Recent performances in the Heineken Cup excepted, it has been a poor campaign by Munster’s exalted standards and it will be a whole lot worse should they become the first team to lose to Zebre in their last match of the season at the Stadio XXV Aprile in Parma this evening.

Connacht 25 Zebre 20

Failure to manage a bonus point in last weekend’s loss to Harlequins has made it mathematically impossible to catch pool runners-up Biarritz, but pride and a third Heineken Cup win are at stake for Connacht this evening.

Ireland followed an uninspired first-half, from which they led 12-0 through four Paul Burke penalties, with seven second-half tries that kept them on the road to a Grand Slam in their A international campaign at Donnybrook.