Munster bracing themselves for 'scary' Saints attack

What a difference a week makes.

Seven days ago Munster were preparing for a trip to France that could have had a devastating impact on their ability to qualify for the last-16 of the Investec Champions Cup.

This week, they'll welcome Northampton Saints to Thomond Park, knowing their place in the next round is practically guaranteed, with only a very unlikely scenario knocking them out.

For Munster to miss out on a place in the Round of 16, Graham Rowntree's side would need to lose against the Saints without picking up a bonus point, while Bayonne would also need a bonus-point win against Exeter, while also overturning a 51 point differential on the province. Glasgow, meanwhile, would also have to turn over Toulon.

While a home last-16 game will almost certainly be a bridge too far, there's a lot of jostling for position still to be done. A win against Northampton on Saturday could be the difference between travelling to Toulouse and Bath in the spring.

With 16 teams to account for, the permutations don't bear thinking about. The simple scenario for Munster - and the rest of the provinces - is to win first, and think about it later.

"It's impossible to predict," Munster defence coach Denis Leamy says.

"George Murray [Munster's lead analyst] sent me a calculator, I opened it up and just closed it again. I got a nosebleed!"

With Munster's game against Northampton a full 24 hours before Bayonne and Exeter, the URC champions will be playing the Saints in the dark, not knowing who they'll be facing or where they'll be travelling in the next round. For Leamy [above], that makes the task a bit easier.

"That's the whole point, isn't it? We don't know exactly what we're playing for, if that makes sense. I think first thing's first, we have