Once again Munster supporters stole the limelight when they turned up in their thousands to Rodney Parade to support their side in the Heineken Cup clash. The official attendance was over 8,000, the vast majority were wearing the Munster red including a group of Santa Clauses who must have left their reindeers tethered outside.

And now with three games to go, two of those at home, nine points in the bank, perhaps most relevantly the gap between first (Sale Sharks) and second (Munster) is four points.

Sale took their second away victory in Castres and they now have the French and the Welsh at home with a final outing in Thomond Park.

It would not be even slightly imaginable that Sale would lose either of those home games and it only remains to see how many points they end up before they set out for Limerick for Munster.

For their part Munster can only play what's in front of them. They must concentrate on what is in their own control and not be bothered about what is happening around them. The Dragons arrive next week and they will not roll over and be tickled as Bourgoin did in the RDS.

It goes without saying that any side hoping to progress to the knock-outs must win their home games so that's the primary objective for Munster.

Talk of bonus points is naive and smacks of arrogance but it is an expectation that is generated not from within the squad or management but from outside.

It should be remembered that Dragons earned themselves a bonus in France and then only had a six day turnaround before they played Sale who in turn had enjoyed an eight dat turnaround.

Next weekend, the Welsh will have some of their regulars back in action and once again Munster will have to deliver a controlled performance if they are to keep their hopes of a place in the knock-outs alive