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December 11, 2010

Posted on 12/11/2010

Thomond Park factor can give Munster the X Factor

Writing in the Irish Times, Gerry Thornley previews Munster's Heineken Cup showdon with the Ospreys in Limerick on Sunday.

"Thomond Park has often spooked visiting teams from almost the moment they step into the Munster citadel, and even though the Limerick venue and the city almost assumes a different persona on Heineken Cup days, familiarity through the Magners League makes the Ospreys more dangerous tomorrow.

"Compare and contrast, say, to the first-day nerves when Toulon came to Thomond Park (or indeed Racing-Metro to the RDS). For the Ospreys, the rout in the quarter-finals here two years ago probably remains their most sour memory of recent times, establishing Munster as something of a Euro benchmark for them, and this was put to good effect when they won in the league at Thomond last season.

"That was part of a three-game, week-long Irish tour which also took in a win over Ulster, and though they lost to Leinster, subsequently avenged that defeat in the Magners League Grand Final. Mentally, it was a very significant week for the Welsh region."

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