Munster must go all out to secure Thomond Park knockout game

Thomond Park was rocking like the good old days last Saturday night, the kind of big European atmosphere and big European win that the province haven't had enough of in recent years.

Their earlier home win against Stade Francais in the Investec Champions Cup Pool 3 was an emphatic bonus-point victory, but with the French side throwing in the towel during the second half, it was a more run of the mill success compared to the gutsy mud-wrestle against Sarries.

The challenge facing Ian Costello’s side this afternoon in Northampton is about ensuring they get at least one more big home outing in this competition.

They travel to the Premiership champions with their place in the Round of 16 not yet guaranteed, although it would take a bizarre set of results to deny them that. They may even be qualified before they kick off against the Saints, depending on what happens between the Bulls and Stade in Pretoria.

The two-time champions may no longer be in that top bracket of favourites to win the title, but they are definitely capable of reaching the latter stages, something they haven’t done since before the Covid-19 pandemic.

After reaching the semi-final in 2019, the province missed out on the knockouts in 2020, falling short in what was admittedly a notoriously difficult pool with Racing 92, Saracens and Ospreys.

In the last four seasons, they have reached the quarter-final once and lost three times in the Round of 16, the sort of return that just isn't good enough for a team of Munster’s European pedigree.

In the last two seasons in particular, missing out on a home last 16 has cost them dearly, shipping 50 points to the Sharks in Durban in 2022/23, before losing away to the Northampton Saints last year.

There was no shame in last