It was just one week before South Africa played Ireland in Aviva Stadium in November 2017 that Rassie Erasmus bid an emotional farewell to Munster.

In times of turmoil, and there has been plenty of that at Munster in recent seasons, the onus falls on the playing squad’s leadership group to pull the province through troubled waters, and it will be no different this time as the unexpected search for new coaches begins.

Keeping Johann van Graan at Munster is crucial to the province’s ambitions, according to Conor Murray.

As Munster’s director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus saw at first hand how to exploit opposition weakness under the high ball and now he believes that is the area he must improve quickest as he takes control of South Africa.

Johann van Graan has backed Munster to adapt well to yet another change in the province’s management set-up following confirming that Aled Walters is set to leave his post as Head of Athletic Performance.

He’s the coaching constant at Munster, working under three different head coaches in as many years. Jerry Flannery understands better than most the value system crucial to the province’s future - and the importance of the Munster manual.

Conor Murray is backing new head coach Johann van Graan not to implement sweeping change to the Munster gameplan as the squad transitions to the new management team.

It is perfectly plausible when Rassie Erasmus explains that after all the Munster organisation has been through over the past 13 months, the departure of a director of rugby is no reason for emotion.

When Rassie Erasmus arrived in Munster in the summer of 2016 to assume the role of Director of Rugby at the famous province, he was in many ways entering the unknown.

Outgoing Munster head coach Rassie Erasmus yesterday held what may be one of his last press conferences at the UL High Performance Centre yesterday.

Munster are said to be ready to appoint former Western Force head coach David Wessels as Rassie Erasmus' successor.

IRFU performance director David Nucifora is hopeful Munster have found the right person to succeed Rassie Erasmus and will be able to announce their new director of rugby “in the short term”.

You may think that Darren Sweetnam could be feeling some pressure as he looks around the Munster training ground and sees the likes of Keith Earls and Simon Zebo limbering up for their first starts of the campaign.

Munster have confirmed that Rassie Erasmus and Defence Coach Jacques Nienaber will leave the province at the end of December.

Jacques Nienaber has rejected criticism of Munster’s Champions Cup semi-final performance against Saracens a fortnight ago, insisting the province was beaten simply by “a better plan”.

Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus described Saturday’s incredible Guinness PRO12 victory over Ospreys as “satisfying”.

Simon Lewis takes a look at the impressive sporting performance of Jack O’Donoghue on the Munster Rugby team.

CJ Stander warns that Munster cannot afford to take a victory over down and out Racing 92 for granted when the French champions visit Thomond Park on Saturday.

CJ Stander paid tribute to the hard work of the late Anthony Foley and his fellow Munster coaches after their 32-7 Champions Cup bonus-point victory over Racing 92.

The way Dave Kilcoyne has been charging into contact to keep his team on the front foot of late suggests he is not the sort of player used to treading carefully.

Andrew Conway was such a superb schoolboy rugby player at Blackrock College that many shrewd judges tipped him to have banked a hatful of Irish senior caps by the time he reached his mid twenties.

Against all the odds, the Rassie Erasmus era began with a morale-boosting 23-13 victory for Munster over a much-fancied Scarlets side in West Wales.

Conor Murray hopes Joe Schmidt will take stock of Ireland’s potential and elect to stay and guide the national team to better things after an encouraging summer tour to South Africa.

New Munster director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus has drafted in compatriot Jacques Nienaber as the province’s new defence coach.