Captain Peter O’Mahony claimed a crucial lone try as Munster overcame Saracens 10-3 in a scrappy Heineken Champions Cup contest at a weather-beaten Thomond Park.

Munster were ruthless and clinical as they ended a two-year wait for a win at the Arms Park by putting Cardiff Blues to the sword to leave the Welsh capital with a priceless bonus-point.

Jack O’Sullivan and Jed Holloway both made their debuts as part of the Munster pack, with the Waratahs import Holloway lining out in the second row alongside captain Billy Holland.

Munster claimed a second bonus-point victory in a week as their perfect start to the PRO14 season continued in Port Elizabeth against Southern Kings.

Despite all those stars jetting east to the Land of the Rising Sun, the absentee which generated the most debate was the one left at home.

Munster and Leinster have named their teams for tomorrow’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final at the RDS Arena.

Tadhg Beirne may be a new signing for Munster this season but he shared the pain of consecutive semi-final defeats in Coventry at the weekend.

A stranger perusing the team sheets in advance of this afternoon’s opening Champions Cup quarter-final might be forgiven for thinking that a Currie Cup fixture has been transported from Cape Town to Edinburgh.

Johann van Graan’s glass remained half-full as he argued Munster are still very much in Guinness PRO14 title contention despite defeat to the Scarlets in Llanelli.

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 coach Johann van Graan praised stand-in captain Tyler Bleyendaal and his men for carving out a bonus point win at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein yesterday.

Munster racked up seven tries as they dominated much-changed Ospreys in a comfortable 49-13 PRO14 win in Cork.

Munster’s squad depth ahead of the new campaign was given a stern test by English heavyweights Exeter Chiefs as Johann van Graan’s team was well beaten in Cork last night.

Johann van Graan believes new signing Arno Botha will add strength and depth to Munster’s back-row resources when the Springbok arrives this summer on a one-year contract.

In Mozambique three lions died after eating bait infused with a crop pesticide.

Ulster 42 Cheetahs 19: Bloemfontein-based Toyota Cheetahs motored majestically onto Pro14 scene and immediately lit up the Kingspan Stadium.

A South African hunter has died after being trampled by an elephant in Zimbabwe.

He may not have got the chance to do what he loves most and scrummaged against the Scots last week but just being on the pitch at Murrayfield making his Six Nations debut was a dream come true for John Ryan given the journey he has taken of late.

Former Ulster favourite Stephen Ferris has again rounded on his former team after they were bounced out of Europe with a dismal 31-19 defeat at the hands of Exeter on Sunday.

One thing Anthony Foley’s tragic passing highlighted over the last week was just how small and tightly knit the European rugby community is.

Jerry Flannery enjoyed an outstanding career as a hooker with UCC, Shannon, Galwegians, Connacht, Munster, and Ireland, and completed his Masters in Sports Performance when he received a welcome call from an old friend and team mate.

BJ Botha and Denis Hurley headlined a list of departing players from Munster as plans for life under incoming director of rugby Rassie Erasmus continue to take shape.

Munster’s battling bonus-point victory over Edinburgh can lay the foundations for a repeat success in Saturday’s must-win Guinness Pro12 finale at home to Scarlets, Anthony Foley believes.

The green shoots of recovery appear to have sprung at Munster if their performance at the weekend is any indication.

Do not mention the phrase “dead rubber” in front of Mike Sherry. 

MUNSTER SELECTION

Munster are pursuing a number of overseas options to replace the stricken Peter O’Mahony in Munster’s European Rugby Champions Cup squad that needs to be finalised and announced by Thursday.

Namibia 16 Georgia 17: Georgia captain Mamuka Gorgodze broke stubborn Namibia to inspire his side to a nervy second win of the World Cup in Exeter.

Long before he became an integral part of the Munster team, BJ Botha was part of a South African squad which captured the 2007 World Cup. So what was it like to claim world rugby’s greatest prize?

Ospreys 18 Munster 20: A last-gasp converted try from replacement CJ Stander saw Munster stun the Ospreys and make it two wins from two at the start of the new Guinness Pro 12 campaign.

Every award that comes the way of CJ Stander counts on his CV. Take seven Man of the Match gongs last season and another in Saturday’s opening Guinness Pro12 clash with Benetton Treviso as just some of the recent entries for the South African back-rower.

Munster 18 Benetton Treviso 13: The consolation on a less than satisfactory Guinness Pro12 performance at Musgrave Park on Saturday night was the win, four points in the bag, that puts Munster in a much healthier position than at the same stage last season when they lost first time out to Edinburgh.