WITH confirmation of voluntary redundancies and some poor performances on the pitch over the last while, the end of the season is a testing period for Munster Rugby.
Luckily, the first-team players will not be affected by the money issue, as they are employed at a national level by the IRFU (Irish Rugby Football Union).
On the playing field, the manner in which Clayton McMillan’s Reds stood up to the Bulls (34-31) at Loftus Versfield, Pretoria – one of the world’s toughest venues – at the weekend has to be admired.
It was the stuff of the real Munster, and if McMillan’s side can repeat this over the next few weeks, a top-eight place in the URC can be safely secured.
We have seen a number of individual players show rare form, such as the Edogbo brothers of Edwin and Seán, Seán O’Brien and Tom Ahern, while Brian Gleeson is likely to claim a starting place soon after he showed his class when he came on in the second half on Saturday.
Munster are currently in seventh place in the table, a point clear of the Bulls after 14 rounds.
Meanwhile, it is knockout time this weekend with the European Rugby Challenge Cup taking centre stage.
Munster are away to Exeter Chiefs in this Round of 16 fixture at Sandy Park on Saturday, kick-off 12.30pm.
The visitors are certain to put up a fighting performance.
It is games like this that bring out the spirit of the Munster men, and we would not be surprised if the success went to the Irish province.
This is a fixture that will bring out the best of coach McMillan and with enough time to rest from their testing trip to South Africa, Munster will be rarin’ to go!
France’s Jérémy Rozier will referee.