Heineken Cup / Cormac O'Keefe / 09 April 2009 / Leave a comment

Munster continue the defence of their Heineken Cup crown when they host The Ospreys at Thomond Park on Sunday. Cormac O' Keeffe looks ahead to the big match betting and feels confident that Munster can continue their recent good form and reach the semi-finals.

After effectively clinching the Magners League title with victory over Leinster on Saturday, Munster can now turn their attention to the defence of their Heineken Cup crown. They are justifiably the warm favourites for the Heineken Cup at around [3.00] on Betfair and should see off the challenge of the Ospreys fairly comfortably this weekend.

A victory would be Munster's eight in succession and would set up a potentially mouth-watering semi-final tie against arch-rivals Leinster, who have a great chance of an away victory against Harlequins on the same day.

Munster's home record in Europe would be almost enough on its own to justify the price of [1.33] on offer but when allied to their stunning recent form and the confidence of having so many of Ireland's Grand Slam stars it is extremely difficult to see past them. An impressive 25-21 victory in the Liberty Stadium in January in the most recent meeting between the sides won't do Munster's confidence any harm either.

Ospreys have a number of talented backs that have the ability to break loose but there's no better team in Europe at snuffing out such attacking potential through relentless tackling from all angles. The likes of Shane Williams and Lee Byrne (if he passes a fitness test) will be targeted early by Mafi, Howlett et al, and they could soon lose interest if Munster get ahead and the crowd get on the backs of the visitors.

The physical presence of Hook and Phillips will provide a test for O' Gara and O' Leary but the fact that the Irish duo came out on top of the battle in the thrilling Six Nations game will surely make their task easier this time around.

Despite what has been said since Ireland's Grand Slam success this season, one gets the impression that these players are Munster players first and Ireland players second and you can be sure that they'll put their bodies on the line until the final minute, in order to hold on to their title.

The Ospreys front row is their key strength but Munster should be able to neutralise this strength and dominate in the lineout and leave it up to O' Gara to win the field position battle.

Home advantage is a key factor in the Heineken Cup with 36 out of the previous 48 quarter finals being won by the home side. The fact that Munster account for a quarter of the 12 away wins allied to fact that the Ospreys have never reached the semi finals and Munster are almost unbeatable at Thomond Park all point to a home win.

Munster have vast experience of these big European games as this is their 100th game in the Heineken Cup and is their eleventh successive quarter final, more than any other team, whilst the Ospreys have only reached this stage once before, making them the least experienced team left in the competition.

The only thing that may sit uncomfortably with Munster is the favourites tag but this is something that they have grown more accustomed to in recent months. All previous success for the Irish province has come against all odds, as underdogs.

The little-known comfort of the home advantage that comes from being the top seed in Europe should help rather than hinder Munster as Irish rugby has shaken off its inferiority complex this season and the weight of favouritism shouldn't stop this talented group from taking another step towards European glory and immortality.

Advice: Back Munster -7.5pts at [2.00] or better

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