Persistent rumours of major run-ins between Rowntree and some senior Munster players in recent seasons are not wide of the mark

After five rounds of the current URC season, Munster have the weakest lineout in the competition at 79%.

You make your own luck, however, and on an evening that saw them play 10% below the levels we have grown so accustomed to, Ireland were unable to make their own luck when they most needed to.

As we move into the business end, the tiny margins will be the difference between winning and losing and ultimately, the difference between winning a World Cup and not

Facing a side that can afford to throw all caution to the wind adds another layer of pressure to what is already a crucial game on Ireland's World Cup journey

The first quarter in Paris was the stuff of nightmares for Ireland's Ronan Kelleher, but he deserves a huge amount of credit for keeping his head and getting back on track.

If you look at the profile of sides that Irish teams have traditionally struggled against in recent years, it’s the behemoths. The giants. Ireland may win by 3-5 points but in all likelihood will pay a physical price for doing so.

Meanwhile we were never going to learn a huge amount from an opening clash against a side with just three of the starting 15 playing outside the Romanian domestic league

I’ve said many times in recent months that this should be the most competitive World Cup in history. That applies to the battle at scrum time too

Rob Herring steadied the ship at both lineout and scrum time in the final half hour. Often an unsung hero, Herring is an excellent player and stalwart at Ulster for over a decade