Back rowers Paddy Butler and Sean Dougall are leaving Munster at the end of the season, but versatile back Denis Hurley has signed on for another season.

Munster look set to lose another back-row forward to Pau with Sean Dougall in line for a move to the French Top 14 hopefuls this summer.

A genuine treat awaits. Notwithstanding the fact New Zealand will be giving Dublin a skip this month, some of rugby’s standout performers are coming to town in November, writes Donal Lenihan.

Driving down the motorway yesterday from Dublin to Newbridge, the road to Munster stretched out in front. The gravitational pull of Cork.

Ex-Munster hooker Denis Fogarty has been named in the French Pro D2 team of the season after an excellent first year with Aurillac.

THEIRS is a name synonymous with French rugby. Formed as a sporting club of many different disciplines for the Parisian elite in 1882, Racing Club de France, alongside Stade Francais, dominated the early years of the French Championship before disappearing — like Stade — for the bones of a century until the emergence of the bow-tie wearing and champagne guzzling side of Franck Mesnel, Eric Blanc and Jean-Baptiste Lafond in the late ’80s.

Having been part of the 2008 squad that lost 33-10 to England in what was Eddie O’Sullivan’s last game in charge, I know how deep the review of Saturday’s defeat will run.

AS Connacht face French galacticos Toulouse this afternoon, another native of the province will be in action in France today — 400km north in the coastal town of La Rochelle.