Heineken Cup semi-finals tipping preview

London Irish and Saracens try and mix it with the big boys this weekend as both teams make their bows in the Heineken Cup semi-finals against gnarled veterans of this stage of the competition.

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Irish attempt to fend off the formidable challenge of Toulouse at Twickenham, while Saracens must pick themselves up off the canvas after thumping defeats in an effort to beat Munster in Coventry.

Munster put in a magnificent performance in Coventry's Ricoh Arena in round one, when they went down by just a point to Wasps. They will have decent memories of the ground and although the match is played in England, it is questionable whether Saracens will see any tangible benefit, other than financial gain, by playing the tie in the Midlands.

Both sides have monster packs and a low-scoring encounter looks on the cards. It is a feature of Munster's knockout matches on the road, as they look to bulldoze teams up front, before finishing them off when their opposition have cried enough.

The Irish province have become a bit more sophisticated recently though, especially with former All Black Doug Howlett lurking on the wing, but their gameplan remains essentially the same, and was seen at its best last time in the quarter-final victory against Gloucester. Gloucester just didn't get any ball or rhythm that day and Munster just kept chipping away at their rivals, winning 16-3.

At the moment you never know what kind of performance Sarries are going to put in. They defeated the Ospreys at Vicarage Road at the beginning of the month in their quarter-final, and then after that gritty victory, they let Gloucester and Wasps give them a good hiding.

They are clearly below-par despite having the ability to win this fixture, and with points totals hovering at around the 40-point mark, going low looks a value option.

London Irish have been in sensational form all year and Toulouse are going to find it mighty tough to replicate their heroic victory over Leicester in 2005 at the Walkers Stadium. Twickenham is the backdrop to Saturday's fixture and London Irish look over priced at Betfair's 3.35. Sure, they have a limited approach, but they are on a winning streak, and do not under-estimate the confidence that brings to a side.

Toulouse lost that confidence spectacularly last week when big-spenders Clermont came into the Pink City and taught them a thorough lesson in power rugby. Toulouse flanker Thierry Dusatoir was knocked out in the third minute, and Vincent Clerc snapped a cruciate.

To make matters worse, they got a stuffing to the tune of 23-11, and it is difficult to see how they can find a way back without their star players. Coach Guy Noves has a huge injury list and with the best handicap on offer at 7.5, that looks a bridge too far for the French raiders.

Verdict: 1pt London Irish @ 3.35 (Betfair); 2pts London Irish +7.5 @ 10/11; 2pts Under 40 points in Saracens v Munster @ 5/6

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