Rugby story by Brian Watters, Mon, 03 Apr 2006 18:08:01 GMT


Munster took a step closer to Heineken Cup glory that has eluded them for so long as they overcame a stiff challenge from Perpignan. They beat the latter 19-10 to set up an all-Irish semi-final clash with Leinster.

Munster's director of coaching, Declan Kidney was delighted with this draw and said the clash would be great for Irish Rugby, "It's brilliant for Irish rugby. It means that there is going to be an Irish side in the final and it demonstrates how strong rugby is in this country at the moment," he enthused.

The semi-final match is scheduled to be played at Lansdowne Road and it will be a titanic clash. This fixture also bodes well for the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, which will host the final of the Cup on May 20. What this semifinal does is ensures that the Irish interest in the championship remains alive and hordes of Irish fans are already scrambling for the Cardiff tickets.

Ronan O'Gara would undoubtedly be the star attraction as hit was his four penalties that gave Munster's Red Army a cause for cheer. Paul O'Connell's try in the first half also played a vital role in the win over Perpignan and these two players will be itching to make their mark on the semifinals.

Perpignan's Scottish second-row Nathan Hines felt that based on their display in the quarterfinals, Munster could very well win the tournament, “Their pressure game is awesome, they are going to put a lot of teams under pressure. They are going to pose problems, no matter who they play," he said. “It was a bit of a slugfest really. It was just who was going to crack under the pressure."

Munster skipper Anthony Foley said that the quarterfinal match was a tough one for them, “I always thought it would be like that, it was about whichever side didn't back down.” His coach Declan Kidney also said that the team was ready for Leinster and that a training game last weekend was what kept his team in shape, "Nothing that happened out there surprised me. There's a great pat on the back to all the squad, last weekend when we didn't have a game (against Llanelli), we had a training game that was a bit like what you just saw and I think that stood us in good stead," he added.

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