Anthony Foley has acknowledged that the combination of an inexperienced coaching ticket and a playing-group shorn of veteran players through injury and retirement saw Munster struggle to compete this season.

Chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald ushered in a new era for Munster Rugby by insisting incoming director of rugby Johan “Rassie” Erasmus would not undermine existing head coach Anthony Foley.

The one certainty is that Eamon O’Cuiv’s seat could be the safest in Ireland — even though politicians hate hearing that.

CJ Stander admitted he had experienced his worst moments in a Munster jersey following their embarrassing defeat to Stade Francais and said the players had to stand up and take more responsibility.

Chances are that as you watch Munster play Stade Francais in Paris today, the television director will cut to a camera trained on the coaches’ box at Stade Jean Bouin.

Munster return to a happy hunting ground this afternoon when they will hope to bring this block of Pro12 games to a successful conclusion in Edinburgh before turning their attention to the Champions Cup next weekend.

Munster insist they know nothing about a proposed move by Simon Zebo to Toulouse but assistant coach Brian Walsh said it is inevitable players coming out of contract will be linked to clubs in France and England.

Assistant coach Brian Walsh will be looking for new signing Francis Saili to bring an extra dimension to Munster’s play in tonight’s final pre-season friendly against London Irish at Musgrave Park (7pm).

Munster assistant coach Brian Walsh hopes his charges will learn — and quickly — from the lessons of two successive pre-season defeats to Grenoble and Connacht.

Irish adults are big kids when it comes to trampoline parks says Nuala Woulfe who found that adults, aged up to 60 can’t get enough of them

Silverware seems to follow Joe McSwiney everywhere he goes, the latest accolade an Ulster Bank League medal with his new club Lansdowne, who beat Clontarf (18-17) in Saturday’s final at the Aviva Stadium.

ANYBODY trying to keep hens, or ducks, will know how difficult it is to protect them from predators. Foxes have always been a threat to poultry but, in some areas, mink are now regarded with equal dread in the coop.

The rate of government spend on the State’s witness protection programme last year increased to €1.21m —double the spend of the preceding two years.

The Department of Social Protection received more than 21,000 anonymous tip-offs from the public last year regarding suspected cases of social welfare fraud.

Guinness Pro12

Munster’s assistant coach Brian Walsh believes Ian Keatley will benefit hugely from his first Six Nations experience in Rome last weekend. 

A Fine Gael backbencher and member of an influential internal party group has insisted Frank Flannery should not return until the Rehab controversy is addressed.

When you are playing second fiddle to the Ireland and Lions scrum-half and spending most, if not all, of every match on the bench, life as a professional rugby player can be more than frustrating.

More than 13,000 scheduled operations were cancelled by hospitals during the first eight months of this year for reasons including staffing issues and bed shortages, the HSE has confirmed.

Glasgow Warriors and Munster are in the same frame of mind going into today’s top of the table Guinness Pro 12 encounter at Scotstoun, kick-off 2.40.

There was a time when full-backs or others in defensive positions got a clap on the back when they found a long, relieving touch.

Munster are keeping their fingers crossed that two experienced Irish Internationals, Keith Earls and Donnacha Ryan, will be available for their European Champions Cup games against Saracens and Sale Sharks next month.

Munster head coach Anthony Foley has thrown down the gauntlet to JJ Hanrahan by asking the reportedly unsettled young playmaker to provide the cutting edge needed to inflict a famous victory over Clermont Auvergne at Stade Marcel Michelin tomorrow (3:15pm Irish time).

GUINNESS PRO12:

GUINNESS PRO12:

French newspaper reports Paul O’Connell will end his career with French 2nd division club Pau after the 2015 Rugby World Cup came as a bombshell yesterday to his team-mates and Ireland and Munster fans.

The Department of Social Protection has received more than 16,000 anonymous tip-offs from members of the public this year regarding suspected cases of social welfare fraud.

The last-ditch heroics may have become a staple of Munster’s European campaigns but for Andrew Conway, the dramatic Champions Cup victory over Sale Sharks was a whole new experience.

ANOTHER league game, another rave review, but CJ Stander is taking nothing for granted when competition for places in the Munster back-row places is so intense ahead of Saturday’s European opener at Sale Sharks.

When James Downey and Casey Laulala, Munster’s first-choice centre partnership last season, were finding it increasingly difficult to break down defences, coach Rob Penney acceded to the player’s wishes and experimented with Denis Hurley, normally a wing or full-back, in the number 12 jersey.

For those of a more indestructible nature, starting three games in a row feels like a given, a birthright almost. For Munster wing Andrew Conway, just getting back-to- back outings in the red jersey has been an all-too-rare occurrence.

Munster attack coach Brian Walsh has warned reinstating some of the province’s core rugby values after the Rob Penney era’s "wide-wide" offensive strategy will take some time.

GUINNESS PRO12:

WHEN he retired from playing in 2008, Anthony Foley thought it might be wise to step away from rugby for a while.