European Cup: Bloodied but unbowed, back they come again, and it's straight into the bear pit. Gloucester v Munster in Kingsholm and their infamously partisan Shed, two warrior tribes in a full-on game in front of a full house. It's collisions like these which capture the essence of the European Cup. But Saturday afternoon entertainment for the family? There's an argument for having it on after the 9 p.m. watershed.

Having kick-started the last four European Cups at home, for Munster this is only their second away start in eight campaigns, and by some distance their most difficult opener. Gloucester have not only been the form side in England this season, and sit atop the Zurich Premiership with the only unbeaten record, but there's been an imposing pattern to their three wins at Kingsholm.

Whereas the addition of a running game to their traditional forward power has left them tactically unsure away from home - gaining two injury-time wins and drawing the other - at Kingsholm Gloucester have beaten Sale 44-8, Bristol 45-18 and Saracens 44-14.

Gloucester have added some pace out wide - notably the 19-year-old rookie Marcel Garvey, while 20-year-old winger James Simpson-Daniel (hailed as the most gifted English runner since Jeremy Guscott) is only on the bench.

But for all that the old values still apply and the bedrock of their Kingsholm success remains a capacity to soften up opposing packs, whilst using Ludovic Mercier's prodigious boot for territory.

To have any chance of emerging from the place alive, much less with the booty, you've got to go toe-to-toe and eyeball-to-eyeball for 80 minutes. Start taking backward steps and you may as well vacate the premises.

"From what we've seen there's no doubt in the world they're going to take us on up front and unless you do match them, and unless you do take the space in defence and get on the front foot, yeah, they'll wear you down," agrees Munster coach Alan Gaffney.

Gloucester's captain and standard-bearer, Lions prop Phil Vickery, returns to the starting line-up, having missed last week's rout of Saracens in what is expected to be an otherwise unchanged line-up.

"I've got to say it's a fairly difficult challenge first up," says Gaffney with typically dry understatement. "I'd say it's probably one of the most difficult you could get in the entire pool stages. We've watched tapes of them and Brian (Hickey) went to watch them in one game. They're a solid side. You look at their forward pack and it's exceptionally strong, and then you start looking at their back line, with Gomarsall, Mercier, Garvey on one wing, Delport, Paul, and the sprinter Simpson-Daniel and they've got some gas. They've got talent right across the paddock."

Munster are endeavouring to expand their game, Gaffney's faith in the gifted Jeremy Staunton being a signal of intent, but the sleeves-rolled-up base left by Declan Kidney and Niall O'Donovan may be more pertinent for the start of this latest Euro odyssey.

"We've just got to stay totally committed for 80, totally disciplined and our minds on the job," says Gaffney. "Munster have always been a side that performed pretty well away from home and while this is going to be one of the real challenges, probably no more than Stade last year or Toulouse the year before. They've been there and done it before so it's not something that frightens them."

Besides, as Gaffney notes, it can't be all bad when the broken jaw which Donncha O'Callaghan sustained results in Mick Galwey being restored to the line-up and Eddie Halvey drafted into the bench. They'll need all their old warriors' savvy today.

Capturing the essence of this pool, where these two tribes will also go to war with the Catalans of Perpignan, Gloucester's director of rugby Nigel Melville hit the nail on the head when commenting: "In terms of passion I don't think there is anything that will come near this group. Perpignan are unbelievably passionate, so are Munster and so are ourselves. We have lots in common with the people of Munster and their feelings about the game, so Saturday will be very special."

The pattern at Kingsholm this season doesn't end with the scorelines, for in each of the three home wins they've been trailing after half an hour before ultimately wearing the opposition down, pulverising them up front and unleashing their pacey outside runners in the final quarter.

However, Munster have an unequalled ability to hang in even when on the back foot. It'll be damned tough, but Gloucester could be surprised and a little mentally brittle if Munster can hang in until the final quarter. In that scenario, this one has epic written all over it.

Gloucester v Munster

Kingsholm, 3.0

(BBC 1, Network 2)