For the coach of Stade Francais, John Connolly, tomorrow's game could be seen as the conclusion of a season's work, but for the nucleus of the squad it has taken four seasons to get to this point and for the owner, seven years. For Stade Francais this is the big one.

Seven years ago Max Guazzini, a radio entrepreneur who is reckoned to be one of the 20 wealthiest men in Paris, became the club's benefactor and president. In his first year they won the equivalent of the French fourth division.

Their slaughter of long-time kingpins Toulouse in the French championship final three seasons ago bridged a 90-year gap since the last of their six titles. A French Cup win two seasons ago and another French championship last season followed.

Their status as the nouveau riche of French rugby won't have endeared them to the rugby heartland of the south. Nor are they dipping into a huge reservoir of support in northern French football territory, even if they are - at 200 kilometres to the south - the nearest first division rugby club to Lille.

The European Rugby Cup organisers probably achieved their twin objectives of ensuring a venue for the final which would provide a well-attended backdrop without giving Stade an undue advantage.

"It doesn't give Stade Francais any major advantage," maintains Connolly. "It might as well be on the moon as far as we're concerned. I hear that Munster will be bringing 10,000 and I reckon we had that many for the visit of Swansea in the European Cup but our following is nowhere near as passionate as that for the clubs in the south." of France."

Even so, Guazzini's progressive and professional marketing of the club has seen Stade revive some of the Racing Club support as well as Parisian rugby.

Thus, despite reservations that it won't be a sell-out due to Stade's relatively poor support, some experts reckon they could match Munster's support in a capacity 21,000 crowd.

With their domestic appetites relatively well sated, this season's main objective was quite clear-cut - to become European champions. Long before their paths crossed with Munster, knowledgeable pundits such as Donal Lenihan were describing Stade as the best side in Europe, with Connolly instilling greater discipline and organisation.

Both Connolly, who turned down the Irish job after the Murray Kidd era, and assistant coach Paul Healy, are of Irish extraction, and neither speak French. However, four or five of the players are fluent English speakers. "And 10 or 11 of them understand me if I speak slowly," says Connolly.

Regarding last season's quarter-final, when an early barrage of points helped Munster to a 27-10 win at Thomond Park, with typical candour Connolly says: "Stade were played off the park and couldn't even win the toss. Stade had a very strong back line last year but I'm not sure if the set-up we have this time is any stronger.

"On the credit side (Christophe) Juillet (injured that day) is back in the pack and Munster have lost Keith Wood and perhaps the two back-row boys Quinlan and Wallace. If they are off it's really a shame and I mean that sincerely because they are fabulous footballers."

Arguably the best barometer of Stade's progress is the improved strength-in-depth, as evidenced by the quality of their bench. "Our team has an awful lot to turn around from last year," adds Connolly.

"There are two ways we can look at that that game. They can be more determined and positive or they can be negative and allow Munster to take control."

Declan Kidney, with Niall O'Donovan, went to Paris last Saturday to watch Stade Francais' 37-34 defeat to Castres. Asked what he learned, Kidney responded: "How good they are. They're a very physical side, well-organised. "Their lineout is stronger, their defence is stronger and then obviously their squad is stronger in that they don't have the injuries they had going into the (quarter-final) match last year. They've also managed to strengthen it with one or two exceptionally good players who we know from having played against ourselves."

Kidney was referring to Mike James and Patrick Tabacco. James, the Canadian lock, was a focal point of the Perpignan pack which gave Munster a going over three seasons ago while back-rower Tabacco was one of the main thorns in Munster's side when Colomiers beat them in the quarter-finals two seasons ago. Like much of the background to this match, that's a little unnerving.

STADE FRANCAIS

(Probable) C Dominici; R Poulain, C Mytton, F Comba, T Lombard; D Dominguez, C Laussucq; S Marconnet, F Landreau, P de Villiers, D Auradou, M James, C Moni, C Juillet, R Pool-Jones. Replacements (from): P Collazo, P Lemoine, M Blin, D George, P Tabacco, M Williams, A Gomes, J Berthe, S Mason.