Munster have confirmed Alby Mathewson will depart the province next week.

New Zealand and South Africa have won five of the eight Rugby World Cup titles between them. Ahead of the semi-finals — and a potential NZ v SA final — Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh sat down with Munster duo, Kiwi Alby Mathewson and Springbok Arno Botha, to talk World Cups, Test dreams, beer and chocolate.

Edinburgh Airport, Saturday evening, March 30. As the Munster squad and supporters prepare to fly home after a tense quarter-final victory at Murrayfield, there are numerous emotions on display.

The echoes of Munster’s European semi-final defeat to Saracens two years ago may still be ringing in newspaper columns and the minds of supporters but Peter O’Mahony spoke for his squad and management yesterday when he declared his team have long since moved on, and for the better.

JJ Hanrahan knows there’s an opportunity to stake a claim for a European quarter-final start when Munster face Zebre in Limerick tomorrow night but since a lightbulb moment with Alby Mathewson earlier this season, the fly-half will not waste energy worrying about it.

Munster coach Johann van Graan believes that his squad’s recent contract extensions mean that Munster’s hand will be stronger than ever going into tomorrow’s extremely testing clash with the Scarlets in Llanelli and for the remainder of what promises to be an demanding programme of matches in the PRO14 and the European Champions Cup.

Munster head coach Johann van Graan reserved special praise for his young players and the experience of scrum-half Alby Mathewson after his team survived a big scare in Newport.

Munster boss Johann van Graan was on Monday counting the cost of two highly physical Heineken Champions Cup games as he assessed his reduced selection options for this Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 visit of Glasgow Warriors to Thomond Park.

Munster acknowledge they are underdogs going into Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 game against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium — but that doesn’t mean they are going to accept the tag.

Munster 64 Ulster 7

Munster and Irish rugby was reeling last night after it was revealed that Conor Murray, one of the game’s leading scrum-halves, was ruled out of the game for the immediate future with a recurrence of a neck injury that has troubled him at times over the past few seasons.

Matt Sumell

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A funeral car had to make a U-turn when a squirrel set fire to a mourner's garage.

Winger Zac Guildford and half-back Alby Mathewson have been called into the New Zealand squad as cover ahead of Saturday's second Tri Nations Test against South Africa in Wellington.