Former Munster flanker Alan Quinlan tells JOHN O'SULLIVANthe clashes with Castres were some of the most physical games in which he played

IT’S TEMPTING to tweak the adage that familiarity, while not exactly breeding contempt, has been responsible for some internecine squabbles when Castres Olympique and Munster have eyeballed each other through 10 Heineken Cup encounters.

Yellow cards, red cards, biting, bans and post-match verbal confrontations pepper the playing history. Today in the Stade Ernest Wallon in Toulouse – Castres elected to plump for a bigger venue to maximise revenue – the two clubs will go toe-to-toe once again and historical evidence suggests that pitched-battle might be an appropriate billing.

The French club were the first to beat Munster in Europe, in November, 1995, although the Irish province would go on to redress that statistic by winning seven of the next nine. The match took place in the Stade Antoine-Beguere, one of six venues – Musgrave Park, Thomond Park, Stade Pierre Antoine, Stade de la Mediterranee and Stade Ernest Wallon the others – in which the sides have met.

That opening clash was played in Mazamet, 20 kilometres from Castres, in a stadium that predates the French club’s current home ground of Stade Pierre Antoine. Based on the anecdotal evidence of several friends and family of the Munster players this was an experience none are likely to forget.

The atmosphere was so hostile one or two of the visiting players suspected a pitch invasion was a possibility for most of the afternoon.

Kenny Smith, who kicked four penalties for Munster that day, had good reason to recall the experience. One spectator apparently had a foghorn attached to a foot pump and gleefully awaited the Garryowen man stepping up to take a place-kick.

Castres centre Nicolas Combes scored the only try of the game while in providing an umbilical link to today’s encounter, the French club’s then fullback and current coach Laurent Labit kicked four penalties and a conversion.

Alan Quinlan, who broke into the Munster team that season, missed out on that match but would play in six of the next nine games between the clubs.

The Clanwilliam native, has now retired to the less fraught environs of a television studio, but is nevertheless perfectly placed to expand in detail on the rivalry.

He recalled: “In terms of rugby heritage they would be quite similar to Munster, sharing many qualities. In some respects they were like the poor neighbours down the road from the more flamboyant Toulouse, in much the same way that some would have regarded Munster and Leinster.

“Castres championed traditional rugby values with few frills. They didn’t sign marquee names like some of the other French clubs but went for players who would fit their rugby culture. You could see the parish mentality when they played at home. They were hugely aggressive and confrontational, some of the most physical games in which I played.

“They targeted their home matches, pride dictating that no one would beat them at home. I remember talking to Mike Prendergast about this mentality when he was with Bourgoin. He was hugely frustrated by the fact that the smaller teams in particular would compete ferociously at home but adopt a laissez faire attitude to away matches.

“We beat them 32-29 at Stade Pierre Antoine (2000-2001) and that still ranks as one of the more memorable victories for me in my days as a Munster player. It was a tight ground, the crowd very close to the touchline, which made for an intimidating atmosphere. They beat us and beat us up physically, not in an illegal way, on a couple of occasions there.

“In that match we conceded a try after 90 seconds from a scrum and I blame Claw (Peter Clohessy). Before the game I got a big lecture from Claw about staying down and pushing hard at scrum time. There was no way I wasn’t going to do what he said do I put everything into it and we managed to get the left side up.

“Unfortunately their number eight Ismaela Lassissi decided to run against the grain and as I got my head up all I saw was his backside as he tore off towards the try line.”

Mention of Clohessy and Lassissi recalled another incident the following year when the Frenchman allegedly bit the former Ireland prop. He was initially given a one-year ban but it was quashed on appeal.

“I remember being behind Claw at the time of the incident and he just started shouting and screaming. It was only afterwards that we realised the full extent of the issue.”

The clubs would meet three times in the 2001-2002 season, twice in the pool stages, with honours even, and then in the semi-final when Munster prevailed 25-17 at the Stade de la Mediterranee.

Quinlan was also present at the Stade Pierre Antoine when Castres’ English flanker Paul Volley, who had spent the evening trash talking Ronan O’Gara while he was taking place kicks, decided to continue the tirade in the Sky Sports interview area after the match until he was “persuaded to desist” by Paul O’Connell. There were one or two promises made that night about how events might unfold at Thomond Park for the return fixture.

Quinlan is surprised by Castres’ decision to switch the game to Toulouse.

“I could understand it for a knock-out game. It won’t have a massive bearing but might take away a little edge.

“Playing in France is a different type of challenge. You have to be mentally tough and it quickly becomes apparent who is and isn’t. Munster will look to keep possession, build phases and minimise the mistakes.

“The set piece has to be spot-on, so too discipline.

“I remember Declan Kidney and Niall O’Donovan drilling in the importance of holding on to the ball.

“It’s always a real physical and mentally challenge and that won’t change today.”

MUNSTER v CASTRES PITCH BATTLES

IN THE HEINEKEN CUP

1995-1996

Stade Antoine-Beguere – Castres 19 Munster 12

2000-2001

Stade Pierre Antoine: Castres 29 Munster 32.

Musgrave Park: Munster 21 Castres 11

2001-2002

Thomond Park: Munster 28 Castres 23.

Stade Pierre Antoine: Castres 21 Munster 13.

Semi-final, Stade de la Mediterranee – Munster 25 Castres 17

2004-2005

Stade Pierre Antoine: Castres 19 Munster 12.

Thomond Park: Munster 36 Castres 8 2005-2006

Thomond Park: Munster 42 Castres 16. Stade Pierre Antoine: Castres 9 Munster 46