Munster’s Champions Cup opener in France tomorrow will, in one respect, bring the province full circle, 22 years after they embarked on an inaugural European adventure.

This weekend will be a day of celebration for Cork clubs, Constitution and Dolphin, as three of their number are rewarded for endeavour with high profile selection for the British and Irish Lions and Ireland.

I reckon our constitution is only built to take so much grief and sadness, writes Ronan O'Gara.

Former rugby internationals that played for University College Cork gathered at their alma mater last night to attend a commemorative dinner hosted by UCC Rugby president, Olann Kelleher, at Devere Hall.

It was while gazing through the NFL schedule for 2014, which was revealed earlier this week, and other gridiron-related matters that our eyes happened to stray across a well-worn quote from John Madden, the Hall of Fame ex-coach, broadcasting legend and the face of millions of American football computer games around the world.

As manager to the Munster rugby team, he oversaw the seat-of-the-pants transition from amateurism to the pro era — with all its attendant scrapes and dramas. It was the age of innocence, smiles Jerry Holland, but there were as many guilty as innocent!

MUNSTER team manager and former player Shaun Payne admits matchdays can be torture, and he often wishes he was back on the pitch to allow him release some of the nervous tension that automatically occurs during big games.

YOU can see the question coming a mile away …what makes Declan Kidney such a successful rugby coach?

FRANKIE SHEAHAN yesterday described his time with Munster and Ireland as a “great adventure” after deciding to call time on a successful 14-year professional career.

CORK Constitution are ideally poised to bridge a 20-year gap when they take on Old Crescent in the final of the ODM Munster Senior Cup at Clifford Park on Sunday (kick-off 2pm).

While Munster’s 1978 history-makers still leave off their defeat of the All Blacks 30 years ago, their legacy cast a giant shadow over those who followed. Like Donal Lenihan.

For the last eight years Pat Geraghty has been a fly on the wall of the Munster dressing-room as the province’s communications officer. He and Michael Moynihan had a frank exchange of views, but no singing...

JASON HOLLAND is the new Munster backs coach after head coach Tony McGahan completed the make-up of his back room team yesterday, while the Australian also made several key appointments within the provincial coaching structure.

FEDERICO Puciariello has been able to pack down in all three front-row positions since he was a youngster back in his native Rosario in Argentina.

THERE will be a reunion of sorts for Munster centre Rua Tipoki at Musgrave Park tonight.

LINING OUT in tonight’s Magners League season-opener against Llanelli Scarlets at Musgrave Park (5:30pm) was not what Shaun Payne had envisaged when he signed up as manager this summer.

Munster have completed the massive coup of convincing All Black Doug Howlett to start a two-and-a-half year contract from January 1 presuming he passes a medical examination after the World Cup.

MUNSTER have appointed recently retiring full-back Shaun Payne as their new team manager.

Munster have appointed recently retired full-back Shaun Payne as their new team manager.

NEW ZEALAND Maori inside centre Rua Tipoki could be Munster-bound in time for next season’s Heineken Cup campaign.

MAN for man there isn’t a rugby team in the Northern Hemisphere to touch Ireland; man for man, there isn’t a club rugby team in the Northern Hemisphere to touch Munster.

TWO of the country’s oldest and greatest clubs, Garryowen and Cork Constitution, clash once again this afternoon in the final of the ODM Munster Senior Cup at Thomond Park.

MUNSTER’s Development squad jetted out on a four-day camp to Biarritz last night keenly aware that the province’s unexpected Magners League crisis has propelled them into the spotlight.

MUNSTER have been left to count more than the financial cost of an aborted trip to Llanelli on Saturday.

MUNSTER forward Stephen Keogh did not travel to Wales yesterday for the Celtic League clash with Llanelli after agreeing a new two year contract with Leinster.

EPI TAIONE of Sale Sharks has been cited by match commissioner Iain Goodall for an alleged biting incident in Saturday’s Heineken Cup game against Munster at Thomond Park.

DIFFICULT to know what to make of Sale Sharks after their stuttering 30-10 Heineken Cup win over the Gwent Dragons on Sunday.

IT’S all becoming a bit of a habit for Munster and Castres, who have been drawn together in the pool stages of the Heineken Cup for the second year in a row and the fifth time in 11 years.

Ronan O'Gara has been ruled out of Munster's Heineken Cup quarter final against Biarritz on Sunday week.

Munster coach Alan Gaffney will leave Ireland at the end of this season to take up a new post as assistant coach to Eddie Jones' Wallabies.

The organisers of the Heineken Cup are to consider a review of their disciplinary and citing procedures after Munster's Marcus Horan was found innocent of making racist comments in a game against Neath Swansea Ospreys on October 31.

FORMER Irish international Mick Galwey last night expressed his shock that one of Ireland’s top rugby referees, David McHugh, will not be officiating in this season’s Six Nations competition.

MUNSTER winger John O’Neill has been forced to retire from rugby with immediate effect because of injury.

THE memory of Connacht rugby player and all-round sports fanatic Dr Joe Costello will be honoured on Friday when a galaxy of sporting stars gather at Galway Golf Club.

A CYNICAL ploy by Leicester Tigers has threatened to cause a major row ahead of the Heineken European Cup quarter-final against Munster on April 13.

MUNSTER’S dream of reaching the quarter-finals of the Heineken European Cup for the fifth year in succession lies in tatters after a bitterly disappointing performance and comprehensive defeat by Perpignan in the Stade Aime Giral on Saturday.

MUNSTER manager Jerry Holland has accused the fourth official of “manhandling” Mick Galwey as he attempted to enter Saturday’s Heineken Cup game in Perpignan as a replacement.

MUNSTER manager Jerry Holland has accused the fourth official of “manhandling” Mick Galwey as he attempted to enter Saturday’s Heineken Cup game in Perpignan.