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.

The reigning French champions are in a rich vein of form at present and supply more players to the Grand Slam-winning national squad than any other French club

It’s no secret that Munster has become so Limerick-centric that the connection that existed between the team and its support base in Cork has been diluted

Andy Farrell knows he needs plenty of depth at out half if Ireland are to make a breakthrough at next year's World Cup.

Despite being ranked the number one side in the game, Ireland can and will have to play far better than this.