Following last Saturday’s opening day defeat at the hands of reigning champions Wasps, Munster now face an uphill struggle to reach the knock-out stages of this season’s Heineken Cup.

Preserving their proud record of reaching the quarter-finals on every occasion since 1999 now seems an unlikely event, however Declan Kidney’s side always seem to thrive in the face of adversity. This Sunday throws up an entirely new challenge, in the shape of Clermont Auvergne, and Munster are acutely aware that a second defeat on the bounce would all but end their interest in this season’s competition.

With Thomond Park currently undergoing a major facelift, the traditional Saturday evening games have been shifted to the following morning to allow for the absence of suitable floodlights.

Last weekend’s single-point defeat to Wasps could have and should have been avoided. Early in the second-half, and leading by ten-points, the visitors found themselves with an attacking line-out five yards out from the host’s line. What appeared a certain scoring position was suddenly changed into a frantic defensive scramble as Munster conceded an unnecessary and needless penalty at the set-piece.

Within the space of fifteen minutes Lawrence Dallaglio and his side had capitalised on some very amateur mistakes and the ten-point deficit was turned into a one-point lead. It was a lead that they would not relinquish. You only get one chance to beat the European Champions in their own backyard and Munster blew theirs. Victory would have set them up for the remainder of the group games, but now they face an arduous task to turn things around.

It’s imperative that Kidneys side eradicate the mistakes of last weekend in time for the visit of Clermont Auvergne on Sunday. The French side pack an almighty punch, with a vicious bite to match. Upfront the Argentinean duo of Mario Ledesma and Martin Scelzo are a match for any front-row combination.

They will not be fazed by the infamous legend of Thomond Park and you can be sure this duo will thrive off the fiery atmosphere that’s promised to greet them. Elsewhere in the pack Julien Bonnaire and Elvis Vermeulen provide a wonderful back-row combination of power and pace. Bonnaire was exceptional last weekend during their seven-try rout of Llanelli Scarlets and should cause problems all day for Messers Wallace and Quinlan.

Out-wide the visitors are no less impressive with their captain, Aurelien Rougerie, hoping to maintain the scintillating form which saw him score a hat-trick last weekend. The half-back partnership of French scrum-half Pierre Mignoni and Australian-born Brock James provide the perfect balance of craft and guile.

Mignoni will offer a constant threat around the fringes, while the boot of James is the envy of every out-half in the competition. If these two get a hold of proceedings it could be a very long afternoon in Limerick for the home faithful.

All in all, the task ahead of Munster is a daunting one. However the manner of their performance last weekend, especially the first fifty minutes, offers much optimism. Ronan O’Gara’s meteoric return to form was exceptionally well-timed. The out-half’s kicking from hand and tee appears restored to its usual high standard, while his decision making in both attack and defence seemed decisive and astute.

The pack look hungry and aggressive and they’ll need these attributes in abundance if they hope to marshal and sustain what seems a certain onslaught. The last time Munster played at home in the Heineken Cup they were beaten by a committed and focused Leicester side. On Sunday afternoon, Clermont Auvergne will arrive in the same frame of mind. We’ll have to wait and see what kind of response Kidney’s side can come up with.

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