HEC SF Preview: Sang-froid to Douse Red Heat?

Beware!
By Peter Snow's Swingometer
April 23 2004

The penultimate stage of the Heineken Cup pits two strong teams against each other at Lansdowne Road. London Wasps and their merry swarm of supporters meet the monstrous red tide of Munster. English champions versus Ireland's top province. A richer tapestry one could not wish to see.

Across the water one of either Biarritz and Toulouse will ease their battered bodies into a hotel lounge. They will view a fascinating battle between the Gold and Blacks of London and the Reds of Limerick, safe in the knowledge that one French team has made the final in Twickenham.

Past European form says it should be Toulouse who take an intense interest in the proceedings in Dublin. The Toulousains experienced the Men from Munster in the final stages winning by a single point. Like many pundits they will probably expect to meet them in Twickenham again. After all, the last time London Wasps played Munster in the Heineken Cup they went down to a 49-22 drubbing at Thomond Park in 1996.

However, the form teams of the French and English championships will not be looking back. Biarritz and London Wasps will want to stamp their authority on the competition and reach the final for the first time. Wasps will do well to recall that just after the tough examination in Limerick we thrashed a certain team called ... Toulouse at home 77-17 shortly afterwards. Funny old game!

Focusing on the Dublin semi-final, it is remarkable that Munster defeated Wasps' old European adversaries, Stade Français in the quarter-finals whilst the Londoners beat Gloucester -- a team well-known to the Reds in recent years.

Munster's win was down to a blistering 17-point opening coupled with their passionate, cussed obstinacy during the final quarter as Stade threatened to cause the ever first Heineken upset at Thomond Park. Wasps showed very similar characteristics at home whilst blowing away Gloucester, clinically dismantling Munster's friends from Kingsholm.

The pundits will also muse over our new boss, Gats, besting our old boss, Mellie, who now tips us! Then they may recall the parallel between Ireland being the first to beat England this season. The same pundits may also wonder about Gats once being boss of Ireland before he was invited to go as a Munsterman took over. Might there be history to be untangled there and some wrongs to right?

And then at the heart of Munster's three-quarters is our old centre, Rob Henderson, the reformed kekab-king, playing the usual understated Munster card in the media whilst our gane-breaker Josh Lewsey spins a tongue-in-cheek riposte back. Both sides have several pointers to consider as they try and force a result on Sunday.

So, will the tangled web of intrigue dominate and muddle the game plan or will clear heads produce a sumptuous feast of rugby out on the field? Do we expect a highly-charged, passionate affair or a clinically-cold, tightly controlled game?

The old swingometer predicts both approaches! ROG's boot will push Wasps back in the same way he punished England at Twickenham in February. POC and DOC will punish Wasps' frailty in the lineout. But Wasps will redouble their concentration, put on the squeeze and sweep up in defence. Kinga will match ROG with the boot and run the game closer to the gain line. The pack on the front foot may well provide the answer on the field!

The winners of the game will make the most of turnover ball and kickable penalties. Wasps will have to neutralise Munster's crowd, worth a ten point advantage. Wasps silenced Perpignan and Bath in consecutive weeks. At Lansdowne Road, win or lose, they shall earn the Red Tide's plaudits.

The Irish shall dream of Twickenham and events both recent and yet to come, then the English should think only of a faraway field and keep in mind Roger Bannister's thought when he broke the four-minute mile barrier -- the wind has dropped, it has to be now.

The forecast? Fair weather and light winds! A tempestuous opening and a long haul. And an almighty craic. There will be a point in it. Slainte, Dublin, Munster and London.

London Wasps: 15 Mark van Gisbergen; 14 Josh Lewsey, 13 Fraser Waters, 12 Stuart Abbott, 11 Tom Voyce; 10 Alex King, 9 Rob Howley; 1 Craig Dowd, 2 Trevor Leota, 3 Will Green, 4 Simon Shaw, 5 Richard Birkett, 6 Joe Worsley, 7 Paul Volley, 8 Lawrence Dallaglio (Capt.)

Bench: 16 Tim Payne, 17 Ben Gotting, 18 Martin Purdy, 19 Mark Lock, 20 Peter Richards, 21 Mark Denney, 22 Ayoola Erinle.

Munster: 15 Christian Cullen; 14 John Kelly, 13 Mike Mullins, 12 Rob Henderson, 11 Shaun Payne; 10 Ronan O'Gara, 9 Peter Stringer; 1 Marcus Horan, 2 Frankie Sheahan, 3 John Hayes, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 5 Paul O'Connell, 6 Jim Williams (Capt.), 7 David Wallace, 8 Anthony Foley.

Bench: 16 Jerry Flanery, 17 Gordon McIlWham, 18 David Pusey, 19 Stephen Keogh, 20 Eoin Reddan, 21 Jason Holland, 22 Anthony Horgan.