Preview: Munster v Northampton

Munster and Northampton will go toe-to-toe for the third time this Heineken Cup season in Saturday's quarter-final at Thomond Park.

Munster and Northampton will go toe-to-toe for the third time this Heineken Cup season in Saturday's quarter-final at Thomond Park.

The scorecard reads one win each after the Pool stages but this Limerick spectacle will tip the scales in the one team's favour. But for who?

On one hand you have the wily old European campaigners of Munster while on the other there is the exuberance of the new kids on the block, who continue to amaze following their departure from the Championship not even being two years old. Quite a leap back up to prominence is that.

Looking back even further if we may to the year 2000 and we come to the Heineken Cup final at HQ which has become an infamous meeting between these giants. Saints won on that day by the merest of margins, 9-8, with the likes of Tim Rodber, Pat Lam and Paul Grayson in attendance.

So, a decade on and is history about to repeat itself? Is it set in stone that the Franklin's Gardens outfit will come good in Paris on May 22? Well they possess the team to do it that is for sure as their blend of youth – Ben Foden, Chris Ashton and Stephen Myler – balanced perfectly with the vastly experienced Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, Neil Best and Bruce Reihana. Some would argue the Saints now even have the measure of Munster up front.

One reason for this assessment has been their greater mobility of Saturday's visitors up front, where the ball-carrying ability of Soane Tonga'uiha, Dylan Hartley and Euan Murray overpowers their opposites. That alongside the ship-steadying ability of messieurs Myler and Geraghty and England duo Ashton and Foden's cutting edge makes their -7 handicap a tad harsh. Yes this is Thomond where the 16th man resides but Saints have already proved they can silence the Red Army in the North Midlands and came very close to doing exactly the same at the Magners League champions.

“It was a massive occasion at Thomond Park in January but tomorrow evening there is a semi-final spot at stake,” said Director of Rugby, Jim Mallinder, who has opted for Myler over Geraghty at fly-half this weekend.

“We have come a long way in a relatively short period of time, but we believe we can come home from Limerick with a positive result.

“We have prepared well this week and the players have been focused on the challenge in hand.”

Meanwhile, home coach Tony McGahan has handed James Coughlan his first Heineken Cup start after naming him at number eight for Saturday.

The 29-year-old Ireland International Sevens player's five previous appearances in the competition have come off the bench but against Saints he wins his 40th Munster cap having debuted in 2006 against Cardiff Blues at The Arms Park.

Coughlan's inclusion means David Wallace moves back to the openside while Keith Earls' recovery from a groin injury leaves the back-line showing just one change from the one that played Northampton back in January, Earls renewing his centre partnership with Jean de Villiers.

Further good news for Munster is that their other groin injury sufferer, Paul O'Connell, has also been included in the side. The captain and Earls both trained in Cork on Thursday and both will be expected to take part in the Catain's Run.

The teams:

Munster: 15 Paul Warwick, 14 Doug Howlett, 13 Keith Earls, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Ian Dowling, 10 Ronan O'Gara, 9 Tomas O'Leary, 8 James Coughlan, 7 David Wallace, 6 Alan Quinlan, 5 Paul O'Connell (capt) 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 John Hayes, 2 Jerry Flannery, 1 Marcus Horan.
Replacements: 16 Damien Varley, 17 Julian Brugnaut, 18 Tony Buckley, 19 Mick O'Driscoll, 20 Nick Williams, 21 Niall Ronan, 22 Peter Stringer, 23 Lifeimi Mafi.

Northampton: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Jon Clarke, 12 James Downey, 11 Bruce Reihana, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Lee Dickson, 8 Roger Wilson, 7 Neil Best, 6 Phil Dowson, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Courtney Lawes, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Dylan Hartley (capt), 1 Soane Tonga'uiha.
Replacements: 16 Brett Sharman, 17 Regardt Dreyer, 18 Brian Mujati, 19 Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, 20 Mark Easter, 21 Alan Dickens, 22 Shane Geraghty, 23 Joe Ansbro.

Date: Saturday, April 10
Kick-off: 17:30 BST
Venue: Thomond Park
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Romain Poite (France), Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)
Television match official: Derek Bevan (Wales)