Munster 19 Perpignan 10: O'Gara boot sets up Munster victory over French raiders

After his Munster side had beaten Perpignan in the Heineken Cup quarter-final on Saturday, the lock Paul O'Connell said that a big improvement will be needed if they are to overcome Leinster in three weeks.

The Ireland lock, the man of the match, scored his side's only try as Declan Kidney's side set up an all-Irish semi-final. O'Connell and the Perpignan winger Mathieu Bourret swapped first-half tries as the French visitors led 10-7 at the break, with Bourret also kicking a penalty. But 14 points from fly-half Ronan O'Gara saw Munster to victory.

The game also saw the return of New Zealand's record try-scorer Christian Cullen, who has been out of action since 5 March of last year because of a shoulder injury. Cullen came on as a Munster replacement in the dying seconds.

"Our performance was far from vintage, but I suppose that's the way it is when you haven't played together for so long - it's maybe 10 weeks since that full team has played together," O'Connell said. "We're happy to get the job done, but it needs to be a lot better, no doubt about it.

"Perpignan are a very physical side, an excellent side. I thought we defended very well and scrambled well. Hopefully there's another big step up in us, there'll have to be - I think we were a long way off our performance against Sale.

"But a win is a win. The semi-final should be a brilliant day. They (Leinster) are playing some fabulous rugby at the moment and they're very confident. It will be a massive occasion and everyone will be looking forward to it."

Munster: Try O'Connell; Conversion O'Gara; Penalties O'Gara 4. Perpignan: Try Bourret; Conversion Bourret; Drop Goal Bourret.

Munster: S Payne; J Kelly, T O'Leary, T Halstead, I Dowling (C Cullen, 80); R O'Gara (J Manning, 80), P Stringer; M Horan, J Flannery, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell, D Leamy (M O'Driscoll, 37), D Wallace, A Foley.

Perpignan: J Laharrague; C Manas, D Marty, G Hume, J-P Grandclaude (S Dawai-Naulu, 77); R Pez, N Durand; P Freshwater, M Tincu, N Mas, R Alvarez Kairelis (C Gaston, 59), N Hines, S Robertson (V Vaki, 63), B Goutta, O Tonita (S Bozzi, 23).

Referee: N Whitehouse (Wales).