A humid Saturday morning and clearly it is moving day in Lourdes. Dozens of buses clog the narrow streets of the town in the Pyrenees, hazard lights on as people are wheeled or carried from their hotels, others moving with a pep in their step as if the visit to the Marian shrine has uplifted them.

The growing Munster contingent in Pau is settling into life in the top flight in France and showed at the weekend they have what it takes to cut it amongst the best in the richest rugby league in the world.