Munster embraces the new Millennium in a prime position to add a triumphant addendum to Ulster's European Cup victory of last season. Declan Kidney's charges lead Pool Four with maximum points on the strength of four straight victories in as many matches.
Two games remain and their immediate priority will be to confirm first place in their pool with victory over Saracens, their closest pursuers, at Thomond Park in January. A win would guarantee pre-eminence and render their final game away to Pontypridd at Sardis Road meaningless in a pool context.
However the desire for a home quarter-final will obviously galvanise Munster to try and complete the qualification part of their campaign unbeaten. Ulster demonstrated the value of a home draw en route to their marvellous triumph last season. The teams will be ranked one to eight for the knockout matches by virtue of their finishing position at the pool stage.
Two more victories would ensure that Munster would be seeded either first, second or third depending on the fortunes of the other unbeaten sides, Toulouse and London Wasps, in their final two matches.
Leinster's excellent victory over Stade Francais and Leicester's win at home to Glasgow Caledonians means that all four sides boast four points in Pool One. The problem for Leinster is that their points difference is considerably worse that their rivals and they would probably have to win both their remaining matches, at home to Glasgow and away to Leicester, to make the quarter-finals.
This weekend's victory means that they are not solely dependent on the fortunes of Munster with regard to next season's European Cup. As things stand, their third place finish in the Interprovincial championships would see them enter the Shield next season: if an Irish team reach the semi-finals then Leinster would play in the Cup.
Realistically, Ulster's defence of the European Cup finished at the weekend when they lost a fourth successive match. Pride can be salvaged but precious little else in their last two games against Wasps at Loftus Road and Bourgoin at Ravenhill.
Elsewhere in the Cup, Toulouse will be favourites to win Pool Two, Swansea and Bath fighting for the second spot - the best two second placed teams across the six pools go through to the quarters. In Pool Three Wasps and Llanelli are disputing the honours while Montferrand and Cardiff (Pool Five) and Northampton and Grenoble (Pool Six) also battle for overall honours.
In the shield, London Irish still have a chance to catch Agen but Connacht can not make the knockout stages.
