Is it any wonder the IRFU and the professional rugby model in Ireland is seen as best-in-class and the envy of most unions?

The South African side are sure to field all their World Cup-winning Springboks. 

Edinburgh’s dramatic win over Saracens on the back field at Murrayfield handed Munster the nightmare scenario of an additional trip to South Africa

Unfortunately, the harsh reality of professional sport is that luck has very little to do with winning games on a consistent basis. True, every team gets a break every now and then but, by and large, you’re responsible for making your own luck.

The hard-fought win over Northampton was another important staging post for Graham Rowntree and his players.

The game is pockmarked with so many stoppages, it’s no wonder that so many clubs, especially in France, can carry a few 23 stone behemoths in their front five either from the start.

The fact that they are so difficult to beat at home and supply so many players to an Irish team currently ranked one in the world, appears to impact negatively on the selection of so many visiting teams.

It was Munster’s unrelenting commitment in defence and refusal to have their try line breached that saw them home in the end

The big worry was the quality the visitors held in reserve on the bench. With that in mind, it was key for Munster to hit the ground running from the outset, which they managed to do.

The last decade of European action has returned a solitary Irish win, when Leinster captured their fourth European star, defeating Racing 92 in the 2018 final in Balboa.