There’s been a massive under-appreciation of what Munster faced at Thomond Park. That is what Castres do to every opposition, every week

Exclusive: 'It is always nice to be considered a potential candidate for Munster. I’ve had an initial courtesy call but it goes no further'

The psychology of the game in France still grinds my gears like you wouldn’t believe. For 33 minutes at Stade Francais, I was sitting back, delighted with myself, thinking ‘this is why you coach'. 

Stphen Larkham leaving as attack coach creates a big opportunity for Munster to go after one of their own. The issue: Is Mike Prendergast interested in coming home at the moment?

It’s comforting to see Ireland isn’t the only country completely losing the run of itself. In the wake of Saturday’s 40-25 win over the All Blacks, France has collapsed in a heap of excitement

In top level sport, the margins are small. Ireland should ponder that only for a marginal forward pass and a great stop from James Lowe, they could have lost the game

"Waking up the morning after beating the All Blacks will always feel like a scalp"

There was a full seven years between my 100th cap for Ireland and the November morning in 2017 when I sat down in Christchurch with Kieran Read and Sam Whitelock for a first chat as a new Crusader coach.

I am figuring this out in real time. There’s no manual for these things. Even if there was, every day and every situation is different and gets treated on its merits.

It hasn’t been a Lions tour to excite or stimulate. No realistic analysis can set aside the artificial environment in which the games are taking place