He then moved to Castres before joining Saracens in 2000, spending seven seasons (until 2007) with the Premiership side.

Playing at full back, centre or fly half the Frenchman was one of the game’s true greats, winning 54 international caps.

In that regard he is ideally placed to rule his eye over Munster’s opponents on Saturday and he believes that the announcement last week that current international Fred Michalak will tip the balance of power in the French side’s favour.

“The news that Michalak will return to Toulouse this year will have given my old side an injection of morale before Saturday’s Heineken Cup final,” maintains Castaignède.

“There is a special quality to the club; it not only draws back those who move on, but will also make Toulouse favourites this Saturday.

“When you play for Toulouse you feel a massive surge of popular support driving you on.”

Castaignède believes that the reverence that Toulouse players are held in will mean that they will go that extra mile against a Munster side he rates highly.

“As a Toulouse player you are treated like royalty in the city, especially as a big final like Saturday’s draws near. The only parallel I can think of is Maradona’s Naples. There’s a certain magic to it.

“Pull on that jersey and you are transformed.

“It’s often said that Toulouse are interested only in flamboyant back play but that’s not the case.

“The balance between playing pretty rugby and winning the ball through the basics is well understood, in my time we had the strongest scrum in France and that was how we had enough ball to do the fancy stuff.

“Toulouse will be the hot favourites when they meet Munster on Saturday, and that’s not just my heart talking, it’s based on what I saw in the pool stages and the semi-finals.

“I have every respect for Munster but they aren’t the same dominant force they used to be.

“I thought they were disappointing against Saracens in the semi-final and got away with victory in a match that my old side probably deserved to win — and might have, had they not earned two yellow cards.

“Munster don’t quite have that edge over the opposition they used to enjoy and I think they may struggle with the speed Toulouse can inject into their game,” he added.

Meanwhile, Toulouse coach Guy Noves has been extremely reluctant to allow any talk of favourites to distract his side this week, but with speculation mounting that veteran Fabien Pelous is on the brink of retiring, he is hoping for a win to coax one more season from the international.

“I am always reluctant in a team game to put an individual on a pedestal, but in Fabien’s case I make an exception,” said Noves.

“He has been an outstanding professional and a role model for anybody who wants to make a career out of rugby.

“He’s never missed a training session and has always given 100%.”

Noves, who has been in charge at Toulouse for 15 years, made one of his more inspired decisions when he signing Pelous from Dax in 1997.

Under his captaincy they won the Heineken Cup in 2003 and 2005 and in between he led France to a Six Nations Grand Slam.

“Fabien has been a success on every level and we have a great deal to thank him for,” added Noves.

Listen to the Irish Examiner 2008 Heineken Cup Final podcast here: www.irishexaminer.com/rugby/podcast/

Article courtesy of The Evening Echo