Odd. Very odd. England’s two valiant representatives in this weekend’s Heineken Cup semi-finals are seventh and eighth in the Guinness Premiership table. Where on earth are all the English Euro-elite teams? The progress of London Irish and Saracens, who meet meaty Munster at the Ricoh stadium in Coventry today, is a sign of the power of the England game, of course. Not even France would be sanguine if their seventh and eighth teams were contesting this rarefied stage.

There is, however, more to it than that. There is the preposterous nature of the draw, which pitted too many top teams together in the same pools, robbing the knockout stages of just a little excellence and fervour; and also a wounding inconsistency among England’s finest — Wasps have played better rugby than any other team in Europe this season but not often enough. Leicester are still playing with mixed minds, and Gloucester with a core vulnerability.

Yet it is impossible to reach the semi-finals through an aberration, or by a back-door route. London Irish and Saracens deserve to celebrate, and both have sacrificed their league positions by their titanic efforts in Europe this time. This is worthy of high praise: the history of the Heineken Cup reveals a number of teams who, realising that they lacked the resources to battle on two major fronts, have effectively sacrificed the Heineken — an outrage to sporting morality. Look at Bourgoin. Always super at home, always pap in Europe.

There was just a small window of hope earlier this season that Saracens would not only end the season in the domestic playoff positions but would motor menacingly though to the Heineken final and possible ultimate glory. They have been trying for a decade, slowly, agonisingly and mostly unsuccessfully, to develop into a team of true class. They have made resounding errors in recruitment — of players and particularly of coaches — but as the old year wore on they were playing better and better, under the wise Alan Gaffney. They were up there.

Then, in mid-January, they came out and smashed Biarritz in a key pool match at Vicarage Road, running up more than 40 points with a combination of forward power and aggressive attack, playing as well as good old Sarries had ever played. Biarritz came to play, mind you. Sarries were irresistible. Was it the point where the decade of struggle became overnight success? Sadly, no. Since then, and noting their magnificent defiance to beat the illustrious Ospreys in the quarter-final, they have waned, lost their form and defensive shape and momentum. Last weekend, they shipped 40 against Wasps.

They have also lost Chris Jack, the outstanding All Black line-out man, to injury, and if ever any team wanted any player to be fit against any opposition then it could well be Saracens wanting Jack against Munster today. Donncha O’Callaghan and Paul O’Connell are a superb lineout force for Munster, and by comparison and without Jack, Saracens’ lineout does not have a spring-heeled air about it.

It is incredibly difficult to see Saracens winning today, or even coming particularly close. It is an immutable “law” that only teams hardened in European battle are really successful in the final stages, and few teams are harder than Munster. Saracens are competent, they bring hard-running forwards onto the ball, and Glen Jackson is a decent organiser at fly-half. Where, however, is the Saracens go-to area, their world-class area? It is hard to see where they can win. Bloody-minded worked for Saracens against the Ospreys, but it will not work today.

Munster are not brilliant but they are bloodier than the bloodiest-minded. They also have a renewed momentum brought about by one player — Rua Tipoki, the centre from New Zealand. Tipoki has proved that yet again an outstanding centre with footballing ability, nous and a physical presence can transform a team, and friends of Ronan O’Gara claim their man is playing with a huge sense of relief that he is now not Munster’s only weapon behind the scrum. Riki Flutey, another man from Down Under, has had the same effect on Wasps this season.

No doubt Munster’s pack are feeling the same relief as O’Gara. They are valiant, fierce, wonderfully hard-working and canny, but all those qualities are so much easier to parade consistently when something is being done with all that lovely possession you have sweated to win. Munster have been blessed with some outrageous fortune this campaign, but they have earned it, and they are surely too committed, crafty and confident for a Saracens team unsure of itself.

The one certainty about the Heineken Cup and Munster is that games are always fixed at a time, day and venue to cause the maximum inconvenience, cost and time off work for Munster’s legion of fans. I don’t think they have ever played on a Saturday afternoon and near an airport which has a direct flight for them. However, at least often they can bear the return journey with the good humour of winners, something that will surely ease the miles home from the English Midlands today.