In the past French sides coming to Thomond Park for big European club fixtures have been accused of not travelling well.
But Shaun Payne expects the Top 14 leaders to make a huge effort to qualify for the knock-out stages of the Heineken Cup this season.
“I wouldn’t be buying into the notion that Toulon won’t travel well this weekend,” Shaun Payne said.
“I think Toulon have the Heineken Cup firmly in their sights.
“We will await the official announcement later in the week in relation to the kind of team Toulon selects for Saturday. They have an issue in their squad in relation to non-European qualified players in their squad. You can only put two in any match-day squad.”
Munster welcome Jerry Flannery back into their extended squad for Saturday’s second round clash. Jerry Flannery had been sidelined through injury since lining out against the Barbarians at Thomond Park in May.
Shaun Payne said: “It is well documented that Jerry (Flannery) has been struggling with a few injury issues, a problem with a calf and then the hamstring pull.
“He had the injection into the back and that seems to have worked. Ever since then he has been training really well. Jerry had 40 minutes obviously with Shannon on Friday night. He came through it without any worries. Jerry is confident and we are too that he is finally on the mend.”
Niall Ronan, who was forced off after half an hour of last weekend’s defeat to London Irish having received a cut to his head, is included in the squad for Saturday’s sell-out clash in Limerick.
Munster face an anxious wait as centre Sam Tuitupou appears before an ERC-convened disciplinary committee hearing in Dublin later today.
Tuitupou was cited after committing an alleged dangerous tackle on London Irish scrum-half Paul Hodgson during the first-half of the game in the Madejski Stadium.
Munster are already without another key centre, the suspended Lifeimi Mafi, for Saturday’s game.
“In terms of the backs, since we first announced the Heineken Cup squad on the registration day, Ian Dowling, Tomas O’Leary and Lifeimi Mafi are on the sidelines,” Shaun Payne pointed out.
“It is quite unusual in that normally you run into numbers problems in the forwards. You cannot lose that many quality players and not be worried about it.
“We will leave Sam’s (Tuitupou’s) hearing until later today and see what happens then.”
There were a number of talking points in Munster’s starting line-up for the clash with London Irish, including the omission of Alan Quinlan from the match day squad and the fact that David Wallace was named among the replacements.
Team manager Payne insisted the starting XV was the strongest possible: “We chose the strongest possible team last week. What happened on the weekend as well there were certain guys who played excellently. According to that we will have to go and see how guys go in training this week.
“The team will be based on that and it will be the strongest possible selection as well.
“Selections do change from week to week depending what happens on a weekend result.
“Everyone is back in the picture for selection this weekend. Alan was obviously very disappointed to lose out last weekend.
“But I think it is a measure of the competition within the squad now in the back-row. Fellows have been putting up their hands.
“James (Coughlan) and Niall (Ronan) have been playing very well. Don’t forget, below that, we have younger fellas coming on hard as well. Peter O’Mahony and guys like that. There is pressure all over the squad to be honest.”
Munster squad: Wian Du Preez, Marcus Horan, Mike Sherry, Jerry Flannery, Damien Varley, John Hayes, Darragh Hurley, Tony Buckley, Billy Holland, Donnacha Ryan, Donncha O’Callaghan, Mick O’Driscoll, Alan Quinlan, David Wallace, Niall Ronan, Denis Leamy, Peter O’Mahony, James Coughlan, Duncan Williams, Peter Stringer, Ronan O’Gara, Scott Deasy, Paul Warwick, Danny Barnes, Keith Earls, Johne Murphy, Sam Tuitupou, Doug Howlett, Denis Hurley.
COLM KINSELLA
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