RUGBY:The latest skirmish in the ongoing rivalry between Munster and Leinster at Musgrave Park tomorrow has long been a sell out and the home players have been left in no doubt as to how much this match means to their supporters. Gerry Thornleyreports

Whatever about the bragging rights between the two sets of players, arguably the bragging has become even louder among the fans.

"It's kind of bigger than the Heineken Cup pool games to some people and that has an effect on the players too. Munster and Leinster has always been a huge game and I suppose always will be, but ever since the semi-final of the Heineken Cup it seems to have taken on a life of its own," admits David Wallace in reference to that mother of all Munster-Leinster confrontations at Lansdowne Road during April of last year.

"That became a game bigger than any game in Ireland. Every time you turned on the TV or radio there was something about it. It just became huge. I suppose you can look on it as a trial in some ways and certainly it's in the back of everyone's mind that this is not one to lose to your local rivals.

"Even this week people are saying it's their favourite game to watch and they can't wait for it. And I think the players are the same as well. It's a huge challenge for both teams and I suppose there's bragging rights as well."

Their positions - third and fourth, just three points off the pace - give an added frisson tomorrow's game though its importance exceeds the Magners Celtic League points on offer.

Ominously for Leinster, their hosts go into this game on the back of successive home wins in which they've scored 81 points and a dozen tries.

"I suppose coming from the last few years we're in a better position than we have been. The mood in the camp is very good, we've a very good squad and, yeah, it seems to be going very well.

"We haven't had a lot of strength in depth in a couple of positions but that seems to be solved in a way, but you never know until injuries happen, plus it's good to have a bit of a rotation system as well. We've made some good signings and the younger guys are coming through, and coming through very well."

Evidence of this increased strength in depth was Declan Kidney's willingness to rest Shaun Payne, Rua Tipoki, Ronan O'Gara and Denis Leamy along with the entire frontrow of Marcus Horan, Jerry Flannery and John Hayes.

Wallace was another of those to have missed last week's win at home to the Dragons, albeit suffering from a dead leg in his instance, but is back in training and is expected to return to the side when it is announced today.

For all the residual disappointment of the World Cup, Wallace maintains he and his fellow internationals were refreshed by a couple of weeks off.

"It was great coming back because it was like the slate was wiped clean and we started afresh with a new competition and a different team, which gave an opportunity to forget the thoughts of what had gone on over the previous four or even 12 weeks."

Wallace has been around long enough now to recall scarcely a few hundred people turning up for the visit of Leinster to Dooradoyle in August 1998; Leinster's last competitive win away to Munster.

"I came on as a sub and gave away a penalty, which Reggie (Corrigan) thanked me for," he recalls chuckling, "and the next day I played in the A game as well and there was probably as many at both games."

He disagrees with Eric Miller's view that the rivalry became a little bitter over the next few years. "I don't think it has been that nasty, really. It's ferocious, and it's no holds barred but I don't think it's that dirty."

The Munster flanker believes Leinster have strengthened their back this season, while retaining "a fantastic backline".

Ironically, central to that and the current rivalry is the outspoken Felipe Contepomi. "Obviously he's one of their key players and a fantastic player," and though Wallace won't say it, it would come as no surprise to learn that some of the usual suspects will be out to sledge their Puma foe.

Wallace, you'd imagine, would be too laid-back to indulge in that. "Not usually," he says, chuckling again, "but I'd hate to say it now because it could turn out that come the match I'll be one of those at it. But I try to just concentrate on the job and not get affected by other stuff because I think I probably need all my concentration anyway to do the job well and sometimes it takes your eye off the ball."

As a means of preparing for a return to Europe, the two sides could hardly ask for a better game, admits Wallace (with the proviso that all emerge unscathed without adding to the respective injury lists which have includes Paul O'Connell, Alan Quinlan, Chris Whitaker and Girvan Dempsey). "But I wouldn't call it a warm-up game." Anything but.