Irish Vs French

The Heineken Cup final in Cardiff matches Munster of Ireland against Toulouse of France. Word out of Cardiff is that the Irish are arriving enmasse! Lock up your woman and children if you live in Cardiff later tonight with a bunch of drunk Irish men on the loose.

Paul O'Connell is banking on Munster's 16th man to roar them to victory against Toulouse in Saturday's Heineken Cup final in Cardiff. Munster’s captain believes their red army of supporters could tip the balance as his side goes in search of a second European crown against the treble champions. “We have got a lot of supporters over here, it all started eight or nine years ago and have continued ever since,” said the Irish second row. “Of course we can’t rely solely on them on them, but they do call them our 16th man and they have definitely helped us over the line on a fair number of occasions.“I hope they can do the same thing again.”

Toulouse are the most successful team in the history of the tournament and will be appearing in their fifth final, despite having a season dominated by injury problems. “It’s the hardest season Toulouse has ever had,” said coach Guy Noves. “But despite the injuries the team has worked together really well and shown you can perform on two fronts – we’re in the Heineken Cup final and the French Championship semi-finals.”

Fabien Pelous has already lifted the Heineken Cup twice for Toulouse and could be the first captain to do the treble. But he accepts that Munster pose a formidable threat, saying: “Munster and Toulouse both have great rugby traditions and both have used that to build the clubs and recruit players that has produced cycles of success.”