Limerick's favourite Australian

There's an element of poetic justice in John Langford's arrival in Limerick. As the principal line-out jumper, Langford is a key member of Munster's formidable pack, four years after he was subjected to a shattering experience in the province.

When John Eales was injured during the Wallabies' tour of Britain and Ireland in 1996, Langford was summoned from down under as a late replacement.

He was due to appear against Munster at Thomond Park in Limerick but never got his boots on. "After a26-hour journey I arrived just before the kick-off," he said. "I sat in the stand and nearly froze to death."

Australia beat Munster and at least Langford was able to enjoy the after-match hospitality and leave a calling card.

It wasn't his first visit to Ireland. He had toured there with Sydney University in 1991. "It was a very memorable trip and when I was looking to play rugby overseas it made my decision a lot easier. For one thing the money was guaranteed. A lot of players in Britain were not getting the money they had been promised."

Langford thought he would join Leinster, but when the international lock Malcolm O'Kelly returned to the province from London Irish, "they lost interest in me". Instead, last July Langford joined Shannon, one of the feeder clubs for Munster, and thus found himself engaged in the Heineken Cup and a European adventure.

Thomond Park, where Munster famously defeated the All Blacks in 1978, has been as invaluable to the province as Ravenhill in Belfast was to Ulster during their triumphant march 12 months ago. Stade Français were disposed of in Limerick in the quarter-finals, and had the draw been kind to Munster, they would have played their semi-final before a crowd of 50,000 at Lansdowne Road in Dublin.

Instead they travel to Bordeaux, where on Saturday they meet Toulouse, who have reached the last four for the fourth time in five years. By contrast, the other three survivors, Munster, Northampton and Llanelli (the English and Welsh clubs meet in the second semi-final in Reading next Sunday) had never reached the knock-out stages before.

"Stade Français was the toughest game I'd played in all year," Langford said. "I was wrecked afterwards and I still feel a bit battered. It was very hard, very physical."

He is aware that Toulouse at the Stade Lescure will be an even greater test of strength and character. "Traditionally the Irish are comfortable at being the underdogs. And we will certainly be that in France." However, Munster will not be short of support. They have already filled half-a- dozen charter flights and thousands of others are travelling to Bordeaux by ferry and rail.

Frank Belot, the Toulouse captain and Langford's opposite number, regards the semi-final as an echo of an international match. "Munster have a lot of players who helped the Irish beat France in the Six Nations Championship in Paris, and in the eyes of the public this will be a version of France v Ireland. Munster have a great defence and they gave Stade Français a mauling, so it was important for us to be playing on home soil."

For Langford it will be a unique journey, although he is not unaccustomed to high-grade rugby, having played most of his career with the ACT Brumbies in the Southern Hemisphere's Super 12. "Playing for Munster has been a rewarding experience but I have also loved playing club rugby," he said. "Back home this is something we rarely do."

Home for Langford used to be the town of Wagga Wagga, which lies between Sydney and Melbourne. It was the birth-place of the cricketers Mark Taylor and Michael Slater and the golfer Steve Elkington.

Wagga Wagga is about as synonymous with rugby union as Wimbledon. Langford, who is 31, left for Sydney when he was 16. He signed a one-year contract with Shannon and has settled in Limerick. "We'd like to come back and I'm talking about the possibility of a new contract at the moment but the biggest factor is what is best for the little guy."

The little guy is Connor, whom Nicole, John's wife, gave birth to in Ireland three months ago. "It's been a lot tougher than we thought," Langford said. "Although the people here have been wonderfully warm. For that reason it's very hard not to enjoy it, although we miss our families and of course the sun and the beach. It's just as well people here are hospitable because the weather is pretty bad. They told me it could be wild but I didn't think the rainy season would last so long."

Langford isn't the only antipodean in the Munster squad. Centre Michael Mullins, whose father comes from Limerick, was born in New Zealand, as was his fellow three-quarter Jason Holland. "I've found it very easy to adapt to the game here," Langford said. "The coaching and training is similar to what I was accustomed to in Australia and Michael Galwey is one of the best captains I've ever played under. He's very experienced, a great worker and he earns respect."

Langford has also formed an extremely useful partnership with the Munster hooker, Keith Wood. "We clicked from the very first training session. He is one of the best throwers at a line-out I've worked with. We didn't miss a single ball the entire session. When he returns to Harlequins it's going to be a huge loss to Munster, but we've got a good understudy in Frank Sheehan. I think he'll drive Woody to the airport to make sure he catches the plane to London."

Langford, who had a few beers with the Australians when they played the United States in Limerick last Autumn en route to winning the World Cup, sees similarities in the approach of Rod MacQueen, the Wallabies' coach, and the softly spoken Declan Kidney, the Munster coach. "One of the reasons for the Wallabies' success is that they knew when to switch off. Like Rod, Declan knows when to work and when to relax. We've already achieved our first win in France, beating Colomiers, and mentally that was very important for us."

As they did before their quarter-final against Montferrand, Toulouse are preparing with a three-day training camp in the Pyrenees. Against the most experienced club in the brief history of the European Cup, Munster have a mountain to climb. Toulouse took possession of the trophy in 1996 when they beat Cardiff 21-18 after extra time and were beaten semi-finalists against Leicester and Brive in 1997 and 1998. Their only absence from the last four came last season, when they went out to the champions, Ulster, in the quarter-finals.

"I've watched the highlights," the man from Wagga Wagga said, "and it was very revealing. What I know for certain is that Munster are as determined as Ulster to fly the flag."