News

Servat and Donguy size up Munster

May 23 2008

Toulouse's French international hooker William Servat is expecting a huge battle with Munster's much touted pack in the Heineken Cup Final on Saturday, but has warned that the Irish team are anything but one sided.

As Toulouse head for another Heineken Cup Final, they are faced with a showdown with one of the few teams in Europe that can go toe to toe with the French giants. In Munster they come up against one of the most consistent teams in the Northern Hemisphere, making arguably for an ideal final.

The battle will begin amongst the forwards were Toulouse face the tough task of winning the possession their lethal back-line requires to work their magic. Servat will be in the front lines.

"Its going to be a very difficult match," Servat told Stade Toulousain Television.

"Munster have shown, on I don't know how many occasions, that they are a very good side with a very good pack, but they also have some players of recognised quality in their back-line, so we're expecting a very big encounter, that's for sure.

Servat is under no illusions that playing on neutral ground at the Millennium Stadium will mean that the teams will have equal support from the stands.

"Playing away from home is never easy. I think 90 per cent of the stadium will be in Munster colours," said the French international.

"We know the Irish and the importance they attach to this final, and the atmosphere will be exciting."

Munster are renowned for their pack but they have shown all season how dangerous their back-line can be.

"Just the presence of Ronan O'Gara gives you an idea of the quality they have," said Servat.

"He's a master in any stadium and I think his place-kicking record is around 90 per cent so we know that any mistake on our part will be very expensive, so we have no margin for error.

"They've also got [Doug] Howlett, not just him but a pair of very powerful centres. So, we know that at the back they've got what it takes."

Loose forward Jean Bouilhou believes that Toulouse's path to the final via a very difficult pool, has given the team added confidence.

"Confidence sure, but assuredness I'm not so sure because our semi-final was very difficult," he said.

"But it's true that after the pool matches we told ourselves we could go quite far in this competition because we had eliminated some big teams. So from there, bit by bit, we've built our edifice - I hope on Saturday we can add the last brick."

Toulouse will have lots of experience in the form of Servat and Fabien Pelous up front and Cédric Heymans, who will play in his fifth European Final, at the back. However, Heymans is likely to be joined in the back three by Yves Donguy, who is set to experience his first final of any sort as a professional rugby player.

Donguy arrived from Brive in the inter-season and on Saturday he could come face to face with a player with no such experience problems: Doug Howlett.

"It's my first final, but I'm still not sure if I'm going to play. Of course with all the injuries the coaches don't have too many options," said Donguy.

When he singed with Toulouse he surely didn't expect to be playing in a Heineken Cup Final in his first season at the club.

"When you come to Toulouse, anything is possible. Even so, I didn't think I'd already be playing in a final," he said

"If I find myself facing Doug Howlett, so be it. I'll take on who ever is in front of me. At this level of competition all the wings are good, and some are even the best in the world.

"It'll be a bit strange because he's a player who's style I really admire. My mission will be to stop him from doing what he wants to because he's very fast. I'm not going to watch him play, otherwise there would be no point of going to the final."

Donguy says he has been preparing specifically for his former All Black adversary.

"I try to see how [my opponent] plays in order to work on my defence. I want to know how I can tackle him. Some players are really strong in the legs, others use their pace, so I have to adapt," he explained.

"It will be the first time I've played in Cardiff. I've got two images in my head when I think of that stadium: Biarritz's loss in the European Cup Final (against Munster in 2006) and France's victory over the All Blacks.

"Stringer's try against BO left it's mark because I saw it on the big screen. I don't want that to happen to me."

Speaking of errors, Donguy missed an easy try against Montauban last Saturday.

"That's true, I wanted to score under the posts and I didn't see someone coming up behind me. I've never made such a big mistake," he admitted.

"I think it must be the same feeling as a football player who misses a penalty. From now on I'll score where I am, too bad for the place-kicker.

"One things for sure, if I see the line in the Final I'll put the ball down immediately. It's better to make that kind of mistake against Montauban rather than Munster."