Munster expected to open Champions Cup campaign with home win over Stade Francais
Munster's John Hodnett celebrates after the win last weekend. Picture: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
Munster face French side Stade Francais in their Champions Cup opener at Thomond Park on Saturday evening where they will be expected to kick off their latest European campaign with a victory.
Munster’s form this season may be patchy, at best, but Stade Francais travel to Limerick this weekend in the middle of a poor run of results that sees them lying as lowly as 12th spot in the Top 14 table.
They have lost all six of their away games this season, with last Sunday's 21-13 defeat in Bayonne being the best they have managed on the road to date. Their other five away fixtures have ended in defeats ranging from 14 to 32 points.
It is safe to say they prefer the comforts of home.
This mediocre form is one of the main reasons why the Parisian side currently find themselves so low down in the French league table.
The formula for French clubs in these situations is that they tend to refocus their efforts on trying to improve their league position meaning they invariably send weakened sides to fulfil their European fixtures.
This means Munster are unlikely to be facing a fully loaded Stade Francais outfit this weekend. They will do well to remember that this time last year they faced Bayonne at Thomond Park in similar circumstances though, who also travelled to Shannonside having lost every away game up to that point but escaped Limerick with a draw.
If the focus is off then Munster might struggle.
You would imagine, however, that the revolving door around the current coaching situation at the club will help focus the minds, with the news this week that former Hurricanes and Northampton Saints head coach Chris Boyd has joined the club in a Performance Consultant role.
The 66-year-old New Zealander will certainly help fill any void felt in the experience stakes, as Munster attempt to steady the ship in the aftermath of the departure of Graham Rowntree from the head coach role in late October.
Interim head coach Ian Costello has Irish contingent Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey and Calvin Nash all available again after the completion of the Autumn Nations Series, while Mike Haley, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly and Thaakir Abrahams are all fit and raring to go after recent knocks.
South African loose-head Dian Bleuler impressed on his debut against the Lions last Saturday and should get the nod in the no. 1 shirt again this weekend, as Munster will certainly aim for superiority in the scrums and lineouts to give them the attacking platforms they will require to secure the bonus point they will be targeting.
With the internationals returned, and with Bleuler there to fill a hole in the front row, Munster should have enough power to get over a side whose focus is elsewhere at present.
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