Saints eager to master Munster

BEN Foden has revealed that Northampton's ambitious young England contingent are eager to use the Heineken Cup to forge their reputations.

Saints step into one of Europe's most foreboding arenas when they face feared double champions Munster in today's quarter-final showdown at Thomond Park. Munster are aiming to reach the last four for the ninth time and have been toppled at their Limerick stronghold just once since the competition began 15 years ago.

Making the trip even more daunting for Saints is their opponents' vast experience. Munster's squad contains seven survivors from the 2000 final at Twickenham when they were edged 9-8 by Saints, whose solitary connection with that day is assistant coach Paul Grayson. The odds are stacked against the only Guinness Premiership club still standing in the tournament, yet Foden believes Saints will be driven by the appetite for success of their aspiring England players. "Munster have a lot of experience there, guys who are used to playing in these big Heineken Cup games," he said. "We're a young side and very few of us have been in this situation.

"It's a positive and a negative because while we lack experience we have that intent to play with guys wanting to go out and make a name for themselves.

"Players like Shane Geraghty, Chris Ashton, Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes and Phil Dowson want to stick their hands up and say, 'I can play at this level'. They all have points to prove."

Awaiting the winner is a semi-final at Biarritz or the Ospreys, who clash in today's second match. French giants Toulouse and Stade Francais conclude the quarter-final programme tomorrow.