News

HEC Road to the Final

May 20 2008

Hold onto your seats folks! The Heineken Cup Final is just days away now. Munster and Toulouse will battle it out on Saturday for the right to be crowned 2008 Heineken Cup Champions.

Way back in November 2007 twenty-four teams set out on the long and testing road to Cardiff, now we are down to two. As the excitement gradually builds we take a look back at how both sides made it this far.

Munster's Road to the Final

Pool Stages

10/11/07: Lost 24-23 v Wasps (a): Not the best start to the competition for Munster but they did enough to secure a priceless bonus-point away from home

18/11/07: Won 36-13 v Clermont (h): A fine win for Munster who turned on the style to secure a four try bonus point win against a shell-shocked - and decidedly second-string - Clermont.

08/12/07: Won 29-16 v Scarlets (a): A typically professional display from Munster maintained their own quarter-final hopes and effectively ended those of their hosts. They ended the match, played in extraordinary rain, taking the ball through 33 phases of possession to run down the clock.

16/12/07: Won 22-13 v Scarlets (h): Back-to-back victories over the Scarlets and Munster were still alive and eyeing an unlikely quarter-final.

13/01/08: Lost 26-19 v Clermont (a): Ronan O'Gara's boot keeps the Munster dream alive as they escape France with a priceless losing bonus point.

19/01/08: Won 19-3 v Wasps (h): Munster killed off the defending champions with a controlled master class to the emerge as winners of the Pool of Death.

Knockout Stages

05/04/08: Won 16-3 v Gloucester (a): Yet again Munster do the business when it counts, although Gloucester, and Chris Paterson, will feel they let this one slip away.

27/04/08: Won 18-16 V Saracens (a): Paul O'Connell inspires Munster to an epic semi-final win, sending Munster into their second final in three years.

Losing against Wasps on the opening day of this season's tournament ensured Munster would have to do it the hard way, not that they know any other way. With their backs to the wall the true spirit of Munster showed through, claiming a vital bonus point in France and beating Wasps in the 'winner takes all' Pool decider.

It didn't get much easier in the knockout stages but once again Munster fronted up. They got lucky in Gloucester, with Chris Paterson failing to convert three early penalties, and were made to work all the way against Saracens. But work they did and they are worthy finalists.

Toulouse's Road to the Final

Pool Stages

10/11/07: Won 19-15 v Edinburgh (a): They were outscored two tries to one but the boot of Jean-Baptiste Elissalde was enough to see the French giants off to a winning start.

18/11/07: Won 33-6 v Leinster (h): Four tries from a sparkling back-line ensured Toulouse topped their Pool after the early rounds of action.

08/12/07: Lost 14-9 v Leicester (a): Leicester came out on top in this war of attrition but the French side managed a losing bonus point to ensure they stayed on top of the Pool.

16/12/07: Won 22-11 v Leicester (h): A week later and it was sweet revenge for Toulouse as they eased to victory in front of a 37,000 sell-out crowd.

12/01/08: Lost 20-13 v Leinster (a): The brawn of Leinster's on-song pack proved far too much for a disappointing Toulouse as the Irishmen kept their hopes alive but Toulouse still stay top of the Pool.

19/01/08: Won 34-10 v Edinburgh (h): Knowing victory in their final game would be enough to go through Toulouse turned on the style as they powered into the quarter-finals.

Knockout Stages

06/04/08: Won 41-17 v Cardiff Blues (h): Jean-Baptiste Elissalde was the mastermind behind a fine display of running rugby, which ultimately proved too much for Cardiff Blues.

26/04/08: Won 21-15 v London Irish (a): Despite being ravaged by injury Toulouse did enough to edge out a valiant London Irish side to reach a record fifth Heineken Cup Final.

Despite two Pool defeats Toulouse never looked in danger of falling at the first hurdle, not least because of the other results in their Pool. Even when they lost they did so with bonus points to ease the pressure slightly, and then when it mattered they came to life in true Toulouse fashion.

Two contrasting knockout games ensured they would play in the 'dream final' against Munster. First up they made light work of Cardiff Blues, and despite a first half wobble they turned it on after the break and ran away with the game. Injuries forced them to field a weakened side against London Irish but they still had enough in the tank to see them home and into the final.

Tale of the Tape

Under the new merit-based ERC European Ranking system Munster and Toulouse are ranked one and two respectively, although they are only separated by a single point.

With their places in the final secured we take a look at the 'tale of the tape' and once again it could not be much tighter.

Munster v Toulouse

ERC European Ranking: 1 v 2

ERC European Ranking Points: 29 v 28

Heineken Cup Titles: 1 v 3

Heineken Cup Finals: 3 v 4

Heineken Cup Matches: 92 v 93

Heineken Cup Wins: 64 v 66

Heineken Cup Points: 2,332 v 2,780

Heineken Cup Tries: 239 v 308

Heineken Cup Head-to-Head Wins: 1 v 2

Heineken Cup Knock-Out Stages: 10 v 10

International Players in Squad: 20 v 25