe, 12 Jordan Turner-Hall, 11 Ugo Monye, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Chris Robshaw, 6 Maurie Fa'asavalu, 5 George Robson, 4 Ollie Kohn, 3 James Johnston, 2 Joe Gray, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Matt Cairns, 17 Ceri Jones, 18 Mark Lambert, 19 Tomas Vallejos, 20 Will Skinner, 21 Dave Moore, 22 Rory Clegg, 23 Ross Chisholm.
Date: Saturday, April 30
Venue: Thomond Park, Limerick
Kick-off: 13.00 BST
Referee: Romain Poite
Comments
dannyc28 says...
I was also at the Quins v Leinster quarter final and it was one of the best 6-5's i've ever seen. As for home advantage not being fair, i'll shut up about that (for now). Quins where magnificent today. Outstanding win against the Munster Men. Bring on Clermont.....in Wales :)
Posted 23:33 30th April 2011
blametheref says...
I agree in some respects, and I'm a Leinster follower, but it's hard to envisage your suggestion working as you just wouldn't get a full house 50,000 at a match, as in the case of Leinster today if they had to play in say Cardiff or Twickenham. To win the Heineken or Amlin nearly any eventual winner has to win a very hard away fixture at some stage, as Leinster did at Quins 2 years ago, which I was at. The mistake Quins made was putting all the Leinster supporters in one area in a stand with a wooden floor (makes lots of noise)...but when it comes to Munster or Toulouse these 2 are next to impossible to beat at home. In Thomond Park Munster disperse away fans all over the ground and in the worst positions and their knowledgable fanatical supporters spot every slight or decision against their team, the whole of Limerick is a sea of red with some houses having shrines to their heros...A team has to take the field with the mentality that they are 12 points down and take it from there with the likes of Munster or Toulose at home...Good luck today, you'll need it!
Posted 11:55 30th April 2011
dannyc28 says...
All the European cup semi finals should be played at neutral venues. The advantage weighs so heavily in favour of the home side that it is simply not fair. I am Harlequins fan and obviously biased to them but their semi-final against Munster would have been a much competitive affair it it was held in Wales for instance. The same goes for the Heineken Cup. All the 4 teams left have done brilliantly to get to the semi finals. Why should 2 of them have such a distinct advantage over their opponents??? I am willing to bet all the home semi finals win this weekend. Non contest.............
Posted 09:18 30th April 2011