An emotional Rassie Erasmus signed off as Munster director of rugby with a 49-6 trouncing of Dragons in Cork on Friday night and said his 18 months with the province had been the best of his life, writes Simon Lewis.

Rassie Erasmus admits that he will experience mixed emotions at Musgrave Park tonight when Munster take on the Dragons in what may be his last game as the team’s head coach.

Duncan Williams is just one of many Munster players adamant the change of head coach over the next few weeks will have little or no effect on the teams’ performances.

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.

Bernard Jackman believes Johann van Graan is the perfect man to succeed Rassie Erasmus as Munster boss.

One of the key Castres players hoping to plot a shock win over Munster on Sunday in the opening round of the Champions Cup grew up in South Africa with Rassie Erasmus as one of his childhood heroes.

Munster are confident inexperienced new head coach Johann van Graan will not need the oversight of a director of rugby when he takes the reins from Rassie Erasmus.

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.

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”.

To say Munster boss Rassie Erasmus knows tomorrow’s opposition inside out is, for once, an understatement.

There will be more searching examinations this season of Munster’s Guinness PRO14 title credentials than those posed by Benetton Rugby last Friday in Cork but as opening-night performances go, there was much from which Rassie Erasmus could take pleasure.

Erasmus will leave Munster by the end of December.

RASSIE Erasmus will leave Munster to oversee a major overhaul of South African rugby shortly, and will bring his defence coach Jacques Nienaber home with him, Afrikaan media reported last night.

Munster boss Rassie Erasmus has denied Warren Gatland's assertion that Conor Murray had suffered a setback in his recovery from a shoulder injury.

It may have been a good news day overall for Munster boss Rassie Erasmus ahead of Saturday’s European semi-final with Saracens but Conor Murray’s shoulder injury continues to provide a dark cloud over preparations.

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Conor Murray will be given every possible chance to prove his fitness to face Toulouse this Saturday, with Munster prepared to wait until the morning of the game to see if the Ireland scrum-half’s injured shoulder can heal.

Rassie Erasmus has sent a shockwave through Munster Rugby by choosing not to unequivocally shoot down speculation he is in talks with South African Rugby about a return to his previous role as high performance manager in his homeland.

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

Rassie Erasmus admitted his Munster side lost the breakdown battle as Leicester gained Champions Cup revenge with a last-gasp 18-16 pool victory at Welford Road today.

Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has warned his squad they will have to overcome a Munster side galvanised by the death of Anthony Foley.

Munster boss Rassie Erasmus believes his players will continue to strive to do justice to Anthony Foley’s legacy as the province heads into another challenging test of its resilience in the wake of their head coach’s passing.

Something special is happening in Munster, forged from the sorrow of Anthony Foley’s untimely death.

Whether it was a brave face or genuine optimism from Rassie Erasmus this week, the feelgood vibes emanating from Munster’s director of rugby ahead of tomorrow’s Champions Cup opener in Paris could evaporate in a heartbeat if his side fails to rise to the occasion.

Rassie Erasmus will not be expecting perfection when he sends his Munster charges into action for the first time tonight.

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

BJ Botha and Denis Hurley headlined a list of departing players from Munster as plans for life under incoming director of rugby Rassie Erasmus continue to take shape.