Over the last seven days, stock in the Munster brand has soared to an all-time high. Victory over Saracens at the Ricoh Arena last Sunday means Munster will contest their second Heineken Cup Final in three seasons at the end of May.

With stadium renovations under-way, exciting times lie ahead for Munster Rugby both on and off the field.

Overall it will be the province's fourth appearance at this stage of the competition. Only this year's opponents, Toulouse, can boast a better record. Adding to all this has been the confirmation of the worst kept secret of the impending clash between Munster and New Zealand in six months time.

The All Blacks will arrive in Limerick on the 18th of November to contest one of the most eagerly awaited rugby games of the year. Almost thirty years to the day since Munster's now infamous victory over them, the Kiwis will officially open the new stadium at Thomond Park and what an enticing match-up it promises to be. The potential for the Munster brand to expand across the globe is now becoming limitless. The ability to increase revenues and acquire further big-names stars such as Doug Howlett is fast becoming a reality.

On the playing field, matters have been a little less encouraging. Last Sunday's victory over a spirited Saracens side was a hard-fought and edgy affair. Semi-finals are frequently nervous affairs, but in this instance Munster were almost the architects of their own downfall.

Declan Kidney's side actually created more problems from their own mistakes, when compared with the pressure being applied from the opposition. Failure to find touch on thirteen separate occasions gifted the Saracens back-three endless counter-attacking opportunities. The Sarries trio of Richard Haughton, Francisco Leonelli and Kameli Ratuvou needed no second invitation to mount further levels of pressure on an already creaking Munster defence. Should a similar scenario occur in Cardiff in three weeks time, then Paul O'Connell and co could find themselves with an insurmountable challenge to climb.

This weekend, Munster will be charged with the task of tackling an away clash against Llanelli Scarlets. Having fielded a second-string fifteen during last night's Magners League game against Ulster, Kidney is likely to revert back to the side which successfully negotiated last weekend's Heineken Cup semi-final. It's imperative that the front-line players sustain their match fitness over the next three weeks. Obviously the coach will look to keep his side fresh, while also avoiding any untimely and unfortunate injuries. However if Munster are to have any hopes of overturning Toulouse at the end of the month, then the side will need to be meticulously prepared and perfectly battle-hardened. It's a difficult balance to achieve and it's certainly a problem Kidney will need to treat carefully.

While the Magners League title now seems beyond them (barring a miraculous collapse, Leinster should scoop the prize at home to the Dragons on Saturday night) Munster will still be keen to cement their position as the second-placed side in the table. The Scarlets on the other hand will be anxious to atone for what can only be described as a bitterly disappointing season. Simon Easterby's side were well-fancied to progress in this season's Heineken Cup, especially given the quality of players within their squad and their performances during the previous season. However the Scarlets were well-beaten in all six group games and their Magners League displays faired little better. Given the high levels of talents running throughout the squad, it is expected that the Welsh side should be competing for honours on numerous fronts. This season can't end quickly enough for the likes of Stephen Jones and Dwayne Peel.

With bigger games looming on the horizon, it's conceivable that the Munster squad might take their eye off the ball for this weekend's clash in Wales. How they fair against Llanelli will be a true sign of the professionalism within the squad. At this stage of the season, players can sometimes be more preoccupied with avoiding injury as opposed to putting their bodies on the line. With the home support desperate for some positive results before the end of the campaign, it's likely that Simon Easterby's side will do enough to secure a vital home win.

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