Munster might have come out on top of their first game against Perpignan last Saturday, but their former back-row Alan Quinlan warns that they will need to be on their guard in tomorrow's Pool 6 clash in France.

Quinlan told Off The Ball: "It's always a tricky one when you play the French. These back to back games are always difficult. Especially with the French, sometimes you get it easier when you're playing at home first and they don't seem like they're up for it. But then you go there the following week and it's like the lion's den. It'll be a difficult challenge and Munster will certainly encounter a different beast."

Quinlan also feels the loss of scrum half Conor Murray will be a "big loss" for the province especially with a relatively inexperienced partnership of Cathal Sheridan and Ian Keatley at 9 and 10.

Quinlan also recalled the last time he and his former Munster team-mates played Perpignan in a double-header.

In the 2009/10 pool stages, Ronan O'Gara kicked Munster to a narrow win at Thomond Park before earning a 23 point victory in Perpignan a week later.

Munster's Alan Quinlan runs at Ovidiu Tonita of Perpignan in 2009 ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

"Well I remember their performance against Northampton in Round 2 and they annihilated them and sent a few shivers down our spines. They looked so formidable at home. We were lucky to get out of Thomond Park with a late O'Gara penalty. We played with shackles on in that first game.

"If we didn't bring intensity and hunger to the second game, we would get annihilated. We started the game with great intensity and a great buzz about the squad. I really thought at half time that we would really win the game."

And they did just that by a 37 - 14 score.

We have two live Heineken Cup games on Off The Ball tomorrow. First up is the 1.35pm kick off between Ulster and Benetton in Italy, followed by Leinster v Northampton at 6pm. 

Main Image ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan