JJ Hanrahan stepped into the breach for Munster and guided the province to a convincing victory over Castres at Thomond Park as Johann van Graan’s side stretched their lead at the top of Heineken Champions Cup Pool 2 at the halfway stage.

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.

Dan Goggin could easily have fallen between the cracks as he recovered from long-term injury while Munster transitioned from one boss to the next last season.

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

Taking and giving a five or 10-metre pass is a fundamental part of the game yet the skills required to deliver under pressure are often overlooked, writes Donal Lenihan.

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.

Johann van Graan is hoping he will be able to call on reinforcements for Munster’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final at Leinster in 12 days with the return of key players from injury.

The mind has always been willing for more rugby but sometimes in this long season the body screams at Rory Scannell to tell him enough is enough.

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’s PRO14 play-off hopes have been handed a boost by the news Springbok centre Jaco Taute could be set to return from long-term injury for this Saturday’s home quarter-final against Edinburgh.

Munster’s Guinness PRO14 play-off hopes have been handed a boost by the news Springbok centre Jaco Taute could be set to return from long-term injury for this Saturday’s home quarter-final against Edinburgh.

Simon Lewis looks at the shortcomings that led to the province’s defeat by Racing 92.

It will be Sunday evening before we know for sure which two of the four sides left standing in this season’s Champions Cup got their preparations spot on for the semi-finals, but at this juncture it would be a surprise, notwithstanding they are playing in France, if Munster isn’t one of them.

The challenges facing the three Irish provinces in European quarter-finals this weekend.

Munster Rugby were last night remaining tight-lipped over reports in South Africa that Bulls centre Dries Swanepoel is set to sign a short-term deal with the province.

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.

Johann van Graan has been delighted at the way Ireland have pieced victory after victory together over the past six weeks and can now complete the Six Nations Grand Slam by beating England at Twickenham on Saturday.

With a newly inked contract in his back pocket and a pep talk from Andy Farrell fresh in the mind, Sam Arnold was in a perfect position to reboot his season in the bonus-point win over Zebre at the weekend.

Munster boss Johann van Graan will welcome back a trio of internationals for his side’s Guinness PRO14 trip to Cardiff Blues on Saturday as he attempts to guide the province through a four-game block without his Ireland front-liners.

Munster are going through a horrific run of bad luck with injuries and suspensions, nowhere more than in the centre, where Rory Scannell has been close to a one-man band for much of the past couple of months.

Munster’s Sam Arnold has been issued with a three-week ban following a red card disciplinary decision yesterday.

Johann van Graan is hoping for a welcome boost to Munster’s depleted midfield resources with a return to action for outside centre Chris Farrell this Saturday at home to Connacht.

It doesn’t take Marcus Horan long to highlight the most notable contrasts between his playing days and the current crop of men proudly wearing the red of Munster.

Try as hard as they might, world-class rugby players prefer to do their talking on the pitch rather than seek the limelight in the media — unless contract renewal time has come round again.

Munster took this game by the scruff of the neck from the first whistle of a ferocious encounter, the home side getting their reward with an early penalty from Ian Keatley and hammering home their dominance with first-half tries for Rhys Marshall and Simon Zebo that put the Reds firmly in control.

Johann van Graan’s first week as a head coach is one he is unlikely to forget, says Donal Lenihan.

Alex Wootton needs no encouragement to grab his chance to impress Munster’s new head coach Johann van Graan and if he continues his current try-scoring run, he will soon find himself in pole position for a Champions Cup wing berth.

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.

If last Saturday proved a pretty humbling experience for South African rugby, it wasn’t a great week for the game’s governing body, World Rugby, either.

Leo Cullen won’t have been burning the midnight oil last night just because Munster threw a curveball by naming three out-halves in their back line for today’s Guinness PRO14 encounter in Dublin.

To think we used to worry about the lack of depth at out-half in Ireland.

Munster have been rocked by the loss of Jaco Taute for virtually the rest of the season after the South African Test centre underwent knee surgery yesterday.

Rassie Erasmus has defended his position in the midst of an apparent tug of war over the services of his touted replacement as Munster’s director of rugby.

If you are going to make changes in the aftermath of a crushing defeat you would be advised to have a few British & Irish Lions hanging around the place looking for some game time and that is just the luxury Rassie Erasmus has at his disposal this afternoon.

Munster boss Rassie Erasmus has every confidence Tyler Bleyendaal is about to hit his straps this season but has warned that the number 10 jersey is very much up for grabs.

Rory Scannell is set for his first start of the Guinness Pro14 campaign tonight as Munster go to Glasgow Warriors looking for a fourth win from four this season.

In the end the margin of victory was just five points, but Munster were the dominant force at the Liberty Stadium as they made it three straight Guinness Pro14 wins.