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Rugby

WNR: How can Munster stop the Toulon juggernaut?

Listen to the full chat via the podcast  As Conor Murray and Simon Zebo have alluded to in ...



WNR: How can Munster stop the...
Rugby

WNR: How can Munster stop the Toulon juggernaut?

Listen to the full chat via the podcast 

As Conor Murray and Simon Zebo have alluded to in the build up to the hotly anticipated Toulon game, Munster will have to draw on the inspiration from last year's gutsy performance against Clermont.

Of course, they would like to go one better this time and reach the Heineken Cup final.

But how can they achieve that feat against the reigning champions who also happen to be in formidable form?

To plot Munster's path to glory, we were joined by Keith Wood and Gerry Thornley, both of whom emphasized the incredible difficulty of the task ahead against a team that beat Leinster in the previous round.

"[Leinster didn't play at their normal intensity. Toulon got the opportunity with big ball carriers who could get over the gain line and when that happened they were flooding on top of the ball, which was putting the Leinster defence under pressure," said Keith.

"If that were to happen, you would fear for Munster. They have to be able to stop it at source and slow down the ruck ball a little bit. They don't have to win every ruck but they need to slow it down and to make certain there's enough of a defensive line."

Keith believes the Clermont game is a good example and added that Munster need to be able to hang on in order to put doubts in Toulon's collective minds. 

While Gerry reckons that there are valid comparisons to the Clermont match, he believes that there are key differences between that team and the current Toulon setup who do not have that "history of failure" which has weighed heavily on their French counterparts.

Keith and Gerry also delved into the details of Toulon's approach and how Munster could throw a spanner in the works.

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