Can Munster emulate the achievement of Ulster last season and win the European Cup? With the Interprovincial Championship already won on the back of a 100 per cent record and with three wins out of three in the European Cup, matters are progressing very nicely.

Coach Declan Kidney, assistant coach Niall O'Donovan and manager Brian O'Brien are realistic enough to know that there is a long and hard road ahead. Winning the group and reaching the knock-out stages would be quite an achievement, not to mention going beyond that point.

Crucially, two of Munster's three wins have been gained away from home, and with the other three teams in the group all having lost twice, Munster stand four points clear.

Musgrave Park will surely be packed to capacity tomorrow when Munster will take on Colomiers. This should be another great occasion for Munster rugby. Munster fashioned some of their greatest victories at this ground. Three times the Wallabies have been beaten there; the All Blacks got a very fortunate draw there 27 years ago, and last season Perpignan lost there. It is a proud record.

Now yet another famous win can be fashioned at Musgrave Park. A Munster win tomorrow might actually win the group for them. Such an outcome and a draw between Saracens and Pontypridd would put Munster into an unassailable position at the head of the group. It would leave the province five points clear with two matches to play.

Even if the match between Saracens and Pontypridd is not drawn, and Munster win tomorrow, it will leave them four points clear. That would mean even a draw in the second last match of the group against Saracens at Thomond Park on January 8th would give Munster the group. But Munster know they must maximise their points total to get a home draw in the quarter-finals. So every match is of immense importance even if the group were to be won tomorrow.

Munster will be fortified by their great home record in the European Cup which is deeply impressive, both at Musgrave Park and at Thomond Park. The only European match the province has lost on home soil was against Cardiff at Musgrave Park. That was in 1997 when Cardiff won, very fortunately at that, 37-33.

So what is it about Munster? It is about tremendous pride in the jersey and the traditional passion. Those are vital ingredients. They will not, however, in themselves win matches, but neither will you win most matches without them. But this Munster side is about much more than pride and passion. It is a very talented side, superbly coached and led inspirationally on the field by Mick Galwey.

Kidney is fully aware of Galwey's importance and contribution to the team. "He has been absolutely brilliant, and a vital element in the team and to the success." But Kidney also emphasises the contribution made by another of the "old hands" in what is in fact a young side, Peter Clohessy. "Quite apart from his play, his influence with and encouragement to, the young players has been great," the Munster coach opines.

Kidney also stresses the considerable benefit that has come from the return of Keith Wood: "On and off the field, I could not ask for more from Keith." And he readily acknowledges, too, the contribution of John Langford.

On the attitude in the squad, Kidney says: "Obviously players are disappointed when left out of the side, and I would be disappointed if they did not feel that way. That is the way it should be. The competition for places in the team is very healthy. There is a total co-operation and support from every player. "

There is no doubt that the Munster branch has got the management team right and the management team has got the squad right. Kidney, O'Donovan and O'Brien all have tremendous track records. Kidney has coached the Ireland Schools team to Triple Crown success, the Ireland under-19 team to the World Championship in 1998 and to the semi-final last season. He was also coach to the Dolphin team that won promotion to the first division of the AIB League in 1996-97. Since he took over as full-time coaching director with Munster he has won back-to-back Interprovincial Championships, and now further glory beckons.

O'Donovan has been at Kidney's side over the last two seasons with Munster. He was coach to the Shannon team that won the AIB League for four successive seasons and also won two Munster Senior Cups in an era of unprecedented success. O'Brien was manager of that Shannon team and he was also a very successful manager of the Ireland under-21 team. The Munster management is a team of winners.

On a less happy note, Ulster's defence of the European Cup has been very disappointing. The away loss to Bourgoin and the home defeats by Wasps and by Llanelli last Friday have ended all hopes of even a quarter-final place. The performance against Llanelli was especially poor from a team of professional players with so much at stake. Coach Harry Williams has every right to be bitterly disappointed.

Leinster have failed totally to build on their great opening win against Leicester. But there is still some hope, tenuous though it might be. The match tonight against Stade Francais at Donnybrook represents a chance for Leinster to keep hope alive and to restore their pride.

Connacht's win over Toulon was very welcome after a very unproductive spell. Let us hope they can build on it.