The few survivors of Munster's one previous journey to Castres, five years ago, all remember it as one of the most intimidating and nakedly hostile experiences they've ever known. Aside from the constant booing and whistling, the crowd were spitting through the perimeter fence at the Munster players and Mick Galwey recalls the full moon generating a Jekyll and Hyde ambience. "You half expected somebody to leap over the fence and attack you," he said.
Though the venue has changed, Munster aren't expecting the red carpet treatment tonight either. The anticipated 9,432 capacity at the Stade Pierre-Antoine is liable to generate the noise of a half-full 60,000 stadium.
Then again, Munster have a certain worldliness to them now, this being their eighth European Cup trip to France. They lost the first five, but have won the last couple against Colomiers and Toulouse. Admittedly, neither were playing on their own grounds per se, and the Munster management say this challenge is more reminiscent of their last heavy defeat in Europe, away to Perpignan two seasons ago.
As with Perpignan, Castres' approach is more of the macho French variety. They target the scrum heavily and mix their incessant pummelling through big close-in target runners with some beefcake mauling. All of which, as Declan Kidney points out, is then mixed in with the utterly unpredictable Gregor Townsend.
"We expect them to come at us in the scrums, they'll be strong in the lineout, so it's going to have to be very workmanlike from us. I've no doubt that the first 20 minutes will be a big indicator as to how the game goes. We can't afford to go without the ball in that first 20 minutes."
At home, the likelihood must be that it will be Castres on the early offensive, but if Munster can absorb what's thrown at them in their own cussed way and hurry back to Shannon airport with another win, it will be the most significant evidence yet that they can somehow recapture their form of last season.
This is probably the worst time to meet Castres; this is the French side's first home game of the season and follows a defeat away to Bath, where video evidence would suggest that they were harshly treated by the referee. Castres' volatile mood won't have been eased by the row over Kiwi Norm Berryman, who has been deemed ineligible for the competition. Guillame Delmotte returns to the starting line-up, which may strengthen their hand, as most likely will the two changes up front where Remy Vigneaux replaces Christian Batut and Samuel Chinarro also starts instead of Thierry Bourdet.
Killian Keane's shoulder knock rules him out and John O'Neill is promoted to the bench in an otherwise unchanged Munster 22. By rights, Castres must be favourites, but once again if any team can, Munster can.
Castres: F Plisson; U Mola, E Artiguste, G Delmotte, P Garrigues; G Townsend, A Albouy; L Toussaint, R Vigneux, L Tsabadze, S Chinarro, J Davidson (capt), A Coste, I Lassissi, J Diaz. Replacements - C Batut, M Reggiardo, G Bemazet, F Laluque, G Taussec, A Larkin, F Seguier.
Munster: D Crotty; J Kelly, M Mullins, J Langford, A Horgan; R O'Gara, P Stringer; P Clohessy, F Sheahan, J Hayes, M Galwey (capt), J Langford, A Quinlan, A Foley, D Wallace. Replacements - M Horan, J Blaney, M O'Driscoll, C McMahon, T Tierney, J Sta unton, J O'Neill.
Castres
Referee: Graham Simmonds (Wales).
Results so far: lost to Bath (away) 13-22.
Leading points scorer: Gregor Townsend 8 (2 pens, 1 con).
Leading try scorer: Ismaella Lassissi 1.
Munster
Results so far: beat Newport (home) 26-18.
Leading points scorer: Ronan O'Gara 11 (3 pens, 1 con).
Leading try scorers: Frankie Sheahan, Mick Galwey, Anthony Horgan, 1 each.
Previous meetings: (1995-96) Castres 19 Munster 12.
Forecast: More on a hunch than logic, Munster to win.
