It was the late Garrett Fitzgerald who made Munster one of the world’s best rugby clubs and instilled the values that forged lifelong bonds between former Munster players, according to Ronan O’Gara.

Retired Munster hooker Mike Sherry joins Duncan Casey and Duncan Williams to talk injuries, wet wellies and coaching in the AIL.

The AIL can help Munster compete with the Leinster schools conveyor belt, says retired Munster hooker Mike Sherry.

Donal Lenihan and Ireland-20s’ Cork Con out-half Jack Crowley join 'the new Ant and Dec of Irish rugby'.

Munster’s preparations for today’s Guinness PRO14 play-off unravelled last night as Keith Earls was ruled out of the Thomond Park clash with Benetton.

Scrum-half Williams, hooker Sherry and back-rower O’Callaghan were each homegrown talents who served Munster for their entire playing careers

Regular readers will be familiar with my views on the club game in this country and the role it can still play for professional players at either end of the rugby spectrum.

Your Sunday rugby round-up.

Johann van Graan is under no illusions about the size of the task facing Munster in Treviso on Friday night, but he will nevertheless dig deep into his squad as the Reds bid to keep pace in the race for a Guinness PRO14 home semi final.

CJ Stander is back in the Munster team for tomorrow's Pro 14 match against Zebre at Thomond Park.

A rallying year which began with uncertainty ends in style tomorrow with a capacity entry list for the Rentokil-Initial Killarney Historic Rally.

Returning out-half Tyler Bleyendaal will captain Munster in Sunday’s PRO14 encounter against Cheetahs, head coach Johann van Graan confirmed yesterday.

Keith Earls remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Nick McCarthy’s move south from Leinster to Munster for next season has thrown into doubt the futures of current scrum-halves James Hart and Duncan Williams beyond the current campaign.

The perseverance of some players is necessary to overcome damaging perceptions of them, writes Ronan O’Gara

The ride into Exeter was not for the faint of heart, Munster’s charter flight buffeted violently in gale force winds. The landing was pretty white-knuckled too, not helped by the knowledge that five earlier flights had been diverted at that stage. It all made for a strong test of the constitution which would serve Johann van Graan’s men well on Saturday at Sandy Park, writes Donal Lenihan.

Johann van Graan’s bid to get his first full European campaign off to a winning start could not have come in more difficult circumstances, yet the Munster head coach has learned enough in his short time in charge to expect the unexpected on Heineken Champions Cup away days.

Joey Carbery may not be happy to take the late hits but if it frees up a teammate then he will continue to endure the pain for the Munster cause.

Captain Peter O'Mahony is one of a host of stars named in the Munster team to play the Ospreys in the Pro14 tomorrow.

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.

Munster’s preparations for their Guinness PRO14 semi-final at Champions Cup winners Leinster have been hit by the loss of tighthead prop Stephen Archer following surgery on a pectoral muscle.

Somebody from the south is going to be a winner at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow afternoon. Even if Cork Constitution are dethroned as Ulster Bank League champions in an eagerly awaited decider against Lansdowne (3pm), there will be celebrations down in the seaside town of Crosshaven.

Johann van Graan has put his Munster players on alert that a Guinness PRO14 semi-final with Leinster in two weeks is no foregone conclusion.

Munster 24 Ulster 24: Munster will head back to knockout rugby this weekend, their objective to get back on the bike after European disappointment accomplished but this draw reminding everyone in the province there is still plenty of road left to travel if they are to contend for the Guinness PRO14 title next month.

Munster head coach Johann van Graan has chosen a virtual second strength team for this evening’s Guinness PRO14 clash with Ulster at Thomond Park while his counterpart Jonno Gibbes goes into the game short two of his most valuable players, full-back Charles Piutau and scrum-half John Cooney. 

Munster expect Keith Earls to resume training this week as the province step up preparations for Sunday’s Champions Cup semi-final v Racing 92 in Bordeaux.

Ian Keatley sees the visit of Toulon to Thomond Park not only for the huge challenge it is for Munster but also as a massive opportunity for a young side eager to stake its own place in the province’s rich European heritage.

Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway will be given until tomorrow’s final heavy training session to prove their fitness for next Saturday’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Toulon.

Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway have only 50/50 chances of facing Toulon next Saturday as Munster's injury list continues to rise.

Munster 19 Scarlets 7: Tommy O’Donnell and Rory Scannell were the latest Munster players to check into the province’s treatment room as head coach Johann van Graan admitted both Simon Zebo and Andrew Conway have only 50/50 chances of facing Toulon next Saturday.

Munster head coach Johann van Graan has serious concerns about Keith Earls’ fitness as the province prepare for crucial Guinness PRO14 and European Champions Cup games over the next month.

Six Nations Grand Slam hero Keith Earls has joined Munster’s ever-increasing injury list.

James Hart has held his head commendably high, and never complained, even though he has suffered many frustrations, since he turned his back on a rugby career in France to try his luck back home in Ireland.

Simon Zebo has warned that Munster must lay down a marker from the outset and make home advantage pay against Glasgow Warriors at Musgrave Park this evening (7pm kick-off).

No wonder Johann van Graan looked downbeat.

Munster’s planning for a Zebo-less future has solidified with new contracts for Andrew Conway and Stephen Fitzgerald confirmed and a first start of the season for the latter in this evening’s Guinness PRO14 trip to Cardiff Blues.

Michael Bradley, the former Ireland scrum-half and now head coach of Italian side Zebre, was last night casting an envious eye at the strength of the squad announced by his Munster counterpart Johann van Graan ahead of tonight’s Guinness PRO14 tie at Thomond Park.

Duncan Williams will make his 150th appearance for Munster in Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 clash with Zebre at Thomond Park. It’s a game that provides the 32-year-old Corkman with another opportunity to show how he remains a highly valuable member of the squad.

JJ Hanrahan is banking on one fly-half’s ‘player welfare programme’ being another’s opportunity when the Munster team to face Ulster in Belfast on Monday is announced tomorrow.

New Munster head coach Johann van Graan has pledged to do everything he can to persuade Peter O'Mahony his future lies in his native province, despite reports linking the club captain with a move away from Ireland.