Toulon primed for Thomond assault

EXCITEMENT is already building for the arrival of three-time Champions Cup winners Toulon to Thomond Park for the quarterfinal stages on March 31.

Thomond Park is expected to be rocking for the Saturday afternoon kick-off

(3.15pm), with a sizeable travelling support also expected at the Limerick venue.

The teams last met in the semi-final of the

2014 Heineken Cup when Rob Penney’s side lost out narrowly on a 24-16 scoreline to the eventual champions at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille.

From the Munster team that started that day, only six players currently ply their trade at the province, while another four were on the bench for that game.

A Simon Zebo try had pulled Munster back into it in the final quarter that day, but a couple of Jonny Wilkinson penalties saw Toulon win out.

Toulon reached the last eight as one of the best runners-up from the five pools as four wins from their six games saw them trail Scarlets into second place in Pool

5. Indeed a last-round loss at Parc y Scarlets decided that pool, but the Mediterranean side have experienced an improved run of form of late.

In the Top 14 there are no games until next week as the competition takes as break with the Six Nations taking place, but a tricky home game with Stade Francais awaits on their return. Currently in fifth place in the standings after eight wins from

16 games, Mourad Boudjellal’s club are bang in contention.