Peel calls for players to raise game

Wales star Dwayne Peel believes a season's-best performance will be required for Llanelli Scarlets to challenge Munster and possibly end their reign as European champions.

Friday night's Stradey Park quarter-final showdown pitches Llanelli, one of only two teams to claim a 100% Heineken Cup pool stage record this season, against a side unbeaten away in Europe for almost 18 months.

"Come European time, we seem to click and we all know that things will need to go well for us if we are to beat Munster. We will have to bring our best game of the season to Stradey on Friday night," said Peel.

"We've put ourselves in a great position to push on, although we realise Munster is a huge challenge.

"After playing teams like Ulster, Toulouse and London Irish away and getting maximum points in our pool, we know what we are capable of, but this is going to be a massively intense game."

Munster's ninth successive quarter-final appearance - they have won six of the previous eight - was secured despite losing their long unbeaten record at Thomond Park when Leicester triumphed in Limerick two months ago.

But Llanelli are viewed by many as dark horses to lift the trophy this term and become Wales' first European champions in the 12th season of Heineken Cup rugby.

Peel added: "We have had some disappointments in Europe in recent years, but those defeats will only spur us on to better things.

"It is a big ask for us to reach a first Heineken Cup final, but it is something we are definitely up for.

"It would be a fantastic honour to to reach a Heineken Cup final with the Scarlets. To reach the final and win the title would be a dream come true, and right up there with anything I have achieved."