Clermont Auvergne may start as overwhelming favourites in the first of the weekend's Heineken Cup semi-finals at Stade de la Mosson today but Nathan Hines, the former Scotland lock now plying his trade with the French club, has plenty of experience playing theIrish province and says there has been no need for him to remind his team-mates of the threat posed by Munster's renowned nous and dogged spirit.
"The backroom staff here are pretty good," said Hines, a cup winner with Leinster in 2011. "They don't need me to tell them just how much quality Munster can bring to a Heineken Cup knockout game – particularly after their win away to Harlequins."
But while Munster have a great pedigree in the Heineken Cup, having won the competition in 2006 and 2008, they go into the game in Montpellier as firm underdogs.
Clermont, who boast five All Blacks in their ranks are effectively a Test-strength side as they have demonstrated by winning all their fixtures in this season's competition.
Munster's cause has also not been helped by the loss to injury of the wing Doug Howlett and the lock Donncha O'Callaghan.
In tomorrow's tie at Twickenham, the Saracens wing David Strettle believes the Jonny Wilkinson-inspired Toulon are far more than a dream team of expensively assembled talent. The riches of president Mourad Boudjellal have bankrolled Toulon's recruitment but it was not until the arrival of Wilkinson in 2009 that the club began making progress.
The subsequent acquisition of seasoned internationals such as Bakkies Botha, Matt Giteau, Andrew Sheridan and Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe has placed them in contention for a European and French league double this season.
But Strettle insists their success owes just as much to the philosophy adopted by the players as to the vast array of talent in the squad,
"They've managed to gel a group of very talented players with a team mentality," said Strettle. "It's not just a dream team of guys playing for themselves, they're playing for the club and supporters."
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