WHEN YOU THINK of the opening decade of Heineken Cup history, two teams will invariably pop up time and again from the memory bank.
This year’s quarter-final draw paired the names Munster and Toulouse. With 10 final appearances between them, the words just roll off the tongue like clubs who have duked it out year after year. Yet despite being so synonymous separately with this competition they have met eachother quite infrequently.
Indeed, today will be the French giant’s first time to grace Thomond Park in the Heineken Cup. Strange, non?
Well, furrow your eyebrows no longer, because Toulouse versus Munster episode V is coming to a TV screen near you within hours, 18 years after the first cast of characters were introduced.
1996 pool stage: Toulouse 60 Munster 19
A week after the reigning champions conceded 77 points on the road to London Wasps, they were back on home soil just itching to wreak revenge on the next unfortunate soul to come knocking. Bienvenue, Munster. Ça va?
David Corkery scored the visitor’s only try in this thrashing with Thomas Castaignede pulling the strings as Toulouse ran in nine at the other end.
Out-half Killian Keane scored four penalties – three of which came in the first half as Munster took a not-too-bad-in-comparison 17 – 9 deficit into the break. It was the seven tries after half-time that really did the damage. Centre (later wing) Michel Marfaing ran in a hat-trick while Emile Ntamack and loosehead Christian Califano each finished with two tries to their name.
2000 semi-final: Toulouse 25 Munster 31
A result that really embossed Munster’s name into the wider European consciousness. Not only did the reinvigorated beat favourites Toulouse, they did so in style, emerging victorious in perfect Joie de Vivre running conditions in this Bordeaux semi-final.
This brilliant team try rounded off by Ronan O’Gara was one of three scored by the southern province that day. Jason Holland and John Hayes claimed the other tries with Toulouse responding through a try from Jerome Cazalbou and five penalties via Marfaing.
2003 semi-final: Toulouse 13 Munster 12
Three years later Toulouse were just trop chaud to handle on their way to winning the title in Dublin. Munster took a 6 – 3 lead into the second half in Toulouse and, despite O’Gara doubling his tally of both penalties and drop-goals by the hour mark to make it 12 – 6, the hosts upped the ante minute-by-minute.
You can watch the entire agonising second half here, but the pressure finally told after 75 minutes when a series of draining phases created space for Freddy Michalak to dive into the corner and Jean Baptiste Elissalde had the nerve to strike the winning two-pointer.
C’est la vie.
2008 Final: Munster 16 Toulouse 13
Ah, Cardiff. Munster’s finest hour came with their last encounter against the four-time champions.
Denis Leamy’s first half try gave the southern province a 10 – 6 half-time lead and a Ronan O’Gara penalty either side of Yves Donguy’s try proved enough for Munster to lift their second Heineken Cup title.
Formidable!
So, the last two meetings between Munster and Toulouse have produced the eventual European champions? Can either side go all the way in 2014?
