They might like it physical at Thomond Park, but there will be few in the Munster ranks who relish the prospect of making the first tackle on Netani Talei if, as expected, the Fijian forward returns to the Edinburgh starting line-up in Limerick's storied rugby roughhouse on Sunday.

Talei was an unwilling spectator for 62 minutes of Edinburgh's 45-0 demolition by Saracens at Murrayfield last weekend, but it was clear from his storming cameo as a replacement in the final quarter that the Heineken Cup refreshes parts of him that other competitions can't quite reach. Talei can blow a bit hot and cold at times, but you could almost hear him pawing the ground before he took over from Ross Rennie.

His display was a warming sight for Edinburgh fans on an afternoon that had been bleak up to that point. Not that it made much difference to the overall pattern of the game, but Talei was significantly more energised than any other player in the capital side. Just as he was last season when, on their memorable charge through the tournament, he managed to accumulate three man-of- the-match awards.

"When it comes to big names and big teams, I've always wanted to play in the Heineken Cup," Talei explained. "Getting that opportunity is a very big thing for me, one of the main reasons I came to Edinburgh.

"I want to compare myself against big names, that's what I'm looking for. I want more opportunities to test myself. I was hoping to get that chance last week because you get big back rows in England. Hopefully, I'll get the chance this week, but if I don't I'm still backing the team 100%.

"I was itching to get on from the kick-off, just wanting to get on and play. But the coaches have a gameplan for how they fit me in as a reserve. All I can do when I get the opportunity is try to do my best. It wasn't enough at the weekend because we were well behind and you can't do much in that situation.It's always hard coming on like that because you can't change the game. You can make an impact, but you can't change the outcome of the game. What you can do is hold your head high at the end knowing that you did your best."

Talei might have been alone in being able to adopt that posture and that attitude as most of his Edinburgh colleagues would have been hiding behind the sofa when the match video was played. Dave Denton, Scotland's outstanding forward last season, fell far short of the standards he was setting a year ago, and he may be the one for the chop if Talei is brought into the starting XV. If Denton survives, then Stuart McInally would be the one to make way.

While there was a massive collective failure by Edinburgh, Talei's conclusion was that individuals have to take responsibility.

He said: "If you look after yourself then everything else in the team will fall into place. If you worry about the bigger picture you lose control of yourself. I believe players need to think about their games and what they can offer to the team. Hopefully everyone turns up this week.

"It's down to individual players giving what they've got and not holding back. We knew what Saracens were capable of as a very physical side, a big name in rugby. It's frustrating because this happened to us at the beginning of the season last year, but it's a bit worse this time. Still, it's not the end of the world. It's just the beginning of the season and it's not too late to change things. We'll let that go, regroup as a team and work on playing Munster."

Of course, there are better places to set about a rebuilding job than Thomond Park, something of a European fortress over the past few seasons. But if there is any sense of desperation within the ground it will not be Edinburgh's alone. Munster opened their own Heineken Cup challenge with a 22-17 loss to Racing Metro in Paris, and their supporters, unconvinced that the team taking shape under new coach Rob Penney will ever be the equal of the side which won the trophy twice, are restless. They know that another defeat will virtually extinguish their hopes again.

"Munster haven't performed anything like they have in previous years," observed Tim Visser, the Edinburgh try machine who was invalided out of Saturday's match with leg bruising. "They have made a lot of changes to their squad but you can't underestimate them. They have a lot of quality in that team.

"They will be desperate, just like us. It will be a very big game and the team which is most clinical is probably going to win it. It is not going to be fancy out there. It is going to be a very physical contest and I am really looking forward to it."

Visser was moving easily yesterday, but is officially still under observation. Greig Laidlaw, the fly-half who also missed the whole of the second half after sustaining a shoulder injury, is in the same position. As basic and brutal as Sunday's game is likely to be, coach Michael Bradley can ill-afford to be without two of his best players, and his most prolific points gatherers last season, for such a vital match.

As regards Edinburgh's ills, Visser offered a similar assessment to the diagnosis put forward by Talei.

"I'm a firm believer that we can turn things around for the weekend," he said firmly. "It's not like it is the system that is not working or we are not in sync with the coach. It is literally down to individual players. The only problem with that is that we can chat about it as much as we like but it is all down to actions."